Axis Adds Raft of Tools to SSE Service Delivered via the Cloud
Axis has added an ability to automatically optimize connectivity paths for its Atmos secure service edge (SSE) service for ensuring zero-trust network access (ZTNA) by enabling its agent software to monitor network latency.
The company also added an auto-session termination capability that leverages continuous monitoring to terminate live sessions if identity or user group changes take place. IT teams can view device posture status as well as automatically detect any jailbroken devices via a dashboard.
In addition, Axis added a domain discovery tool that automatically discovers all unknown related domains when onboarding internal applications along with a user group pairing capability. The user group pairing capability allows IT to define the IP ranges and destinations specific user groups can access in a way that overrides all previous access policies to ensure least-privilege access.
Axis also announced it added points-of-presence (PoPs) in San Jose, Phoenix, Northern Virginia, London, Frankfurt, Jerusalem, Hong Kong and Sydney along with a “PoP Desert Initiative” through which it will work with customers to create additional PoPs based on latency requirements. The Axis PoPs today are delivered via cloud services provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google and Oracle to ensure availability and optimize latency.
Finally, Axis added a free ZTNA 1.0 Migration Tool and launched a ZTNA BuyBack Program through which customers of Zscaler will receive up to six months of free service when they replace their ZTNA service and agree to a three-year Atmos Core Edition subscription. The ZTNA migration tool converts application segments developed in Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) and converts them to Atmos ZTNA applications.
Jaye Tillson, director of strategy for Axis Security, said the company is committed to making it simpler for organizations to migrate away from earlier generations of ZTNA services that are cumbersome to employ and maintain.
Of course, it’s not clear how many ZTNA services or platforms have been deployed. Interest in zero-trust IT initiatives is rising as organizations look for better ways to secure their IT environments at a time when credentials are routinely stolen and virtual private networks (VPNs) are easily compromised.
Zero-trust IT, of course, is hardly a new idea. The challenge is achieving that goal using software versus trying to implement it by locking down hardware. The latter approach has already been tried with limited success. End users today expect IT and cybersecurity teams to be able to ensure security without adversely impacting their application experience. That’s difficult for most internal IT organizations to achieve on their own. One of the primary benefits of shifting to a service delivered via the cloud is it enables organizations to rely more on the expertise of external specialists to manage latency and enforce zero-trust IT policies.
It’s not clear at what rate the shift to zero-trust IT will accelerate the transition to the cloud. However, it’s hard to see how that might be accomplished in an age where end users now regularly access applications from almost anywhere.
