The convergence of network and security services

Trends such as cloudification or increasing business risks from the current cyber threat situation and rapidly changing ways of working, such as working from home, are leading to new IT infrastructure and architecture requirements. Network and security solutions are converging, and services have to be adaptable to the dynamic needs of users and customers at very short notice. This convergence of connectivity and security solutions is leading to a transformation in the IT environment and requires not only extensive knowledge but also a comprehensive portfolio... Swisscom is the ideal partner for this transformation.

Urs Haag, Senior Product Manager Telco Cloud Services
24 January 2022

Requirements and trends in network and security solutions

Various studies by market research companies document how rapidly changing ways of working are impacting on the requirements for network and security services:

Employees are increasingly working remotely or from home and are becoming roaming users
End users are increasingly using Software as a Service (SaaS)
The internet is becoming a ‘security perimeter’: in the past, 80% of data traffic went via the internal network (intranet), and the rest via the internet. Today, the situation is reversed
Security policies must therefore be consistently enforced and guaranteed across different IT landscapes; on premise, off premise and across different clouds.

These changes are being embraced by 4 key technology trends:

Everything is being cloudified: whether infrastructure, software or services, everything is increasingly being offered and sourced from the cloud and in an as-a-service model
Security transformation: security is becoming professionalised; it is increasingly becoming a real business risk and requires skills that are not available to every company
SD-WAN is becoming mainstream and offers companies greater flexibility at low cost
Convergence: various disciplines are converging and a comprehensive, integrated range of products is emerging.

Figure 1 – Key trends in network and security services

The convergence of network and security services – SASE

What we are seeing is a convergence between connectivity (network) and security services, which together form the basis for the use of new architectures and ensure dynamic, optimised and secure access to work resources, whether on premise, off premise or in the cloud. Gartner has named this type of converged connectivity and security architecture Secure Access Service Edge (SASE).

Figure 2 – The internet as the IT security perimeter in the future

Transformation starts today

Companies must therefore change their IT architectures to meet the new requirements. As some or all of the workload is moved to one or more clouds, access to these resources needs to be optimised. At the same time, a transformation of the network is required in order to reduce latency and increase performance. The networks must become intelligent and be able to react to the dynamic context of the user and the security situation of the company.

Ideal partner for transformation of the IT infrastructure

The convergence of connectivity and security solutions requires comprehensive and specific infrastructure knowledge in both areas. Swisscom is the Swiss market leader in networks and the leading provider of security solutions, offering a modular solution that enables companies to transform their infrastructure gradually and at the desired pace. Swisscom is therefore the ideal partner for this transformation.

Figure 3 – Properties

The modular SASE package from Swisscom

Swisscom identified the trend early on and incorporated it into the development of its modular portfolio from the very beginning. A wide range of access and network services as well as additional telephony and entertainment services can be added as required, according to the customer’s needs, supplemented by appropriate, tried-and-tested security services if required. Furthermore, depending on the maturity of their organisation, the customer may decide at any time to delegate all or part of the operation to Swisscom security specialists. The modularity of Swisscom’s portfolio allows a step-by-step transformation that takes account of the company’s priorities.

Figure 4 – Swisscom portfolio

Enterprise Connect, Swisscom’s SD-WAN (Software Defined Wide Area Network) solution, gives the company the option of privileged access to cloud resources and the Internet. Using the Enterprise Connect dashboards, orders can be placed, bandwidths changed, configurations made and reports viewed – all in real time. Fast and reliable access to data and short response times are becoming increasingly important, and Enterprise Connect addresses this trend with very high end-to-end availability guarantees (OTT services and IP network). You can manage the security measures yourself or delegate them to Swisscom, from basic security functions to continuous 24/7 monitoring with Security Operation Centre (SOC) and Security Incident Response (CSIRT) services.

Conclusion

Digitisation, the cloudification of everything, the challenges in cybersecurity and the convergence of network and security services are a challenge but also a great opportunity. However, they do require a transformation of your company’s IT. This transformation is highly complex and highly individual, and requires careful conceptual definition and expert guidance. Let’s get together to share ideas on how your company can benefit from this transformation.

In our networked and digitised world, Swisscom uses its expertise and nationwide portfolio to support companies with their digital journey to the cloud.