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Protecting the DX enterprise with Fortinet: Managed security services for risk reduction

Protecting the DX enterprise with Fortinet: Managed security services for risk reduction

The Fortinet Security Brandposts are a series of hard-hitting discussions of trends in the cybersecurity world. This month Fortinet’s Jon McGettigan explains how managed security services can reduce the risk for your organisation as you embrace digital transformation (DX).

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Jon McGettigan, Senior Regional Director, Fortinet ANZ

Digital transformation (DX) is the defacto standard for most Australian enterprises. Mission critical applications are hosted in multiple clouds. Software-defined networking is re-writing the rules for LANs and WANs. Data can be literally stored anywhere around the world. Enterprises must be agile just to keep up. Digital services can (and must) be specified and deployed quickly and easily to meet demand.

Too quick and too easy, as it turns out. Any time you deploy an application or service outside of your core network – ie beyond the firewall – security can be compromised. Compromised security means more risk. Interruption of services and lost revenues. Loss or theft of data. Stolen intellectual property. Negative publicity from public data breaches. Even fines for non-compliance.

Security to match your DX initiatives

DX is an enabler to be sure, but it also increases risk. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could deploy consistent security services in tandem with your DX initiatives? Just as quickly and just as easily? And even better if those security services were comprehensive, scalable and unified across your DX network.

The solution is a comprehensive Security Fabric that can protect your distributed, multi-cloud networks regardless of where your data and applications are hosted. Ideally the Security Fabric can be deployed quickly and easily by the growing community of visionary managed security services providers (MSSPs).

Multiple clouds – multiple risks

Most enterprises have their security basics under control. The Australian Signals Directorate has provided clear and concise recommendations(ASD's Essential Eight) that outline a baseline of security procedures that enterprises should be doing. No excuse for not following their advice.

Extending those same procedures outside of your core network can be problematic, especially if you subscribe to multiple clouds. Each cloud has different structures, security environments, visibility and reporting. The more cloud services you utilise, the more risk you take on. Plus, just as it’s easy to subscribe to a cloud-based service, it’s easy to shut one down and replace it with one more suited to your needs.

Every time you make a change to your extended network, however, you should be adjusting for security as well. Unless you have a highly-trained security team in-house and a sizeable investment in security infrastructure, matching your network security procedures with your requirements can be a daunting task.

MSSPs– Less risk, faster ROI

MSSPs can provide the exact level of security services you need to plug any gaps in your legacy solutions, scale up or down depending on your work-load and protect your applications and data hosted in multiple clouds where your legacy solutions cannot be deployed. In addition, they will maintain all of the virtual and cloud-based infrastructure, ensure that all firmware is up-to-date, provide comprehensive reporting and, in case of a security event, manage the mitigation processes. All on a pay-as-you-go operational expense basis, reducing the financial impact of adding security services on an ad hoc basis.

Conclusion

DX enterprises need security services as agile and far-reaching as their digital innovation. Security services are best provided by experts employing the most up-to-date tools, policies and procedures. Ideally MSSPs can help you unify your security services into a consistent Security Fabric – such as Fortinet’s – on an incremental basis as you adopt cloud- and SD-based networking.

Reduced up-front costs, immediate deployment, elimination of gaps between services, lower management overheads, consistent policies across platforms, real-time threat intelligence updates…the list of visionary MSSP benefits goes on and on.

If you have any doubts about your security posture as you embrace digital transformation, it might be a wise choice to talk to a MSSP that offers Fortinet-based managed security services. It’s a call you won’t regret.

About Fortinet

Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT) secures the largest enterprise, service provider, and government organisations around the world. Fortinet empowers its customers with intelligent, seamless protection across the expanding attack surface and the power to take on ever-increasing performance requirements of the borderless network - today and into the future. Only the Fortinet Security Fabric architecture can deliver security without compromise to address the most critical security challenges, whether in networked, application, cloud or mobile environments. Fortinet ranks #1 in the most security appliances shipped worldwide and more than 375,000 customers trust Fortinet to protect their businesses. Learn more at http://www.fortinet.com, the Fortinet Blog, or FortiGuard Labs.

 For more Brand Posts in the Fortinet Security Insight series, click here



About the author

A leading provider of fast and secure cyber security solutions offers enterprise-level next generation firewalls and vast array of network security products. Visit https://www.fortinet.com/ for more information.Credit: Fortinet
A leading provider of fast and secure cyber security solutions offers enterprise-level next generation firewalls and vast array of network security products. Visit https://www.fortinet.com/ for more information.

Jon McGettigan is Senior Regional Director, Fortinet ANZ. As such, he is responsible for driving Fortinet’s continued expansion in the Australasian region through building and maintaining relationships with enterprises, partners and staff. As a senior executive, he understands the risks, motivations and opportunities that face executives as they transform their networks into 21st century revenue centres.


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Tags Information Technologydenial-of-serviceInternet of Things (IoT)operational riskreputation riskinvestment risk

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