Networking
Interest in Network and Security Services Grows
Managed global WAN connectivity platforms and firewall-as-a-service offerings are high on the list of approaches being considered by IT organizations.
Network Upgrade Plans
Among IT pros that plan to upgrade their networks in the next 12 months, 26% said a shift to a managed global WAN connectivity platform is the highest priority. 39% said they plan to eliminate some hardware, with servers (62%) and storage (52%) topping the list.
Most Promising Network Tech
Firewall-as-a-service leads the list at 41%, followed by cloud access broker software at 24% and SD-WANs at 20%.
Types of WAN Employed
•72% use tunnels to establish network connections.
•38% use MPLs connections.
•31% use software-defined WANs.
Securing Branch Office Traffic
•41% are splitting traffic at the branch office where they deployed a firewall.
•25% backhaul traffic over an MPLS connection where they use a firewall in the data center to protect data.
•13% split traffic at a branch office using a cloud gateway to protect data.
Protecting the Cloud
24% of respondents use the same firewalls they have in their local data centers in the cloud, and 23% use the firewalls made available by the cloud service provider.
Securing the Cloud for Mobile Users
48% require mobile users to make use of a virtual private network (VPN) to access cloud services. Only 15% use cloud access broker software.
Security Technologies Used
Almost two-thirds of the respondents are relying on between two and five security solutions, and 26% have five or more in place.
Areas of Risk
Networks tops the list of risks at 58%, followed by mobile tech at 44%.
Top Network Security Challenges
•Cost of acquiring and managing appliances and software: 49%
•Enforcing endpoint security policies: 48%
•Integrating cloud and local data centers: 35%.
Biggest WAN Challenges
•Network latency: 43%
•Cost of buying and managing appliances: 43%
•Cost of MPLS: 37%
•Mobile VPN access: 35%