How to Secure Your Growing Business Network Without Losing Your Mind

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Network security is a must, not a plus. But how can your organization enhance network security without yet another application or appliance to manage?

In a world where businesses are handling a massive, ever-growing number of endpoints, networking and security continue to converge, putting IT teams under increased pressure.  Every new addition to the network means something else to manage instead of a strategic investment meant to help foster growth and innovation. So, what’s the solution?

The answer lies in a unique approach to network access security.

How would things change if security was treated as a foundational element of the network rather than an afterthought? What if you look at it (as we should everything in the network design) through a customer experience lens rather than as a tradeoff to scalability or agility?

A Secure-Anywhere Network

Prioritizing network security in this way clearly has major payoffs to both the business and its network users. When security is an add-on, it must be managed separately and often comes with policies and functions that don’t align with the regular flow of network operations. But, as a foundational element of the network, the safeguard of data flowing through each interaction is included as part of overall network operations. Here’s where the magic happens because it enables you to confidently maintain security at any point in the user’s journey.

This is exactly what ExtremeCloud Universal ZTNA accomplishes. In a single solution that combines cloud NAC and ZTNA, it brings businesses anywhere-to-anywhere secure connectivity, scale, and reach as well as real-time awareness.

Users can seamlessly access applications from a coffee shop, an airport, or on campus with the same data protection as in the office. At the same time, network operators can manage security with confidence using the solution’s built-in identity-based zero-trust policy engine. It eases the administrative load by applying to both networks and applications, ensuring consistency with fewer tools.

More Visibility and Control

A single cloud-managed solution with a single license simplifies management. IT can control users and endpoints from one cloud-based dashboard. Mobile Device Management (MDM) and Identity Provider (IDP) integrations bring network-wide insights along with device posture checks and Multi-factor Authentication (MFA). With this level of control and visibility, they can be proactive instead of reactive.

Aiming for Zero Trust

While IT is being more strategic, the Extreme solution is handling things like automated onboarding, configuration, and policy enforcement in the background. All cloud-managed Extreme Universal Platforms have this feature, strengthening security throughout the network and moving IT towards a more holistic Zero-Trust approach.

Headache-Free Security

While the pressure’s on for businesses to deliver an intuitive, consistent yet secure experience, the separate options available today often add more complexity to an already-congested network. Extreme’s Universal ZTNA is a refreshing solution that adds value, confidence, and simplicity by including security as a foundational part of networking. By bringing security into the fold, it streamlines management while unlocking new levels of control and visibility that enable your organization to grow.  

Discover how you can cure the security headache and network with greater confidence using Universal ZTNA.

 

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About the Author
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Natasha McNulty
Senior Content Strategist

Natasha McNulty is a Senior Content Strategist for Extreme Networks specializing in K-12 education, higher education, and retail. Captivated by connections of any kind, she strives to uncover the human side of every story.

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