The Biggest Technology Challenges Your Business Will Have To Address in 2023

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses were already pursuing digital solutions to their most pressing business challenges. The ability to provide an excellent customer experience and optimize productivity had many opting for cloud migration when there was an opportunity for an upgrade. But these widespread changes are coming with technology challenges.

Secure Connectivity: In decades past, the network could be protected by simply guarding the gates with a firewall. All activity was happening within the four walls of the physical business, and it was relatively easy to define what was allowed to enter. Today, that perimeter concept is all but erased. With remote workers, cloud adoption, and the Internet of Things (IoT) all adding to the complexity of network connectivity, IT security teams see secure connectivity as one of the most significant technological changes they are addressing.

All employees, regardless of where they work, need consistent work experiences that equip them with access to company resources. But in remote settings, it can be difficult for the security team to gain control and accessibility over the access method.

Zero Trust: Many companies are employing an approach called zero trust network access. It is not a specific solution but rather a mindset that assumes all users and devices are untrustworthy until proven otherwise. It often utilizes a combination of solutions, such as a next-generation firewall, secure web gateway, software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN), and multi-factor authentication to secure the network.

Zero trust, much like broader digital transformation strategies, is more of a journey than a destination, with most companies that pursue this approach accepting that the requirements will continue to change and grow.

SD-WAN: One of the most important tools involved in zero trust and essential for addressing technology challenges related to secure connectivity is SD-WAN. It offers a few key benefits that strengthen your network security and control costs related to bandwidth consumption:

• Traffic Segmentation: When there is a threat, a particular pathway or section of the network can be isolated until the threat is mitigated, allowing the rest of the network traffic to continue uninterrupted.
• Pathway Options: Some transmissions require a costly-but-secure MPLS line. Others can be routed to broadband Internet, allowing you to set policies for different requirements related to performance and security.
• Better Visibility: SD-WAN utilizes a centralized dashboard, allowing network engineers to troubleshoot, perform maintenance, and handle reporting and threat detection.
• Overall Security: Earlier SD-WAN iterations tended to patch together a security solution, but the latest solutions have baked-in security tools that make SD-WAN a good option for a secure connection.

Many technology challenges affect businesses, including trying to keep pace with competitors' digital transformation and choosing the right cloud solutions to improve productivity. But when it comes to secure connectivity, ITBroker.com can help. Contact us for assistance in selecting the right solutions to initiate a zero trust strategy.