Blog

Network security is a topic on everyone's mind these days. Whether it's building tools for customer-facing applications or for internal use, keeping the information that's flowing on that network safe and available for use is top priority. Thankfully, new technologies like cloud-based systems and software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) are helping to keep the whole network protected in the face of new technologies such as the Internet of Things.

How Are Technologies Like SD-WAN Securing the Network?

The growth of technology always represents change in operations. Technological changes like the growth of SD-WAN allow for whole new ways to secure a network, as well as improvements on older ways.

SD-WAN means greater security need. As more businesses are using SD-WAN to keep branches connected, it's also representing a greater potential threat. The growing number of branches interconnected means more potential points of security failure, and thus a greater need not only to secure the overall network, but the individual component branches of the network as well. The so-called “surface area” for potential threats expands and demands a greater security presence.

SD-WAN sometimes contains its own protection. Certain SD-WAN systems come with built-in encryption features, which can provide a greater protection for data overall. While most tend to focus on perimeter defenses—keeping unwanted users out—encryption helps protect data even after a breach has occurred. By making the data effectively useless without a decryption key, the potential reward hackers can face dwindles.

SD-WAN simplifies networks. The easiest room to protect is the room no one can enter. The second is the room with only one way in or out. By simplifying a network's operations, it becomes that much easier to protect since there's less to keep track of and fewer chances that things will fall through the cracks.

SD-WAN is increasingly mainstream. It wasn't so long ago that SD-WAN was a new development. Now, it's poised to be part of many operations. That means accompanying defenses for it are more readily developed; previously, it was more a niche market. With wide-scale use, there's economic incentive to develop protective tools geared toward SD-WAN operations, and businesses can put more effort into building these solutions.

How Do I Find out More about Protecting My Network?

Get in touch with us at MHO to learn about connecting your network and keeping it safe. Our internet solutions ensure that our customers' networks stay up and running, and we cover several different industries from healthcare to education.