Dynamic segmentation is essential for a truly secure network

The landscape of devices and users accessing our network now looks vastly different than ever before. User expectations for fast and seamless network access are also higher than they’ve ever been. 

Unfortunately, wired and wireless networks haven’t kept pace with the changing environment they need to support. Network managers are stuck between the need to deliver the best possible user experience while somehow keeping data secure.  

The challenge lies in balancing these competing priorities without having to spend much of the day monitoring user access and adjusting network policies. With blurred network perimeters, dynamic cloud applications, and a new generation of devices, the current approach to static and manual network configurations has become impossible to manage. 

A dynamic approach to secure access 

Thankfully, a new approach to network management is changing the equation. Based on the established practices of micro-segmentation for securely separating workloads across data centres, dynamic segmentation from Aruba Edge Services Platform (Aruba ESP) has expanded these practices to our network to reduce complexity while improving security. 

The sheer number of decisions that need to be made at the edge of our networks has become impossible to manage manually. Each new device and application comes with countless configurations for virtual local area networks (VLANs) and service set identifiers (SSIDs), while dynamic segmentation offers the ability to:  

• Consolidate policy enforcement across both the wired and wireless access layer 
• Use a unified engine to apply rich, role-based access control to automatically shape traffic behaviour
• Ensure access rights are made based on the device, application, and location of the user

Streamline access management and bring your own device (BYOD) policies while delivering more intuitive and seamless experiences for end-users. 

Dynamic segmentation is already saving time and resources for IT teams and keeping the network secure. By limiting the potential errors that can be made through manual configurations, we see a significant drop in the number of breaches caused by misconfiguration. 

With the ability to define rules based on data from users, devices, applications, and location in one centralised platform, consistent policies can be enforced and updated. No matter which industry you’re in, tools like dynamic segmentation have become essential for modern organisations who need to deliver secure and seamless experiences across a new generation of devices and applications.  

At Datacom, we partner with organisations across every industry to help network teams lower the complexity and risk of trying to secure their networks. Through our partnership with Aruba, we’re excited to be bringing the artificial intelligence for IT operations (AIOps) capabilities within Aruba ESP to help our clients improve their security posture. Contact us today to discuss your opportunities for leveraging AI within your network operations.