In response to the move to have workers at home, companies of all sizes have had to rethink their networking infrastructures to support their growing remote workforces. The swift spread of the coronavirus crisis and the necessary response to it left many enterprises realizing that their existing VPN-based solutions were unreliable systems with limited performance and security measures. As a result, they recognized that a better solution was needed, one that took into account the new work model and the way that applications were being accessed.
With the COVID-19 era forcing increased use of a hybrid work model and the need for secure remote access expected to last beyond the pandemic, organizations are thinking long-term in regard to their most crucial workforce networking needs. Enterprises seeking an affordable networking solution that offers more reliable and faster network connectivity are turning to software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) architecture and VMware SD-WAN as the premier offer.
The following are a few of the ways in which an SD-WAN solution can boost your business both safely and dependably.
Also read: Revamping an outdated network with SD-WAN and NaaS
Protecting SD-WAN in your remote or hybrid work environment
SD-WAN is the most advanced WAN connectivity option on the market, and VMware SD-WAN has rapidly become the most widely trusted deployment avenue of this technology. The powerful VMware SD-WAN solution has transformed the way organizations structure their networks, allowing multiple network connections at varied locations to be combined into a single connection with traffic steered intelligently over them based on application policies and network conditions. The result is more speed, security, and reliability with the flexibility to use links of any type, including lower-cost broadband, all managed from a central portal.
Remote working solutions can’t compromise on security, so it’s incumbent upon organizations to furnish each employee’s home office with the same data integrity measures utilized in traditional office environments.
Modern network infrastructure must be protected from a range of threats, from phishing scams to bots to a wide variety of viruses. Your SD-WAN security solution should meet the following secure remote access criteria:
- Next-generation threat prevention as a cloud service.
- Public cloud security and compliance measures.
- Increased protection and threat assessment across all virtual networks.
Also read: CBTS Delivers Optimal Remote Work Accessibility and Productivity with Secure SD-WAN Solutions
Threat emulation functionality prevents infections from targeted malware attacks, delivering the best possible threat capture rate to your network. With the right emulation program in place, intruders will have a much more difficult time breaching your defenses.
Properly automated intrusion protection, meanwhile, forms a nearly impenetrable barrier around your network environment by monitoring, tracking, and shutting down potential threats. As it stops external attacks, the program also compiles actionable data and analytics about potential dangers to your network.
By harnessing CBTS-integrated technology, your network will be enhanced with features such as:
- Cloud delivered threat prevention.
- Zero-day threat prevention.
- Cloud-native architecture.
- Simple and intuitive web management.
- Optimized WAN security.
- Cloud delivered threat prevention.
- Zero-day threat prevention.
- Cloud-native architecture.
- Simple and intuitive web management.
- Optimized WAN security.
Powering secure business activities in an uncertain time
As traditional WAN architectures aren’t designed to support cloud and NaaS applications, enterprises are instead turning to Secure Access Service Edge (SASE). However, not all SASE solutions are created equal, meaning a hosted cloud security partnership with CBTS makes the difference for the continuing efficacy of your network.
Check Point provides organizations with advanced threat prevention, reducing complexity and lowering the total cost of ownership. Additionally, this CBTS-integrated technology protects SaaS, IaaS, and branch office assets from sophisticated threats through dynamic scalability, intelligent provisioning, and consistent control across physical and virtual networks.
The Check Point SD-WAN security solution also includes:
- IPS, Anti-Bot, and Antivirus solutions to safeguard networks from known threats.
- Application Control and URL Filtering to enforce safe web use.
- HTTPS inspection to prevent threats inside encrypted HTTPS channels.
- Multiple voice-over networking solutions for optimal customer quality of experience.
“Given today’s advanced cyber threats, it is critical to protect enterprise branch offices connected to the cloud with SD-WAN. Check Point Harmony Connect is integrated with leading SD-WAN vendors in the cloud to secure branches in minutes,” says Erez Yarkoni, head of the Telco Division at Check Point Software Technologies. “We’re excited to partner with CBTS to help drive enterprise digital transformation, with a special emphasis on branch office SD-WAN security.”
Jhonatan Almaraz, senior manager of network engineering at CBTS, says the reliability and security of a managed network is a boon for today’s forward-thinking companies.
“CBTS has leveraged SD-WAN technologies to help our customers along their journey to the cloud and their path to digital transformation,” says Almaraz. “Organizations are now facing the challenge of how to secure this new, flexible, always-on network, where an application can live anywhere in the world, and employees can work from anywhere in the world. Check Point’s Harmony Connect and Harmony Email and Office enable our customers to make the network decisions and application decisions that are best for their organization without the added difficulty of securing a malleable, distributed network.”
Executives interested in SASE must plan around the long-term business impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, adds Michael Leonard, senior product marketing manager at VMware, which partners with CBTS on SD-WAN technologies.
“VMware SD-WAN, managed by CBTS, is ideal for enterprises seeking business continuity solutions to enable a remote digital workforce, delivering consumer simplicity, enterprise quality, and maximum flexibility for a dynamic and challenging environment,” Leonard says. “Providing quality access from home is critical in empowering employees to continue business activities in this uncertain time.”
Also read: A Q&A on VMware SD-WAN by VeloCloud
Conclusion: CBTS is the right partner for you
If there’s one part of IT standing in the way of business agility, it’s the outdated enterprise WAN. Cloud-delivered SD-WAN from CBTS is an agile platform to securely deploy, manage, and monitor hybrid public, private, wireline, and wireless networks.
As a Check Point Software Technologies 5-Star Partner, CBTS offers a wealth of expert knowledge compared to other managed service providers, as well as an unparalleled track record of delivering extensive networking overhauls for clients of all sizes. By partnering with CBTS, your organization will gain ongoing support from the assessment phase way through the implementation of your SD-WAN solution and management of it and beyond.
Contact us for more information on how CBTS can implement advanced secure remote access solutions to modernize your networking environment.
