Cybersecurity was already a major priority in the industry long before the pandemic. Nowhere is this truer than in utilizing 5G networks without compromising security. In a conservative approach, organizations presumed they were safe if they kept their systems closed. However, that is no longer a certainty.
Benefits of Remote Work Vs. Security Needs
Many employees love the convenience of remote work, even if it's just for part of the week. Unfortunately, the pandemic forced businesses to close their doors and develop a remote work model whenever possible. Unlucky businesses that could not adapt to this model — such as retail shops and restaurants — often closed their doors for good.
Businesses lost the four walls that provided security and easier collaboration with colleagues. System administrators who work remotely could no longer do administrative tasks on local machines in the same building. With everyone now connecting from remote locations, firewalls and security needed serious revamping.
As it turned out, companies who had already prepared for remote workforces fared better than ones starting from scratch. Protecting your company includes firewalls and network security, much as it always has. However, workers connecting from remote devices also need endpoint security measures to protect their privacy and corporate data.
How This Impacts Network Architecture
Now more than ever, network administrators realize that there is no "inside the building" safe bubble. In fact, open architecture is more of a given than a choice. Thankfully, you can now balance flexibility and security without imprisoning workers in the same four walls and building a technology fortress to protect your systems and data.
It's crucial to invest in security whether you have 40 people working in the same office or from 40 different locations worldwide. The truth is, threats come from every corner, and contemporary businesses need to face and conquer those threats to survive.
Invest in Security
The initial investment in cybersecurity will pay off with dividends once you realize the advantages of secure open architecture. It allows you to partner with subject matter experts and incorporates artificial intelligence and machine language as part of your ecosystem. When employees can safely log into a protected cloud-based environment from anywhere, it's like they're taking the protection of four walls wherever they roam.
What happens if you need data secured in one place due to regulations? You don't have to give up the convenience of the cloud to meet the needs of regulations requiring information to remain within a particular region. Instead, adopt available solutions using cloud infrastructure located on-premise or distributed on the "edge." So, you can now control your data, protect proprietary systems, and utilize the convenience and other advantages of cloud computing.
Telecommunications organizations have implemented several technologies to make secure open architecture possible and their organizations, as follows:
NFV/SDN: Software Defining Networking serves a similar function as network functions virtualization. Both methodology's abstract networks, with SDN focusing on the separation of control functions from forwarding functions. NFV performs the same function but abstracts networking functions from the hardware performing the tasks.
Softwarization: although it's not a new trend, they move away from on-premise hardware profoundly impacts how networks are structured. Using hardware-agnostic software allows developers to make changes more quickly and universally in the cloud. It also allows companies to move confidently into native cloud applications.
Edge computing plus open RAN enables telecommunications firms to fully utilize cloud computing benefits with advanced security features.
What Is Security as a Service?
Communication service providers (CSPs) can offer clients security services. In fact, there is a growing demand among businesses seeking secure ways to do business in the cloud. As a result, CSPs are building relationships with providers of 5G edge services. If security is a matter of life and death when it comes to your business, this type of partnership might work for your small or large firm.
Although this arrangement muddies who owns access to the end customers, it offers additional revenue streams and security for organizations and their clients.
Will Hackers Adapt to the New Normal?
It would be naive to think that any technology is an end-game solution for savvy cybercriminals. However, security as a service works well for organizations wanting to move the drawbridge along with their mobile fortress.
You can think of it as security by design where data breaches are not eliminated as much as controlled by several gatekeepers. That means that cyber invaders have to infiltrate more than one system to reach your sensitive company and client data.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: JEFF POIRIOR
Jeff brings 25 years of telecommunications and information technology management experience in voice and data networking, server support, and telephony and security; with a significant emphasis on customer service. Prior to joining Valicom, he was chief of the infrastructure support section for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Jeff was the vice president of operations for CC&N, overseeing telecommunications, help desk, data, and desk side support services. Prior to that, he served as the associate director of technical resources for Covance, responsible for managing systems and network operations supporting 1700 users in Wisconsin and Virginia. He has also led data center operations at Magnetek Electric, supporting mainframe systems, client/server applications, telephony systems, and computer-aided design. Jeff holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cardinal Stritch University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix. In addition, Jeff is a past board member of the Wisconsin Telecommunication Association.