Edge to Edge Cybersecurity Explained | Secure Networks

Joe Goodwin

Edge to Edge Cybersecurity Explained | Secure Networks

Edge to edge cybersecurity is a comprehensive approach to securing networks that goes beyond the traditional perimeter. It involves implementing security measures at every endpoint, including edge networks, to ensure complete protection. In today’s rapidly evolving threat landscape, enterprises need robust cybersecurity solutions that can adapt and secure their infrastructure.

Companies like HPE offer advanced cybersecurity solutions specifically designed for edge networks. The Aruba 360 Secure Fabric and the Pensando Distributed Services Platform for HPE Servers are examples of these solutions. They provide visibility, control, and advanced threat defense to secure the physical network infrastructure and the traffic flowing through it.

By adopting edge to edge cybersecurity, enterprises can excel in a post-perimeter world and protect their infrastructure from evolving threats. It enables organizations to safeguard their data, applications, and critical assets, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of their network.

Why Edge Security is Essential

Edge security plays a crucial role in today’s digital landscape as organizations face the increasing need to protect resources beyond the edge of traditional networks. While edge computing for IoT devices, such as fitness bands, self-driving cars, and retail POS registers, highlights the importance of edge security, it is also essential for remote workers, cloud computing networks, and operational technology like smart industrial pumps and temperature sensors.

Data processing now extends to branch offices, retail locations, factories, and IoT devices, making them vulnerable to attackers seeking unauthorized access, data theft, or compromise of credentials. The limitations of traditional security measures, like next-generation firewalls (NGFW), become apparent due to factors such as asset mobility, expertise limitations, physical size constraints, and scalability requirements.

Edge security offers a solution by replacing traditional appliances with advanced solutions that extend security from the cloud to remote assets, establishing a hardened and monitored connection between them. This approach ensures that organizations can protect their infrastructure and data from evolving threats in the edge computing landscape.

Edge Security Solutions

Edge security plays a pivotal role in protecting organizations’ networks and data in the ever-expanding digital landscape. To achieve robust edge security, various solutions are available, each offering unique capabilities and benefits tailored to specific requirements.

Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS)

FWaaS providers replace traditional Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW) and Secure Web Gateways (SWG) appliances, offering comprehensive security measures for edge networks. These services provide fully monitored and inspected traffic, URL filtering, and anti-malware security, ensuring enhanced protection against evolving threats.

Network-as-a-Service (NaaS)

NaaS providers consolidate network management and control, offering flexible options to meet diverse edge security needs. From equipment-only NaaS to fully managed and implemented solutions, enterprises can ensure seamless network operations while maintaining robust security measures.

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)

SASE offers a comprehensive, turnkey solution for edge security. By integrating network security and wide-area networking capabilities, organizations can streamline operations and enhance security. SASE solutions provide access control, network segmentation, and traffic inspection to prevent malware and ensure secure edge connectivity.

Secure Service Edge (SSE)

SSE solutions serve as comprehensive edge security options for organizations with existing WAN or SD-WAN solutions. These solutions offer a full set of access controls, anti-malware filtering, and packet inspection features to safeguard the network infrastructure and data.

Zero Trust Edge (ZTE)

ZTE emphasizes zero trust access principles, providing a safer on-ramp for organizations’ physical locations and remote workers. By authenticating users, devices, and applications before granting access, ZTE ensures a robust security posture at the edge.

Implementing these edge security options empowers organizations to fortify their networks against ever-evolving cyber threats while enabling seamless connectivity and data protection.

Best Practices for Edge Computing Security

To ensure optimal edge computing security, organizations must adhere to key best practices that mitigate edge computing security risks and protect their infrastructure from evolving threats in the edge computing landscape.

Implementing a zero-trust access framework throughout the organization is essential. This approach treats all users and devices as untrusted by default, requiring identity verification before granting access. By adopting a zero-trust approach, organizations can significantly reduce the potential for unauthorized access and potential security breaches.

Controlling and configuring edge devices plays a crucial role in maintaining a secure edge computing environment. By only allowing properly secured and controlled devices onto the network, organizations can minimize the risk of compromised devices serving as entry points for attackers. Rigorous internal control and device rejection processes help ensure that only trusted and authorized devices are connected to the network.

Monitoring activity across edge devices is vital for real-time threat detection and swift response. Organizations should leverage AI/machine learning tools to analyze and identify anomalous patterns or behaviors that could indicate a security breach. By detecting threats in real-time, organizations can effectively minimize the impact of security incidents and respond promptly to safeguard their edge computing infrastructure.

Finally, isolating edge devices within a secure public cloud infrastructure provides an additional layer of protection. By separating edge devices from the organization’s core network and ensuring they cannot act as gateways into the network, potential attackers are effectively blocked from gaining unauthorized access. This isolation adds an additional barrier against potential security risks and enhances the overall security posture of the organization’s edge computing environment.

Joe Goodwin