The sheer volume of data that’s produced every day from digital devices is straining cloud networks. Transferring data between devices and centralized enterprise applications is slower, inhibiting the user experience and impacting business outcomes. Cloud is still a powerful tool, but modern businesses need to take advantage of additional capabilities if they want to deliver fast, quality customer experiences. Increasingly, that answer is Edge. Edge computing closes the gap between data source and data processing, reducing latency and improving bandwidth.
This has never been more important to business operations. With remote and hybrid work on the rise, many organizations now employ workers who are distributed globally, yet need to work collaboratively. In addition, employees are no longer working from a single desktop in an office, but instead utilize multiple devices to do their jobs: tablets, smartphones, and secondary computers, all on different networks. Even if a company is able to stay connected, they are probably leaving a lot of data insights on the table as they prioritize core data processing.
Edge computing dissolves the barriers between connection points and makes it possible to analyze data in real time, wherever the workforce, customer, and data is. This greater connectivity is a boon for business agility and flexibility, giving companies the capacity to maximize their data intelligence — but it also poses a new security risk. As the security perimeter continues to blur, traditional networking solutions become too complex, too slow, and too risky. Companies can no longer secure a single on-premises office network and be done with it. They have to factor in the new ways that employees are working and seek to balance accessibility with protection.
When working with Edge, you must consider the use of public networks, the need for multiple access points, and the importance of easy identity verification so that employees can do their jobs efficiently. Making it easier for employees to access company information could leave your organization vulnerable to cyber attacks, if access is too open. Walking this line between convenience and security requires a thoughtful approach, backed up by comprehensive, reliable technical solutions. This is when a solutions partner can provide valuable experience and support.
In today’s competitive business landscape, companies need to establish a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) architecture that protects the Edge perimeter without impeding flexibility and user experience. With the right Security Service Edge (SSE) solution and SD-WAN architecture, organizations can feel confident that every connection point is not just functional but secure. Partnering with the right vendor ensures that implementation is quick and effective, so companies can focus their attention on business success.
The HPE SSE solution involves working with 4 key technologies. Zero Trust Network Access relates to private applications, keeping them secure no matter where they are accessed from. Secure Web Gateway creates a safe connection to the internet and its applications, across workers’ different devices. Third is the Cloud Access Security Broker, which targets SaaS solutions and maintains secure access for employees throughout the company’s broader cloud architecture. Finally, Digital Experience Monitoring keeps an eye on performance so that any issues are quickly identified and resolved, without disruption to business continuity.
The key benefit of working with an experienced vendor is that organizations can access a suite of products and implement an end-to-end security program in one go, rather than cobbling together a mix of different programs. This protects users at every connection point, without burdening them with added security protocols and disparate systems. It simplifies deployment and management by replacing multiple disconnected views with a single interface that oversees security operations. This creates a single source of truth, making threat response more efficient.
This has real business benefits beyond data protection. By setting up security-first networking, it becomes easier to scale and innovate in new ways without worrying about or compromising security. Security is embedded within the architecture, rather than something that has to be reassessed and implemented at each new junction. This gives IT teams more confidence to pursue new ideas and test new products, as they can rely on a secure foundation.
Edge provides a way for companies to take full advantage of their data, within their larger hybrid architecture. But it’s a Secure Access Service Edge system that sets companies up to do it in a fully protected way. Take advantage of the latest developments in Edge computing without compromising on security, by working with a vendor that can deploy a network-as-a-service design and keep you one step ahead.
