Although no one wants to say the quiet part out loud, security isn't easy. If it were, there wouldn't be so many successful cyberattacks. Virtually everyone agrees that the concepts behind the zero-trust security model make sense. Instead of assuming anyone or anything that has gained access to the network can be trusted, assume the opposite. Nothing can be trusted anywhere, whether outside or inside the network perimeter.

Zero trust sounds great on paper, but organizations have been slow to implement it. According to a recent ESG report, "The State of Zero trust Security Strategies," only 13% of organizations have strong adherence to zero-trust principles and 54% have been working on zero trust for less than two years. Although 74% are very familiar with the concepts, 76% expect zero trust to be complex to implement.

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No one can deny that networks have changed. With the rise in remote working and multi-cloud adoption, the traditional idea of the enterprise perimeter has changed. The move to cloud and hybrid networks made traditional leased line networks used for routing traffic back to data centers less relevant. Now networks are distributed and complex with more edges. Instead of a data center as a hub of the network, now software-defined wide area networks (SD-WAN) are characterized by application-aware dynamic routing and security.

To save bandwidth and reduce latency, computation and data storage is being moved to the enterprise edge so it is as close to users as possible. But creating these additional network edges results in increased levels of complexity. Today's networks have edges from IoT edges, home edges, branch office edges, headquarters edges, enterprise data center edges, and a multitude of cloud edges.

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Today, the need for security is at an all-time high. Huge, high-profile ransomware attacks hit the news all too often, so it's not a surprise that cybersecurity pros are trying everything to secure their networks. Many people frantically buy every new solution out there but throwing multiple point products at the problem isn't the answer. Too many products inevitably lead to too much complexity. Managing multiple vendors and products with little integration or coordination can turn into a time-consuming mess. A well-integrated platform, especially one designed with open APIs and common standards to enable true interoperability with third-party solutions, is a much more effective strategy. And it's certainly easier to manage.

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The recent rise in remote working has put a spotlight on the limitations of virtual private networks (VPNs). For years, VPNs have been the de facto method of accessing corporate networks, but they have some drawbacks in light of today’s more complex ecosystems.

The biggest issue for complex network deployments is that a VPN takes a perimeter-based approach to security. Users connect through the VPN client, but once they're inside the perimeter, and in the absence of other security solutions in place, they could potentially have broad access to the network, which exposes it to threats. Every time a device or user is automatically trusted in this way, it places an organization's data, applications, and intellectual property at risk.

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