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Welcome, fellow network security engineers, to this comprehensive guide on fortifying your organization's Software-Defined Branch (SD-Branch) configuration against potential threats. In today's fast-paced digital world, businesses are increasingly adopting Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN) solutions to enhance network agility, improve user experience, and reduce operational costs. As these modern SD-Branch infrastructures continue to gain traction, it becomes imperative for us, the guardians of digital communication, to ensure their security remains ironclad. In this article, we will delve into the fundamental best practices that every technical network engineer must embrace to safeguard their SD-Branch deployments effectively. As the linchpin of your organization's network architecture, the SD-Branch configuration holds the key to seamless communication between your dispersed branches, remote workers, and data centers. Yet, this interconnectedness also opens up so many entry points for potential cyber threats, making security a top priority. Let’s explore the various challenges and risks faced by SD-Branch environments, each demanding specialized attention and defense mechanisms. Our focus will be on striking the right balance between security and flexibility, allowing you to capitalize on the benefits of SD-WAN while keeping potential vulnerabilities at bay. Due to the complex nature of the topic, we divided it into several sections,…
SD-Branch and SD-WAN: Understanding the Differences
Technology buyers at multi-site organizations have a wealth of choices when it comes to network and security vendors, programs and support. One popular option that many teams are currently evaluating is “software-defined” network management technology known as SD-Branch and SD-WAN. It should come as no surprise that there are advantages and benefits to both, best…
How Distributed Organizations Benefit from SD-Branch
Technology is almost universally judged by how it performs. And what determines successful performance? Industry experts? The IT team? No. Positive business outcomes are the yardstick by which success is measured. Many tech buyers typically default to hard dollar decisions as their primary criteria, i.e. how much the purchase will cost or save. But the…
Incorporate Resilience Planning for Stronger Cybersecurity
By Structured Staff -- Does resilience planning factor into your cybersecurity strategy? If not, it should. And here’s why: While prevention is a great objective, it is increasingly difficult to defend a complex attack surface from all threats – especially the sophisticated and advanced threats we encounter today. Instead, organizations are bolstering prevention efforts with…
Protect Your Business with Backup and DR Planning, Practice and Performance
By Abe Covello, Structured Senior Systems Engineer -- The Playing Field Before any discussion of backup, archive and disaster recovery, you first need to define what you are talking about in each case. While everyone has a slightly different interpretation of what the terms mean, for me they are: Backup - Short-to-medium term storage, fast…
So Vulnerable: Common Findings from Penetration Testing
By Chris Green, Structured Security Engineer, CISSP-ISC2, CISA ISACA, QSA PCI SSC, PCIP PCI SSC Amid rising global tensions and numerous warnings from the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), organizations across the globe can expect to see an increase in cyber attacks from nation-states, criminal gangs, and copycats riding the…
Know the Three “Cs” of Cloud Connectivity
By Robert Karcsay, Structured Connectivity Specialist, SD-WAN & Cloud, CCNT #662000 If you have decided to move your systems and data to the cloud, you are among a growing number of businesses looking to stay competitive and remain nimble. But to achieve your business goals without blowing up your budget or your people, there are…
Identify, Connect & Protect at the Edge
By the Structured Enterprise Networking Team In modern network architectures, more and more data is being generated, analyzed and stored at the “edge” -- not in a traditional data center. That edge better serves users of ubiquitous mobile devices like laptops, phones, and tablets because it puts them closer to their applications and data. But…
Fast, Secure Backup and Recovery Powered by Veeam® Cloud Connect
By Darrell Bowmer, Lead Engineer, Data Center Services, Structured Some business disruptions are difficult, if not impossible, to come back from without significant tried-and-tested contingency planning. One of those incidents is data loss, be it through human error, a software or hardware failure, or a malicious attack via ransomware. The best way to protect your…
Worried about Higher Cybersecurity Insurance Premiums? Here’s How to Limit Your Exposure.
By The Structured Security Team -- Experts agree, it isn't a matter of if your organization will come against a cybersecurity threat, it's a matter of when. And companies that provide cybersecurity insurance are passing along the costs, increasing premiums to combat the risk of increasing payouts. Cybersecurity Insurance Costs Are Increasing Rapidly Cybersecurity insurance…
The Amazing Upside of Millimeter Wave P2P/P2MP Links
By Jed Rabe, Senior Wireless Engineer, CWNE#280, ACDX#925, ACMPV8 -- DEFINITION: A band of spectrum which utilizes wavelengths from 30GHz to 300GHz. The wave lengths are between ten to one millimeter in length. The millimeter wave band is above the micro-wave band and is typically used for similar applications. Background: Recently I was involved in…
