SD-WAN Security: Secure and Optimized Wide-Area Networks

SD-WAN is one of the most critical components to any organization looking for security, stability, and reliability in their Wide-Area Network (WAN). SD-WAN provides an optimized network that provides a better connection than traditional wide-area networks. This means your employees can access the applications they need without worrying about timeouts or latency issues.

It also means that you can be confident in accessing data from across the globe with fewer worries about whether it will be there when you need it. All this translates into increased productivity and more revenue coming back to your business.

What is SD-WAN Security?

SD-WAN security is all about protecting your data, no matter where it resides. The first thing you need to do when securing SD-WAN in any organization is to look at how and where the data will be stored.

If that location isn’t secure, then there’s not much point in having an optimized connection between multiple locations – if employees can access their files from anywhere they want with ease, why bother encrypting them?

What Are The Risks of Not Using SD-WAN Security?

Not having sufficient security can lead to employees falling prey to phishing attacks or unintentionally sharing sensitive information with the wrong people. This could result in data breaches which are dangerous for both your business and your customers/clients.

Not using SD-WAN security makes it challenging to comply with regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, etc. You must protect any personal customer information stored on company servers if something were to happen. An employee accidentally sent out a file without encrypting it. First, this would put your organization at risk of hefty fines along with negative publicity resulting from mishandling client’s private information.

Why is SD-WAN Security so Important?

It’s not just your company that needs to be secure – the entire network does. One device with poor protection could put all of it at risk and leave sensitive information open for malicious actors to steal, which can prove very costly in terms of damage control, lost revenue due to downtime, or consequences resulting from mishandling client data.

When a single firewall protects devices, policies cannot be appropriately implemented because there is no way to know what traffic should be allowed between networks without having specific rules set up for every individual situation.

This makes it much easier for attackers looking to target any part of the network they wish. Many organizations have different departments using completely separate systems making each one an isolated attack vector and increasing the attack surface for hackers to target.

The Benefits of Using SD-WAN Security Include

Increased productivity and more revenue for your business
Confidence that data will be there when you need it, regardless of where in the world employees access it from.
The ability to turn file-sharing services like Box or Dropbox into a secure storage solution.
Decreased risk of data breaches in case something does go wrong.
Employees follow best practices for working with sensitive information.
Businesses can be more confident in implementing policies requiring two-factor authentication before sharing any documents or performing tasks like transferring money between bank accounts.
Employees have access to the latest updates and patches, so they are always secure, even if they don’t remember to do it themselves.

SD-WAN Security Features

Advanced security features to protect company data from hackers and malicious actors.
Protection against DDoS attacks, malware programs like ransomware, or any other threats that could harm your business.
Tools for tracking suspicious activity on the network so you can know immediately if something is going wrong before it leads to a significant problem.
Alerts are sent regularly with reports about potential risks and recommended best practices that can help make sure your business is protected at all times.
A simple, easy-to-use interface makes it easy for employees to take advantage of all the benefits of an SD-WAN solution.
An online portal that provides access to network performance analytics and security reporting so you can keep track of threats as they happen in real-time.
Tools for creating custom alerts specific to your company’s needs and goals – these will be automatically sent every day, so you know exactly what’s going on with your business at all times.
Network monitoring and management tools ensure your employees’ devices are secure no matter where they’re located.
Tools for tracking and managing bandwidth usage.
Customizable reports are complete with graphs, charts, and other visual data to make it easier than ever before to determine where the most significant problems lie within your network.
Customizable access policies allow you to quickly and easily make changes without going through a lengthy process.

SD-WAN Security Best Practices

Implement policies requiring employees using file-sharing services like Box or Dropbox to use endpoint-to-endpoint encryption
Ensure all operating systems and applications on every device have the most up-to-date security patches and updates.
Enable automatic updating, so when a new update is released, it’s automatically downloaded and applied – this ensures that your devices will be secure even if an employee doesn’t remember to do it themselves.
Require employees to use approved software/devices when necessary.
Implement policies requiring two-factor authentication before sharing any documents or performing tasks like transferring money between bank accounts.
Only use personal devices on company networks when necessary.
Encrypt all sensitive company data when in transit.
When working with sensitive information, use VPNs to ensure no one can access the network and potentially steal it.
Give employees access only to what they need for their jobs so no one can see the information they shouldn’t have access to – this will also help prevent accidental disclosure of sensitive information.

Conclusion

Encryption has been around for a long time, but thanks to recent advancements in technology, encryption has become easier than ever before! This means more companies are implementing policies requiring employees using file-sharing services like Box or Dropbox to use endpoint-to-endpoint encryption, so even if someone could get into those servers, they couldn’t access the data.

SD-WAN security is all about protecting your data, no matter where it resides. The first thing you need to do when securing SD-WAN in any organization is to look at how and where the data will be stored.