The work-from-from model has increased the need for reliable, high-speed networks to ensure seamless business operations remotely. In an interaction with CRN India, Sanjai Gangadharan, Regional Director, SAARC, A10 Networks, share more insights
With rise in cyber threats and attacks during this period, how is A10 Networks ensuring cybersecurity for customers?
A10 Networks continues to work with its customers to help them evaluate the efficacy of their security posture, to secure their multi-cloud and 5G networks and ensure that their business-critical applications are secured and available. Our DDoS protection solutions protect against the largest DDoS attacks, particularly as new targets are being attacked, like healthcare and government entities in the age of COVID-19, and as attacks are becoming more sophisticated.
Application delivery and centralised management ensure security and availability of applications, particularly as work-from-home scenarios are becoming the norm. The Orion 5G Security Suite helps service providers not only secure their 4G networks, but also help prepare for their 5G deployments along with the increasing use of mobile edge clouds to ensure mobile services can be accessed where subscribers are located. Finally, with a majority of traffic now being encrypted, our SSL visibility solution helps customers decrypt and inspect network traffic for malicious threats, including malware and ransomware.
What’s A10 Networks’ preparedness to handle such unprecedented situations?
We have quickly mobilised to help our customers in times of extreme spikes in network traffic and security threats. Our teams remain available 24/7 to address expanding customer requirements for application delivery and security solutions.
Highlight some of the challenges faced in providing service or support to your customers, in the lockdown period? How would you complement in such a scenario?
Given global shelter-in-place orders, it is more difficult to visit customers and partners in person. However, technology affords us many alternative solutions to reaching customers and partners at this time. We have switched to virtual support and resources to help serve our customers and partners regardless of travel restrictions. We want to assure our partners and customers that A10 is here to help. Our teams are available for support 24/7.
How will COVID-19 impact the adoption of 5G services? Do you expect 5G rollout amid the demand for home connectivity and digitisation?
The pandemic has definitely accelerated the call for 5G as there is a strong demand for home connectivity and digitisation. With employees working remotely, high-speed connectivity has become essential infrastructure. But this might have also slowed down the adoption of 5G services as consumers are now deeply concerned about their financial situation and therefore, more reluctant to upgrade to 5G. Although, in the face of Covid-19, adoption of 5G could take a short to medium-term hit because of economic slowdown. But in the long term, it might accelerate through government funding and use cases that demonstrate the value of high-speed connectivity during COVID-19.
How should businesses in general address the complex security challenges, with the escalating threats prevailing due to remote working during COVID-19 outbreak?
Businesses are at major risk during the lockdown and are vulnerable to cyber threats as employees are remotely working with no or reduced device security. Cyberattacks have surged in the last few months as cyber criminals exploit these new risks. Data and network security has become the need of the hour as organisations are in more danger than ever. Employee awareness around how to recognise phishing emails entering an organisations system is the easiest way. Alongside employee awareness, a revised robust security system must be adopted by organisations to safeguard their devices. A ‘Trust Nobody’ approach to security must be implemented to restrict access to the system as much as possible will help to stop data breaches.
With remote working becoming the new normal, what are the best practices that your customers should adopt?
With work-from-home becoming the new reality of the moment, it definitely creates distress for organisations as they are more vulnerable to cyberattacks without the added security of an office network. With cyberattacks increasing every hour amid COVID-19, cybersecurity is indispensable and must be a top priority for organisations. Most employees working from home may not have access to a strong cyber security solution to safeguard their devices from cyber threats. Thus, organisations must adopt a Zero Trust approach to protect their network from disturbed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. A Zero Trust approach will ensure that no user has access to data that they do not depend on for their day-to-day functions. Organisations must also ensure visibility into all users, traffic, data and workloads, and have uniform security policies applied across all locations to make sure no security loopholes exist. In addition to this, technological advancements like artificial intelligence and machine learning and automation must also be implemented to help identify cyber-attacks in real time.
