ELE Times December 2016 Electronics News in India | Online Electronics Mag | Page 46

Technology

Security through Visibility

Seeing Into Virtual and Cloud Networks

Comprehensive network modeling helps security engineers extend
traditional security processes into hybrid enterprise networks

I

magine an IT security team as a navy crew at sea. A torpedo blasts the ship’s
side below the water line. As the water floods in, they can’t even see the
hole, let alone fix it. Instead, everyone turns to the pumps to keep the ship

afloat.
This is the state of many security programs today. Despite a plethora of point

solutions, security teams lack visibility into what they’re trying to protect, their
most pressing risks and the security tools at their disposal. Thus security teams
Ravid Circus
Vice President, Products
Skybox Security

operate in constant reactionary mode, while a strategic, proactive security
program remains elusive.
The growing popularity of virtual networks further complicates visibility issues.
Virtual machines are spun up at a moment’s notice and security groups and tags
are assigned but not necessarily in line with broader security policies. Network
security teams may have no access to management consoles and limited insight
as to how changing network architectures affect their attack surface.
But with comprehensive network modeling extending into virtual networks,
network security engineers can gain the needed visibility to unify security and
compliance processes across their hybrid hardware and virtual environments.

ELE Times | 46 | December, 2016