How will hybrid work continue? Palo Alto Networks predicts the end of VPN and the establishment of SASE - Secure Access Service Edge. With the security framework, security and network connectivity technologies are converged into a single cloud-delivered platform.
After nearly two years of remote work, millions of knowledge workers will adjust to a new rhythm in 2022, routinely working from both home and the office. This transition from pure remote work to hybrid work offers companies the opportunity to create a stable foundation for their employees. By giving them the policies, tools, and guidance they need to minimize disruption, employees can safely and productively take advantage of their new hybrid work environment. Palo Alto Networks explains what this means for ensuring a secure IT environment.
Hybrid work is becoming permanent
While this shift is expected to be less dramatic than the early months of 2020, IT and cybersecurity leaders need to make many considerations to decide how best to support their hybrid workforce over the long term. This post compiles some forecasts for this year based on recent conversations with business and IT leaders.
With many back-to-office deadlines being pushed back, more and more companies will formalize the adoption of hybrid working on a permanent basis this year. This will put additional pressure on security modernization initiatives, which have had to take a backseat to network expansion for most organizations during the pandemic. According to the 2021 State of Hybrid Workforce Security study, 61 percent of organizations are struggling to provide the remote security needed to support remote workers. As employees return to the office, the pressure on the WAN will increase due to increased use of collaboration tools and video, further increasing the need for SD-WAN.
The End of Remote Access VPN
Out of necessity, many companies responded to the pandemic by rapidly expanding their existing VPN capabilities. However, VPN was never intended to be deployed at this scale, and organizations are now moving to SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) to enable scalable, secure access at the network edge.
While this shift won't happen overnight, 2022 will see widespread deployment of SASE, which enables secure remote access to applications and services based on defined access control policies. Organizations that adopt this approach not only improve their scalability and usability, but also their security posture and better align with the principles of Zero Trust.
Office presence in the age of hybrid work
As organizations and employees determine what the new normal of hybrid working will be like, expect office attendance to come in waves that will ebb based on local and national regulations, business needs, and employee preferences. Palo Alto Networks believes this dynamic will challenge IT teams to deliver consistent experiences and encourage interest in new technologies like digital experience monitoring. Consistency refers to the way users interact with different business applications and access data and other services across all locations, ie home office, branch offices and corporate campuses.
Resurgent consumers with high expectations
Despite the current wave of infections from the omicron variant, the combination of pandemic fatigue and effective medical treatments will result in consumers shopping, eating, traveling and experiencing more in 2022 than in the last two years. Businesses should be prepared to serve and connect with these customers through digital and in-person experiences. The emphasis is on experiences as expectations will be for enhanced, personalized and powerful experiences.
According to Palo Alto Networks, it is becoming increasingly important for IT managers to have a complete overview of the user experience journey across the entire network infrastructure – and at all points within a service delivery chain. It is also important to fix the users' connectivity problems independently. Autonomous Digital Experience Management (ADEM) is an emerging technology that can help organizations meet increased customer expectations.
Securing home environments critical to network security
In many ways, now that hybrid working has become the norm, the home network is the weakest link for attackers in an organization. At home, work is more likely to be done from personal devices and accounts, providing soft targets that operate out of sight of the security team. In 2022, the home office will become a place where the company and its employees share responsibility for cybersecurity.
SASE is the architecture for the hybrid working world
Palo Alto Networks believes there is a unique opportunity right now to tailor the networks to be as flexible and scalable as the business needs. Security is now to be understood as something integrated and not as something screwed on. This puts the user first, creating endless possibilities and enabling the future of work. SASE can help organizations successfully navigate the transition to hybrid working in 2022 and beyond.
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About Palo Alto Networks Palo Alto Networks, the global leader in cybersecurity solutions, is shaping the cloud-based future with technologies that transform the way people and businesses work. Our mission is to be the preferred cybersecurity partner and protect our digital way of life. We help you address the world's biggest security challenges with continuous innovation leveraging the latest breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, analytics, automation, and orchestration. By delivering an integrated platform and empowering a growing ecosystem of partners, we are the leaders in protecting tens of thousands of businesses across clouds, networks and mobile devices. Our vision is a world where every day is safer than the one before.