The assurance of data security is a crucial aspect for every company today. In this case, SDN security or software defined networking is quite often the choice to overcome this. Moreover, SDN itself is already quite widely used because it is known to optimize network performance.
However, of course there are still those who are doubtful or want to see what benefits SDN can provide in providing security guarantees or protection of data, applications and company infrastructure.
To answer all these problems, in this article we will go into detail about the software defined networking (SDN) security and the benefits it brings specifically for you.
Get to Know SDN Security
Software define networking (SDN) an approach to network virtualization and containerization that helps optimize network resources and quickly adapt networks to changing business, application, and operational needs.
SDN works by separating the network control and data layers to create a software-programmable infrastructure. With SDN, network orchestration, management, analytics, and automation functions become the responsibility of the SDN controller.
These controllers can take advantage of the scale, performance, and availability of modern cloud computing and storage resources. More and more SDN controllers are built on platforms with open standards and APIs, enabling them to orchestrate, manage, and control network devices from various vendors.
SDN security is also known to be able to provide its own benefits for businesses. One of the advantages is the ability to separate the control layer and the data transport layer, increasing flexibility and speeding up the launch time of new applications.
Not to mention, SDN has the ability to respond more quickly to problems and disruptions, thereby increasing network availability.
Finally, programming makes it easier for IT organizations to automate network functions and reduce operational costs. SDN collaborates with other technologies, called Network Function Virtualization (NFV).
NFV offers the capability to virtualize device-based network functions such as firewalls, load balancers, and WAN accelerators. The centralized control provided by SDN can efficiently manage and orchestrate virtual network (NFV) functions enabled by NFV.
Benefits of SDN Security
SDN Security is well-known to offer various benefits to its users. These benefits include:
-
Network Segmentation
One of the benefits of SDN is easier network segmentation. Network segmentation involves creating sub-networks within a larger network. Segmentation can help divide and organize your organization’s network traffic.
For example, this can restrict the machines (physical or virtual) of your sales department from communicating with your finance team’s machines. This will certainly enable more efficient use of bandwidth by reducing the size of the broadcast domain and reducing unnecessary traffic on the network.
From a security perspective, this helps reduce the risk of virus attacks or theft of company data. In this way, areas of data security breaches can be minimized. Therefore, when one machine or application is infected, segmentation prevents it from affecting other separate devices and applications.
-
Easier Centralized Remote Management
Software defined networking (SDN) or virtualized software-based network security is easier to manage from a single central dashboard. This means network and security administrators can access it and view it remotely, so that if a breach occurs, the relevant parties can be immediately notified.
The previous Covid-19 pandemic forced companies to move their workforce outside the office to work from home. Network security for remote and hybrid work environments must be more flexible.
With the security provided by SDN, your business network security experts can track the security of all employees, wherever they are. You can ensure that network security is consistent for employees working on-site and off-site.
-
Automation
Another benefit that you can experience from using SDN security is automation. Virtualizing network functions such as firewalls facilitates greater automation potential. An example is firewall architecture. Current firewall architectures do not scale well, and this can compromise your business flexibility.
Virtual network firewalls allow you to get the same benefits as physical firewalls, but they add more flexibility, sustainability, and scalability. Traditionally, to deploy and virtualize a network of course you have to do scripting manually.
Today, companies can deploy turnkey solutions to automate network firewall virtualization. Additionally, because functions like these are virtualized, SDN security can be automatically updated from licensing to policies.
This makes it easy to keep up with the latest security trends. If you plan to move your database or core network infrastructure, virtualized infrastructure can offer a smoother transition.
-
Scalability
One of the big advantages of SDN security is scalability. If you use them it will be easier to scale virtualized processes and network components because they do not require the purchase of new hardware.
You don’t need to add RAM and processing power to the machines or buy new ones especially if the virtual functions run on cloud servers.
Most cloud providers offer automatic scalability. If your security requires more system resources then the provider can provide a new instance or service for it.
As your company and its network grow, security needs will also change. Security tools such as virtual firewalls can be deployed almost at will, allowing for seamless growth in your business operations.
-
Save expenses
Observing what is happening these days, physical network infrastructure or direct checks are no longer capable of handling your security. Even this method is quite troublesome. Therefore, SDN security could be a solution. You need to know that if you use SDN, several businesses or companies can be run from one server.
Virtualized functions can be scaled up or down depending on your company’s needs at any given moment, allowing you to save on infrastructure costs and service costs. That way you can save more on company expenses
Additionally, today, security is built into network programs and other software as part of the development process. For SDN security vendors this means upskilling current employees through training where they can learn how to code software that is inherently secure.
For users this means that fewer resources are required to secure your system when software-defined security is integrated.
So, for those of you who want to know more or are planning to use SDN security, you can consider using Indonet services. Indonet is a pioneer of digital infrastructure service providers that offers various services and solutions to meet the needs of the modern business that you run, one of which is by using Cloud Exchange for effective digital infrastructure solutions to help your company achieve digital transformation.
Indonet it self is experienced in its field because it was founded in 1994. Apart from that, there are many services that you can use which will certainly be very useful for the development of your business.