Corporate environments are more complex than ever

Multi-cloud environments and hybrid work make simplified cloud security harder to achieve.

Silos, vendor lock-in
and a pressing need for simplicity

A complex web of networks and applications is complicating security strategies.

Maya's experience, moving from one login to another as she goes about her workday, isn't unusual. More and more, employees are plugging into a complex web of networks and applications. That's because more organisations are operating in an often chaotic, increasingly hyper-connected ecosystem of networks and applications that connect employees, suppliers, partners and customers.

_{Multi-cloud environments introduce multiple challenges}

Among those challenges is the rise of multi-cloud environments, which weave public and private cloud platforms together with corporate data centres into a patchwork of cloud and on-premises environments. According to Gartner, 81% of organisations have a multi-cloud strategy.

While popular – the benefits of cloud-based infrastructure are well established – multi-cloud environments make the job of Security Operations (SecOps) teams more difficult.They do this by introducing data silos that can inhibit enterprise-scale security and networking, by hampering visibility into potential security vulnerabilities, by locking customers into public cloud platforms that lack open APIs needed to integrate fully with security solutions and other applications, and by creating a disjointed user experience.

Hybrid working creates a moving target for security

Hybrid working has also introduced an explosion of complexity by dislodging traditional network perimeters and extending the workplace to virtually any location or device. Like Maya, employees in a hybrid workplace may access secure networks and VPNs from traditional corporate offices just as they always have. But with the rise of remote work triggered by the global pandemic, they're regularly logging in from home offices, mobile devices and more. (Perhaps it's not surprising that today there are 3.6 connected devices for every person on earth; and by 2023, 70% of the global population will be equipped with mobile connectivity, according to the Cisco Annual Internet Report, 2018–2023.)

Though millions of workers were introduced to remote work during the pandemic, more than half want to keep it up. And CIOs are on board: 85% say it’s important to empower their employees for a hybrid world. Employees are demanding flexibility from their employers so they tap into their corporate ecosystem from anywhere using any device.

This far-reaching interconnectedness can come at a cost: a breach anywhere in the ecosystem can have a ripple effect throughout. All it takes is one successful exploit. And it's employees like Maya – who generate dozens of digital touchpoints a day – who are some of the easiest targets for cybercriminals.

Traditional security environments aren't making things any easier

Maya may be suffering from login fatigue, but it's likely she's not thinking about the SecOps teams who have to make sure all her online interactions are accounted for and secure.

The unique challenges that hybrid working and multi-cloud environments place on SecOps further complicate an already fraught landscape. It doesn't help that most SecOps teams employ between 40 and 50 different security tools, and these tools must integrate with the applications and platforms organisations aim to protect. Yet vendor lock-in – a common characteristic of API-limited public cloud platforms – lead to incomplete integrations that limit the visibility and reach that SecOps can achieve across networks and applications.

Security doesn't have to be this complicated

Closed platforms, dozens of tools, data silos and other challenges conspire to result in response times that few security leaders would consider acceptable: today, it can take 280 days on average for SecOps teams to identify and contain a breach. That's plenty of time for attackers to inflict significant and possibly irreparable damage.

Complexity is the enemy of security. Don’t just take our word for it: 75% of C-suite executives surveyed by PWC say their organisations are too complex to secure. Yet we know it is possible to solve all those challenges, even amid the chaos of hybrid, multi-cloud environments.

What's needed is a cloud-native platform that securely connects users, devices and IoT to an organisation's systems, apps and data, across multiple clouds and networks.

A platform that provides a frictionless experience by placing security closer to users, their data and their applications, and that simplifies how they interact with all these things.

A platform that unifies policy management, product consoles and dashboards to help security work more efficiently from end to end.

A platform that frees organizations from vendor lock-in by providing APIs for integration and a robust developer ecosystem, so your environment can evolve along with your business challenges.

What's needed is the Cisco Security Cloud.

How hybrid working and multi-cloud environments complicate security
Security and networking silos	Heterogeneous cloud and storage services can't integrate security and networking at scale. While the business pursues opportunities, SecOps struggles to catch up.
Low visibility	Silos create visibility gaps, making it easy for threats to evade security teams. SecOps has trouble correlating and prioritising across control points and telemetry sources.
Cloud vendor lock-in	IaaS vendors can discourage further cloud investment by locking customers into one platform that lacks open APIs and impedes innovation. New implementations often can't communicate with existing solutions.
High-friction user experience	Multi-cloud environments create a fragmented user experience and SecOps headaches. Administering incompatible interfaces erodes operational efficiency.