Secure multicloud environments key to digital transformation

24th August 2018

By: Schalk Burger

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

     

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Providing application-centric security for multi-cloud environments is necessary to secure the many and increasing complex and cross-platform interactions of modern business and industry.

Flexibility of use, movement of resources, data, workloads and accessibility across a range of devices are hallmarks of the digital economy. The openness of the environment provides ample vectors for attack and disruption, says F5 Networks Europe, Middle East and Africa partner sales VP Gad Elkin.

“Our heritage of delivering application (app) services where the app resides and the evolution of multi-cloud environments dictate that we provide our services and support multi-cloud, as well as provide support across different premises and stakeholders.”

For public cloud services, F5 has partnered with Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services and Oracle Prime Cloud, as well as with colocation companies, such as Equinix.

“We understand interconnected business environments and serve as the hub in a multi-cloud environment,” he says.

F5’s approach is to deliver security and app services – acting as the hub – across all the platforms. It holds specialised certification for security and app delivery controls, as well as being certified by Amazon Web Services as critical for consumption.

“Two main elements of this approach are, firstly, supporting software that runs in the cloud, which means clients must be able to consume our services in any form of cloud use, whether subscription or by use,” says Elkin.

Secondly, the apps are spun up in the cloud with F5 software, that the software is delivered with infrastructure-as-a-service or hosted on-premise to manage and secure the business’ apps.”

The company’s historical service experience and core competencies serve it well in the evolving business information technology environment, while running services as a software package enables it to continue serving clients wherever their apps reside, says Elkin.

“App-centric security as part of digital transformation ensures mobility of apps and services. We collaborate with the client to provide the requisite security dictated by the platforms they use and the threats that they face.”

F5’s heritage of app delivery control and deep understanding of managing apps, their delivery and security, from the network layer to the application layer, further enables it to add value to current app security issues, he adds.

For example, the F5SSL Orchestrator provides visibility of encrypted traffic in which malware may hide.

“Most traffic and data handled by applications are now encrypted. The SSL Orchestrator allows for policy-based orchestration across the full security service chain for any network topology, device or app.

“Orchestration of SSL traffic groups devices into services to intelligently decrypt and steer traffic, allowing for independent monitoring, load balancing and scaling to adapt to changing network conditions and increasing traffic demands,” he explains.

“Apps are everywhere and increasingly interrelated, with many added capabilities inadvertently yielding new opportunities for attack. We enable clients to deploy standalone or integrated security for all types of apps, environments and use cases.”

Story highlights:

* Application-centric security ensures mobility of apps and services, which are hallmarks of the modern economy and digital transformation.

* Software must run in the cloud and clients must be able to consume services in any form.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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