Today's network architecture is complex and is faced with a threat environment that is always changing and attackers that are always trying to find and exploit vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities can exist in a broad number of areas, including devices, data, applications, users and locations. For this reason, there are many network security management tools and applications in use today that address individual threats and exploits and also regulatory non-compliance. When just a few minutes of downtime can cause widespread disruption and massive damage to an organization's bottom line and reputation, it is essential that these protection measures be in place.

Why is Network Security Important?

Every organization has tons of sensitive data to protect. Crucial business data, customers' personal information, and confidential files that should not leak outside are a few examples. The safety of data is only made possible by implementing useful network security tools and techniques.

The importance of network security in the modern business atmosphere has increased after a major portion of the workforce went remote due to COVID-19. Today, the office system is distributed in one huge network across multiple locations. A centralized system to protect network devices from being breached doesn’t exist in the same capacity. This scenario leaves more vulnerable points that hackers can take advantage of.

A cybercriminal can find these vulnerable points and cause damage to the internal system. An incident like this will lead to loss of funds, confidential information, and customer data, and it will also destroy the reputation of the business in the market.

Endpoint security refers to securing endpoints, or end-user devices like desktops, laptops, and mobile devices. Endpoints serve as points of access to an enterprise network and create points of entry that can be exploited by malicious actors.

Endpoint security software protects these points of entry from risky activity and/or malicious attack. When companies can ensure endpoint compliance with data security standards, they can maintain greater control over the growing number and type of access points to the network.

Why is Endpoint Security Important?

Increasingly, enterprises and their employees are incorporating practices to make access to data more fluid. The increase in BYOD (bring your own device) policies, in addition to threats targeting mobile device access and networks, create multiple endpoint vulnerabilities. In addition, employees working from home or connecting to Wi-Fi networks to work on-the-go means that the enterprise network security perimeter is more porous than ever.

In the past, most security breaches came in through the network. Today, however, threats are increasingly coming in through endpoints, which means centralized network protection does not go far enough. Shifting security perimeters that lack clear definition require new layers of security through endpoint protection. Security must maintain greater control over access points to prevent the vulnerabilities that can arise through the use of remote devices.

A secure web gateway is a cyberbarrier or checkpoint that keeps unauthorized traffic from entering an organization's network. The traffic that a secure web gateway governs is all inline—the gateway stands between all incoming and outgoing data. It prevents malicious website traffic, viruses, and malware from infecting enterprises or accessing its data. The web gateway only allows users to access approved, secure websites—all others are blocked. A more sophisticated function of a web gateway can prevent sensitive information (like intellectual property, data, and confidential documents) from leaving an organization's site.

Why is a secure web gateway important?

Secure web gateways have become increasingly common as cybercriminals have grown more sophisticated in embedding threat vectors into seemingly innocuous or professional-looking websites. These counterfeit websites can compromise the enterprise as users access them, unleashing malicious code and unauthorized access in the background without the user's knowledge. The fake, criminal websites can be quite convincing.