Network automation is a vast and innovative field. Enterprise has been making the most of it since its emergence. The capabilities of network automation technology are beyond imagination. It ensures fast performance, high efficiency, and a large reduction in human efforts. Owing to its endless benefits, it can be misused and for that security compliance needs to be established in order to maintain its uniform and ensure its correct usage on an enterprise level.
What is network automation?
In the initial age of digitalization, networking was complex. It was a hassle to transfer and share data from one place to another. It was because automation concepts were not introduced then, and most of the networking infrastructure was established using hardware devices only.
Now, things have changed. And, networking has joined hands with automation to reduce human efforts in managing complex networking infrastructures. Innovations in science and technology have led enterprises to work within distributed workstations. Regardless of time zone and geographical coordinates, you can fetch and transfer huge data within a blink of an eye. And, all this has become possible because of network automation tools.
Network automation is just not subjected to automated configuration and deployment of networking devices and software. It also encapsulates human-free maintenance, upgrade, and management of networking lines as per enterprise application requirements. Automation has made networking easier and simpler than ever.
With the help of network automation solutions, your IT team can think of developing something more productive for your enterprise. Before the advent of automation in networking infrastructures, IT teams were severely engaged in doing routine maintenance tasks, upgrades, and configurations that could have been more varied and productive.
Security compliance with network automation technology
Network automation technology offers vivid methods for an enterprise to evolve its working style, performance, and security. There are new cybersecurity threats emerging every day. To combat them, you need to secure your networking infrastructure as proactively as maximum. No doubt, networking automation provides enterprises with endless methods to secure their confidential and sensitive company data. With endless methods of monitoring and preventing cyber threats, it is crucial to obey some established security compliances so that uniformity can be maintained.
It is necessary to follow security compliances so that the users keep their trust in the company about their data security and confidentiality. However, we must first learn the security compliance methods network automation tools provide to an enterprise:
Consistent and continuous monitoring
One can allow automation to continuously supervise and scrutinize network devices and computer systems. It will ensure that your company complies with security standards and industrial regulations.
Automated security policy management
Enterprises can use network automation solutions to develop high-security protocols to protect company’s and user’s confidential data from cyber threats.
Use of golden configuration templates
Enterprises are supposed to use standard templates while configuring and deploying their networking devices. Such a set of rules must be obeyed to identify potential risks, breaches, and data loss.
Compliance library policies
Enterprises are required to stick to the library of policies that include the best methods to configure and deploy networking devices, software, and tools.
Security features provided by network automation tools
The defense, prevention, and detection of cybersecurity threats have become simple with network automation tools when they are configured in line with standard security compliance. Let us walk through the salient security features provided by network automation technology:
- Dynamic access control
With the help of network automation technology, it is easy to modify or amend networking policies dynamically with enhancing security needs and access patterns.
- Automated incident report & record system
To enable a comprehensive and efficient solution for categorization and priortization of access breach, theft, or loss, an automated incident response system is established.
- A proactive vulnerability and threat management
A proactive approach towards vulnerabilities and threats or data loss always happens to be a helping hand in securing your enterprise. This involves detection and prevention of cyber security threats even before they can enter your system.
- Automated security protocols
Security protocols like IP, VoIP, IPSec, etc should be proactively or automatically enabled in case of alien or suspicious activities in a networking architecture. In addition, next-generation firewalls are there in a network automation infrastructure to proactively send the threats away from the system. Further, data and network encryption tools are there to maintain the confidentiality of network paths and data in transition.
- Automated network monitoring system
An automated network monitoring system monitors the activities of incoming and outgoing data in real-time. Such a monitoring system enhances the security of network infrastructure to get rid of suspicious events in real-time.
- Security tools orchestration
Automated network security tools can be orchestrated with artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other innovations to enhance the security of a networking system. This process is known as the Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) platform. Integration of such advanced techniques can help strengthen the networking infrastructure by protecting it in real time by adapting to user patterns and trends.
Summary
Knowing a technology is far different from understanding and deploying it in your enterprise’s digital infrastructure. Before deployment of network automation tools, it is advised to communicate about their security compliance and security features with a reliable network automation vendor like Infinity Labs. It is crucial to know the salient security features you will get after network automation deployment in your enterprise to fight against evolving security threats.
FAQs
- What is the benefit of automated network security in enterprises?
The biggest benefit of deploying network automation tools in your enterprise is that detection and prevention of security threats are possible in real time. And, this way, you can safeguard your enterprise data even before risks and threats intervene in your digital architecture.
- How to automate network security?
To deploy automated network security tools, you must assess the current situation of security levels in your current infrastructure. After that, consult your network automation vendor for the deployment of appropriate security tools for your enterprise. Your network automation vendor will guide you in choosing the right network security tools for your company.