*By Marcos Eurico
With the increase in cyber threats and the need to protect sensitive data, companies should seek advanced solutions to increase the security of their Information Technology (IT) environments. In this context, SD-WAN networks (Software Defined Wide Area Network) have the potential to help overcome connectivity challenges to create more flexible, secure and resilient infrastructures. This technology allows the use of different network options, both private (MPLS) and public (Internet), to remotely connect users to the business environment.
One of the main advantages is the significant improvement in network performance. Through traffic optimization, these solutions prioritize critical applications and direct volume to more accurate routes. According to Gartner, the adoption of SD-WAN can result in a reduction of up to 50% in the response time of corporate networks and generate an improvement in the user experience. This latency refers to the time it takes for data to travel across the network and, therefore, a significant reduction results in faster and more efficient communication between connected devices.
This performance increases productivity and contributes to the digital security of companies. With a more efficient network, accesses are performed faster and, therefore, more reliably to reduce vulnerabilities that can arise with slow or unstable connections.
In today's world, digital security is one of the biggest concerns for CEOs due to the business and image risks that may be involved in the event of an invasion by hackers. In this case, SD-WAN networks offer advanced security features, contributing to data protection and improving prevention actions. The most modern solutions on the market already use encryption to keep the information transmitted confidential and prevent third parties from accessing unauthorized or sensitive data that need to be protected by companies, as stipulated by the LGPD.
The gains are enormous for those who implement more advanced protection technologies. According to MEF (Metro Ethernet Forum), 89% of companies that use SD-WAN solutions have experienced significant improvements such as better data traffic and faster access to critical applications, resulting in greater network performance and employee satisfaction that depend on these environments for achieve good performance in their work.
Intrusion prevention mechanisms (IPS) are already being incorporated into solutions to detect and block malicious activity on the network. This additional layer of security helps protect against hacker attacks and identify suspicious behavior before the business structure is at risk. SD-WAN networks can also include content filtering capabilities, allowing companies to control access to malicious or inappropriate websites. This helps prevent the introduction of known programs such as malware and to limit vulnerabilities resulting from inappropriate actions by users who often click on links without first seeing whether the recipient is known and trusted. This technology also follows the advances made by cybercriminals to close digital doors by adding components such as authentication, encryption, access control, preventive threat monitoring and protection from mass DDoS attacks. They also provide alerts about dangerous links and emails, helping to increase users' continued awareness of the use of companies' technological infrastructure.
IDC analysts agree with the advantages and also say that implementing SD-WAN can result in significant cost savings. According to them, organizations that adopt SD-WAN experience an average reduction of 40% in connectivity costs compared to traditional networking solutions. Added to this, there are gains in time, deployment and network management.
The market is unanimous in the feeling that SD-WAN is essential nowadays for monitoring and analysis, providing a real-time view of companies' infrastructure. With this information, IT teams can identify unusual patterns, suspicious behavior or malicious traffic, enabling them to quickly and accurately respond to potential threats. By using Internet links, MPLS and wireless connections together, SD-WAN solutions ensure that, even in the event of connection failures, network services remain available, something essential for security.
Management challenges are increasing with the proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, equipment and smart devices. We also have employees who bring their equipment to the office (Bring Your Own Device) and customers and suppliers who access the network when they are in internal meetings. Therefore, protecting business data is only possible with the help of cutting-edge technology. Anyone who insists on carrying out this protection manually or with outdated systems will certainly have structural problems, in addition to putting their companies at risk that could be mitigated.
*Marcos Eurico, Cybersecurity Manager at Blockbit
Notice: The opinion presented in this article is the responsibility of its author and not of ABES - Brazilian Association of Software Companies
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