Cloud-based security solutions are the more effective and most immediate way for companies to deal with security threats arising from the multiple internet access points created by employees on their devices from remote places.
This is according to Richard Broeke, an IT security specialist at managed IT security vendor Securicom, who says: “You can have all the perimeter based security technologies in place that you want but they are ineffective against the threats created by employees logging into the network from their devices from unsecured locations outside the corporate perimeter, such as their homes, airports and coffee shops.”
Broeke says cloud based security provides an advantage over traditional appliance centric security technologies because they operate in near real time which means that companies can quickly and easily apply web usage policies, regardless of the device type or location.
In its recent CyberThreat Report, Cyren warned that signature based solutions are virtually powerless against zero hour threats since it can take days or even weeks for updates to take place. By contrast, cloud based solutions update the moment that a new threat is identified, providing almost immediate protection. An effective cloud based web security service can protect against new malware, viruses, and other types of malicious code within hours, and even minutes, of them being released.
Broeke agrees: “Cloud based security service have a definite time advantage. They are also more current with the evolving devices and technologies that people use to do their work. Many server based security technologies used by companies today are outdated. They weren’t made to deal with the threats that arise from people connecting to the network using a plethora of devices from unsecured locations.
“Firewalls and IDS/ IPS protect corporate networks and servers from threats coming in from the internet, but they don’t protect against newer threats which target end users accessing internet resources, and then infect corporate networks. So, not only do they take longer, if at all, to recognize a potential threat, they also aren’t designed to fix the problem,” he says.
With a cloud based security service, companies can achieve detailed visibility into internet usage while at the same time streamlining the network environment by channeling remote users through a secure platform. This eliminates the need to move traffic through multiple point security appliances.
Aside from being capable of protecting corporate networks from threats and breaches due to employees using their own devices that probably do not have corporate security software installed, a cloud security service is also quicker to deploy, deployment models are more flexible and they are device independent.
The more predictable nature of cloud services costs also makes them more cost-effective than deploying and maintaining various on-premise solutions. With managed, cloud based web security service, organizations can also overcome resourcing challenges.
Securicom’s Securi Web suite of products is geared to provide businesses with flexible, customizable, and intuitive web protection. Securi Web services inspect, filter and clean inbound and outbound web traffic to combat all browser-based threats. These solutions are focused on protecting the end user who is accessing internet resources.
Companies subscribe to these plug-and-play services that provide advanced web security functionality in-the-cloud. Subscribing companies also have access to expert support from Securicom.
