Page 145 - Cyber Defense eMagazine October 2023

added to the network, be it an employee home laptop, an IoT sensor, a machine vision camera, or a
cloud-based server, brings a new security threat to the company.

All of these changes are making network security a critical defense measure, and at the same time, they
require higher levels of access control.

Security trends affecting network modernization

We see many successful organizations focusing on network security, as part of overall network
modernization efforts. Network modernization can mean many things, including replacing hardware,
adopting, software-defined networking solutions, and setting up private 5G networks. But a big piece of
most network modernization is baking security in at the core to better protect the network.

NTT’s Global Network Report, a recent survey that looks at how networks are evolving, how
organizations’ preparedness for these changes is advancing, and how they will adapt their networks to
new demands, found that 87% of top-performing organizations are investing in their cybersecurity
capabilities, compared with just 41% of underperformers. A key focus for these organizations is moving
from perimeter-based security to identity-based security.

The survey had several other interesting results. Related to network transformation:

• 93% believe new threats will drive increased security demands, requiring a deeper level of access
control and inspection;
• 86% expect private 5G as an extension to the LAN;
• 95% are investing in cybersecurity capabilities;
• 92% expect to adopt cloud-first solutions or move network functions to the cloud;
• 89% expect that their wider campuses will be a critical element that will enable hybrid working.

Meanwhile, the survey found that technology trends are driving change:

• Over 95% of executives confirm they will be investing in modernizing their network;
• 70% are struggling to keep pace with business demands for increased speed and innovation,
citing technical debt and a lack of expertise.

Turning to AIOps

As they look to better manage their networks, senior executives have identified real-time analytics as
their most critical need, followed by the ability of network managers to drill down fast and efficiently to
deal with problems while reducing downtime.

IT teams often struggle to keep pace with the growing number of endpoints and the cybersecurity threats
they present. These challenges point to a need to deploy AIOps and automation.

Cyber Defense eMagazine – October 2023 Edition 145
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