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The pandemic may have accelerated the transformation, but for many enterprises, the writing has been on the wall for a while, as applications moved to the cloud in recent years.
It’s clear today that perimeter defences are no longer tenable in a world where people have to work from anywhere. Neither are legacy networks built before the cloud good enough for the cloud.
In this cloud-first world, there is no perimeter to speak of. Users are mobile and connect straight to the cloud apps. They do not connect back to a data centre, so what is the perimeter defences still protecting?
At the same time, the old hub-and-spoke topology used to build corporate networks is outdated and costly. Worse, in a cloud-based world, it is also laggy, creating a bad experience for users.
Understandably, they demand the same experience they get from a consumer cloud service, which is fast and easy to use. So, for a business, why continue to backhaul traffic and pay for an architecture that wasn’t designed for the cloud?
The biggest headache of all – cybersecurity – is not going away, either. The breaches continue because zero-day vulnerabilities, botnets and threats hiding in SSL bypass the typical Internet security checks easily.
It is impossible to inspect all the traffic because your security stacks usually have performance limitations. How can your appliances keep up as more traffic comes along, especially in this critical period?
Rethinking access and security
A new approach is needed. Firstly, businesses have to move security to the cloud. In other words, all users and locations will adhere to the same policies wherever they go, in a “zero trust” environment where you always have to prove who you are to access digital assets.
Secondly, businesses have to look for a cloud-ready network platform, so Internet connections are direct, fast and secure. Say no to backhauling and appliance costs – ask for simpler network administration.
Thirdly, pick a cloud security vendor that offers the ultimate security stack, which makes use of multiple technologies to stop more threats. Scale up as you need, even inspecting unlimited amounts of traffic passing through in an unpredictable world.
For this, Zscaler has built a security cloud platform that processes up to 120 billion transactions per day at peak periods. Threats detected are instantly shared and blocked across the platform.
Zscaler has also developed a platform that offers unlimited capacity. With more than 150 data centres, performance from any location is lightning fast. In other words, a great cloud experience.
Delivering a consumer-like experience
This new approach would enable businesses to deliver what customers and employees both expect – a fast, seamless and secure experience when they interact with your business.
Zscaler’s B2B solution enables users to connect to your cloud applications with the ease of any consumer-like applications without the business risk. This works with apps that are hosted in the data centre, or in the private or public clouds.
Key here is Zscaler’s zero-trust network access (ZTNA) architecture, which is tied to business policies to securely connect an authenticated customer to an authorized app. It does so without ever exposing the app to the Internet or bringing the customer onto your network.
As this is being done, the impact on your network resources is limited, so you can scale up without worrying about the complexity and friction that come with legacy network and security setups.
With this, you can deliver access to modern cloud apps without worrying about the legacy network issues that may have been giving users a bad experience, especially when they are working remotely today and still have to connect back to your data centre before heading to the cloud.
With Zscaler, the new approach also eliminates the attack surface. Customers no longer come into your network and they are no longer exposed to the open Internet.
Of course, migration is never easy. In a way, the current pandemic has forced many business to reconsider how they deliver their IT services. It is presenting an opportunity for businesses to transform.
Taking the first step is important as they head into a future where the cloud is truly the platform for business applications to be delivered securely and seamlessly.
Business and IT team leaders should find out how their businesses can connect seamlessly and securely to a cloud-first world at the Zscaler Future of Cloud Asia Pacific Summit, said Charles Kennaway, regional director for Southeast Asia and Greater China at Zscaler.
Hear speakers from BP, Microsoft, CrowdStrike Asia, Silver Peak, Zscaler and more on working from anywhere in a zero-trust environment at the event. Sign up here.
