The Fast Mode spoke to Oscar Morales, Solutions Architect at Calian IT & Cyber Solutions on the impact of traffic visibility on ZTNA networks. Oscar joins us in a series of discussions with leading cybersecurity and networking vendors, assessing the evolution of ZTNA technologies, the roadmap for ZTNA deployments, the benefits of ZTNA for enterprise and telco networks, and the need for real-time traffic visibility technologies such as DPI for ZTNA.
Ariana: What challenges do you see across ZTNA deployments?
Oscar: One common challenge is where to begin. Not everyone may fully understand what ZTNA is and the benefits it brings. With today's oversaturated cybersecurity products market, it is very easy to get confused since it seems like every vendor is now delving into the zero trust and ZTNA space. Another challenge that comes to mind is not so much the technology and/or product challenges that come along with going down the ZTNA path, but more the organizational culture change that comes along with ZTNA. Some businesses will reject the idea of any kind of change even if it’s for the better in the long run. They think, "Oh we're not on any threat actors’ radars, so we are safe." For those that are on board with making the ZTNA journey, they may run into challenges related to legacy systems and applications that may not adapt to zero trust. The question then becomes if you accept that risk related to the legacy app or do you invest in replacing that application that will comply with your ZTNA policies. Once you have your ZTNA environment up and running, you will need to have someone to manage it all for you. Whether it is an internal team or outsourced MSP, the day-to-day support for ZTNA is something companies need to have a plan for when considering deployment.
Ariana: How has ZTNA transformed today's networks and what are its greatest benefits?
Oscar: With today's networks "interconnected" more than ever before, it's critical to consider how business can be done in a secure fashion. Companies are shifting to a work from anywhere model and ZTNA helps those companies meet those security needs. This shift has put a focus on the need to change to a user to application model that allows for a seamless and secure experience. Products and vendors are also shifting by including features and components related to ZTNA that allow a business to accomplish this need. ZTNA is providing the ability to implement a more granular level of control to restrict and allow user's access to business applications. Proper implementation and configuration of ZTNA allows for users to work from anywhere in the world and securely access any application whether on-prem or hosted in the cloud. Being able to provide "least privilege" access to only necessary apps and services rather than the whole network is a huge benefit for today's work landscape.
Oscar Morales is a Solutions Architect with a focus on cybersecurity at Calian IT & Cyber Solutions. He meets with customers to understand what their pain points and challenges are and how Calian can assist—whether it’s managed security services, product resell, or consultative and advisory services. Oscar stays fully up to speed with the latest security technology and products to ensure Calian provides the latest industry-leading solutions to customers.
This interview is a part of The Fast Mode's Next-Gen DPI Traffic Visibility for ZTNA segment, featuring over 40 leading cybersecurity and networking solution providers and their views on the importance of traffic visibility for ZTNA. A research report on this topic will be published in January 2024 - for more information, visit here.
