Reduces network-related management efforts by encrypting data and offloading WAN traffic to the cloud. This also enables performance metrics to be automatically fed to security functions at each site, eliminating the need for human intervention.
A business-driven SD-WAN solution supports end-to-end segmentation. This minimizes the impact of a breach by separating sensitive information and security requirements.
Security
With the rise of workplace flexibility, employees work from various locations and use a mix of personal and company devices. This brings heightened security risks, with cyberattacks a growing threat to enterprises. This is why a robust network security solution is critical for any organization.
To mitigate these security risks, businesses must invest in a combination of hardware and software. However, this approach can be expensive and difficult to manage, especially across multiple sites. Moreover, aligning the needs and capabilities of security and networking teams is challenging. A secure SD-WAN solution offers the right balance of performance, flexibility, and built-in security.
SD-WANs provide a centralized control function to route traffic based on business applications intelligently. They also enable secure local internet breakout of IaaS and SaaS applications in the branch office, which improves cloud performance. This reduces the need for costly leased lines and allows for more flexible and scalable deployment.
An SD-WAN solution offers centralized configuration, significantly minimizing human errors that can compromise performance or security. It provides granular visibility into network traffic and automatically detects and responds to threats at the edge. This enables zero-trust initiatives to accelerate. With centrally managed, scalable, secure SD WAN solutions, you can rest assured that your data will remain accessible no matter the quality of your Internet connection or physical location.
Scalability
An SD-WAN solution’s scalability depends on the size of your company and the type of data traffic. It’s best to focus on specific needs and align those with current and future business goals. Checking user reviews and testimonials can help zero in on the best fit. Also, attending the vendor’s annual users’ group could pay big dividends as vendors often discuss product enhancements based on feedback from real customers.
An essential advantage of an SD-WAN is that it eliminates data needing to travel back to the leading network, improving security and reducing network costs. This allows a unified management framework and increased visibility into applications, devices, and users. Ideally, the chosen SD-WAN solution should include advanced security features such as next-generation firewalls, secure web gateways, and advanced cyber threat protection.
An additional benefit of an SD-WAN solution is that it can increase the resiliency of cloud and SaaS-based applications by enabling a direct connection between branch offices and the cloud or SaaS provider. This reduces latency and improves application performance. In addition, it enables a more secure architecture by encrypting traffic. This allows businesses to comply with regulatory requirements. Another feature is WAN optimization, which helps minimize bandwidth consumption by prioritizing critical applications and ensuring they always receive the necessary bandwidth.
Flexibility
When a company migrates its data to the cloud, it must ensure that these operations are carried out securely. This requires a high level of flexibility in the network architecture. The new infrastructure must be capable of accommodating a variety of applications, including videoconferencing, email, and file sharing. The system must also be able to handle data backups and restores. In addition, it must be scalable to accommodate a growing number of users and devices.
SD-WAN can make this process easier by providing a variety of features. These include application identification systems that simplify integration and collaboration between remote locations. In addition, these systems can identify and prioritize different types of data traffic. This can reduce costs and improve reliability by reducing the bandwidth consumed by data transmissions.
Another benefit of SD-WAN is its ability to measure the quality of channels. This enables it to offload data through a channel with a better service level agreement (SLA) and ensure critical applications are always sent over the best available media. The solution can also use the protocol to fight data loss on low-quality channels.
The ideal SD-WAN solution will offer a full range of advanced security capabilities. It should have a next-generation firewall and a secure web gateway to protect remote devices. It should also support end-to-end segmentation spanning the LAN-WAN-Data center and LAN-WAN-Cloud. Moreover, it should be easy to deploy and manage and provide centralized security policy management.
Cost
The cost of an SD-WAN solution can vary depending on the size and type of data traffic. It can also differ by the organization’s business needs and its budget. However, it is essential to look at the cost of multiple solutions before making a decision. An excellent way to do this is by comparing the features of each solution with your requirements. You can also check out customer reviews and testimonials. In addition, attending a vendor’s annual users’ group can be an excellent source of information.
Most SD-WAN solutions offer basic built-in security features. These include next-generation firewalls and VPN tunnels, allowing organizations to protect themselves from data loss and downtime caused by cyber-attacks. These security functions can be managed through a centralized interface, eliminating the need to install separate standalone security appliances and minimizing maintenance costs.
Another benefit of SD-WAN is that it reduces reliance on expensive leased lines by routing traffic over less costly internet connections. This can result in lower TCO for an enterprise network and a better user experience for remote workers. In addition, it allows for more flexible and scalable deployments. This flexibility is beneficial as organizations continue to grow their remote workforces. Backhauling traffic from branch offices to a centralized data center was traditionally required to ensure security. However, this method introduces latency into the WAN and can lead to poor performance.
