To safeguard against increasingly sophisticated network security threats, a holistic approach has become imperative. According to the 2023 Microsoft Digital Defense Report, 120 countries have been affected by cyberattacks[1] and these global cyberattacks are growing in complexity and scale, underscoring the need for advanced security strategies.
Global cyberattacks are growing in complexity and scale, underscoring the need for advanced security strategies. Traditional models, such as Zero Trust and centralized firewalls, play crucial roles in enhancing security postures by enforcing strict access controls and monitoring traffic. However, these approaches alone may fall short in the face of dynamic and persistent threats.
In response, HPE's security-first AI-powered networks offer a robust alternative by integrating on-network traffic inspection without impacting performance, adaptive security measures, and AI-powered comprehensive network visibility, providing an advanced and resilient defense mechanism that contrasts with the limitations of conventional security frameworks. In this article, we will explore the limitations of conventional security frameworks and share brief insights into how HPE’s security first AI-powered networks address them.
Zero Trust concept
Zero Trust is an abstract security framework that can be misconstrued or exploited by vendors with misleading claims. The model should serve as guidance, with its implementation varying depending on the network setup and the organization's security objectives:
- Principle: Zero Trust assumes that threats can originate from both inside and outside the network perimeter. It requires continuous verification of identity and strict access controls, regardless of a user's location or the network's perceived trustworthiness.
- Strengths: Zero Trust enhances security by minimizing the attack surface, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and lateral movement by attackers. It helps organizations detect and respond to security incidents more effectively, as every access attempt is scrutinized and verified.
- Loopholes: Implementing Zero Trust can be challenging, particularly in complex and legacy network environments. Organizations may struggle with user and device authentication, segmentation, and policy enforcement, leading to gaps in security posture and potential misconfigurations.
Centralized firewall
While advances in centralized firewall technology have positioned it as a strong choice for securing network perimeters, misapplications stemming from misconstrued deployment guidance can inadvertently impact network performance. Here are some key considerations:
- Deployment: Centralized firewalls are positioned at the network perimeter or within the internal network to monitor and control traffic flows between different network segments and zones. They enforce security policies and inspect traffic for malicious content, unauthorized access attempts, and policy violations.
- Strengths: Centralized firewalls provide a centralized point of control for managing network security policies and enforcing consistent security posture across the organization. They enable organizations to implement granular access controls, threat prevention measures, and logging and auditing capabilities.
- Loopholes: Centralized firewalls may introduce single points of failure and performance bottlenecks, particularly in highly distributed or high-traffic environments. Misconfigurations or vulnerabilities in firewall rules can inadvertently expose the network to security risks or disrupt legitimate traffic flows.
HPE's security-first AI-powered networking
In recent years, HPE has introduced a series of industry-leading technologies, ranging from distributed services switches to dynamic segmentation and other adaptive security measures. These innovations inherently bring policy enforcement to the edge of networks without disrupting traffic flows, while simultaneously offering pervasive visibility into network health and security concerns. When these measures complement existing conventional security measures within a network, they bolster an organization's cybersecurity objectives while concurrently reducing total cost of ownership (TCO). Below are key points for consideration:
- Integrated security features: Advanced security features are integrated directly into the network infrastructure, including identity-based access controls, microsegmentation, encryption, and threat detection and response capabilities.
- Zero Trust architecture: Zero Trust implements principles such as least privilege access, continuous monitoring, and adaptive security controls, ensuring that every access attempt is authenticated, authorized, and validated based on contextual information and behavioral analytics.
- Centralized management and orchestration: AI-powered centralized management and orchestration tools simplify the deployment, configuration, and enforcement of security policies across distributed network environments. This ensures consistency and visibility while reducing complexity and operational overhead.
- Scalability and performance: Scale seamlessly to support growing business needs while maintaining optimal performance and reliability and benefit from high throughput, low latency, and resilience against cyber threats—for network infrastructure protection without compromising performance or user experience.
In comparison, while Zero Trust and centralized firewalls play important roles in modern network security, they may have limitations and challenges in implementation and management. HPE's security-first AI-powered networking solutions address these challenges by providing integrated, adaptive, and scalable security solutions that deliver comprehensive protection and operational efficiency in today's dynamic threat landscape.
Related resources
Five principles of a smarter data center brochure
Tackling global problems: University of Illinois case study
[1] Burt, T., 2023. Espionage fuels global cyberattacks. Microsoft. Available online at https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2023/10/05/microsoft-digital-defense-report-2023-global-cyberattacks/
