Traditional cybersecurity strategy is hopelessly fractured and unsuited to modern digital environments and threats. Traditionally, cybersecurity solutions have been developed and implemented in order to protect specific assets and plug specific security vulnerabilities. This can lead to ‘security silos’ – uselessly duplicated or disparate security tools and protocols that only handle single functions.
Cybersecurity Mesh Architecture (CSMA) has been developed as part of a broad move towards interdependent and networked security strategies. It is designed so that organizations can develop cybersecurity capabilities in a broadly holistic fashion – allowing for the wholesale upgrade of capabilities without the creation of security silos. Here is a guide to the main benefits of using a CSMA security strategy.
Scalability
As mentioned in the introduction to this article, CSMA is designed with scalability in mind. Many companies suffer from the creation of security silos as they add more cybersecurity capability. Cybersecurity Mesh Architecture is designed to incorporate all upgrades into a larger structure that is able to be easily accounted for. This is immensely important in an IT environment that is increasingly distributed. Many networks used in business include cloud storage, cloud, and a mixture of in-house and end-user devices. Securing highly diversified digital networks is far easier when all security provisions are interconnected and accounted for as soon as they are incorporated into the system.
Connectivity And Collaboration
One of the core benefits of Cybersecurity Mesh Architecture is the increased level of connectivity and asset collaboration it enables. Disparate security assets typically take care of their own reporting and communication. This makes dealing with a broad threat a very slow process. A CSMA system involves the integration of all security assets – meaning that communication, collaboration, and reporting are extremely fast and efficient. This makes dealing with broad threats far easier and less labor intensive. Advanced hackers typically use multi-vector attacks to ensure that they will gain access to a network. They frequently use evolving polymorphic malware that switches vectors regularly. If all security assets communicate and collaborate effectively, then multi-vector attacks are less of a threat.
Simplified Deployment
Cybersecurity Mesh Architecture makes the deployment of new security assets far simpler. This is primarily because it makes the integration of new assets into a broader mesh a top priority. One of the biggest headaches security teams face is the integration of security assets into a broad security architecture. Mesh architecture simplifies this to an extreme degree. CSMA takes some of the headache out of asset deployment.
Simplified Management And Reporting
The interconnectivity of all security assets that are part of a cybersecurity mesh makes reporting and management far simpler. Meshed cybersecurity assets work together – enabling the reporting of security issues in a holistic manner. In the same way, the management of cybersecurity assets can be dealt with while easily viewing the impact that any management operations will have on the overall cybersecurity picture – something that was very hard to do indeed with siloed security assets.
Now you know what the benefits of CSMA are.