Managing data security in a hybrid workspace

The COVID 19 Pandemic turned the world of work on its head. Prior to March 2020, remote working was a rarity in the Middle East. According to a Michael Page survey, prior to the pandemic, only 13% of respondents had the flexibility to work from home. Now more than 60% of staff in Dubai and over half in Abu Dhabi say they can work from home.  

Controlling access to data, systems and storage solutions was much easier when everyone was in one location. With so many people now working from a location other than the office accessing your systems from a myriad of devices, the security of your digital assets is critical to ensure the smooth continuity of day-to-day business operations.  

Most enterprises face multiple security challenges in trying to secure all endpoints, locations, networks and access to applications. Identifying the gaps in your security approach can be tough and the sheer volume and complexity of some tools make it almost impossible to ensure you’re getting the right security, where and where you need it. A limited budget also means that corners end up being cut, and difficult inconvenient processes encourage users to create workarounds to circumvent your security.

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) is a forward-thinking framework where networking and security functions converge into a single integrated service. It works at the cloud edge to deliver protection and performance and is designed to help manage hybrid infrastructure and application environments in the modern enterprise. 

Although it is often misrepresented, there are three fundamentals of SASE: 

• Simplicity — Consolidate services 
• Security — Control and protect, anywhere and everywhere 
• Scalability — Evolve to meet changing network and security needs 

The core functions include software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN), firewall as a service, secure web gateway (SWG)s, cloud access security broker (CASB), and secure endpoint with zero trust network access (ZTNA). The goal of the SASE model is to consolidate these functions—which were traditionally delivered in siloed point solutions—in a single, integrated cloud service.   

SASE has several key benefits:  

• Broad, reliable security coverage across all ports and protocols  
• Security protection on and off network  
• Rapid deployment and flexible enforcement levels  
• Immediate value and low total cost of ownership   
• Single dashboard for efficient management  
• Instant scalability across a global network 

At Orixcom, our preferred product is Cisco Umbrella, which, always ensures your operation is protected from all major threats and safeguard your network from malicious attacks.  

Cisco Umbrella integrates multiple components that were once standalone security services and appliances in a single, cloud-native solution. Previously, Cisco Umbrella was known for delivering DNS-layer security. Now it also includes secure web gateway, firewall, cloud access security broker, remote browser isolation, data loss prevention, and cloud malware detection.  

One of the key capabilities of Cisco Umbrella is the ease and speed with which it can be installed.  The DNS layer security can be deployed and covering your network within minutes of us setting it up, meaning your business is protected, right from the beginning of your partnership with Orixcom. You can then add other security controls over time.  

Speak to Orixcom today to find out how we can start protecting your business, globally, in a matter of minutes. Connect with us on LinkedIn and make sure your enterprise and your data are benefitting from the best security protection.