In this article, I am going to explain five buzz words commonly used. Some terms have been in use for quite some time. So it’s more a fresh up of the meanings. Most vendors give their own meaning to the terms. Just like the marketing departments of the various vendors, I give my own interpretation of the terms. It may well be that you have a different view on this. If this is the case I would like to hear about it @ ask-me@ivo-security.blog
Edge
When I think of the edge I think of all the data that is created outside the “cloud”. In the edge, data is created that goes to the cloud to be stored or processed. Think of someone taking a picture and posting it on social media. IoT is also a great example of edge computing. These collect data and send it to the data center/cloud. So there is a big shift happening. Traditionally, data is created within a datacenter. At the edge, more and more data is being created and requested. With the emergence of the 5G network, software or apps will need to be closer to the end-user. This means that mini data centers will be placed near 5g masts to get the content as close as possible. For video streams, for example..
Most companies also have an edge. Whether they realize it or not. In one of my following blogs, I will talk about securing the “Edge”.
SD-WAN
SD-wan also comes up a lot. SD-WAN stands for software-defined wide area network. Where a “Traditional” WAN is often built from MPLS connections or EVPNs, with SD-wan these are not necessary. Other forms of leased lines are also not needed. The Internet has improved significantly in recent years. As a result, expensive managed Internet connections are unnecessary. Connecting multiple internet connections to an SD-wan device can provide a great alternative to an mpls connection. If you have multiple inexpensive internet connections, cost savings can be made quickly. Even on current contracts. A core feature of SD-wan is that network traffic can be routed better. A good example of this is that a customer has significantly reduced the bandwidth of its mpls connections. Now only the traffic for the data center passes through the mpls networks. The SD-wan device sends all internet traffic over its cheap internet line. By cleverly deploying sd-wan, significant cost reduction can be achieved quickly.
SaSe
Besides SD-WAN, Edge computing, ZTNA, Firewalls, cloud brokers, there are numerous abbreviations bundled into one type of solution. In today’s age where everything is different, SASE offers a perfect solution. SASE stands for Secure Access Service Edge. A true SASE solution offers all modern network and security capabilities from a single platform. Of course every vendor will now tell you that they have had a SASE solution for years. This often turns out to consist of several products from their portfolio that poorly work together.
Cato network is one of the few players that meet Gartner’s criteria. By making smart use of this SASE product, complex network environments can be brought back to being simple. Linking locations is simple. Security policies for communication can be set with a few mouse clicks. Adding a network segment has no consequences and gives no extra work. Also, with a SASE solution numerous legacy (security) network devices can be phased out. This means fewer appliances are needed, less hardware, less management. More time for fun things.
Many network administrators are quite skeptical when I tell them about this. After all, it sounds too good to be true. Reach out to me and I ‘l make your life a lot easier.
Distributed Cloud
Once upon a time, there was a public cloud. Soon a private cloud emerged. A hybrid cloud also proved to be very useful. The near future is going to be very foggy. For example, numerous new clouds are emerging. The “5G mobile cloud edge” and “Metro-area community cloud” are two examples. The idea behind this is to bring software/apps closer to the end-users. The content will be distributed across multiple and different types of clouds. It should not matter which type of cloud it is in. As long as the end-user can consume a lot of data without latency. I don’t want to say that the cloud is someone else’s computer but still.
IoB – Internet of Behavior
In the digital world, we are already leaving our footprints behind quite a bit. The traces we leave behind are called dust. This process has been going on for some time. Websites are trying to collect more and more data about you. IoT devices are used more and more. There are numerous wearable s that people wear. These devices also collect more and more data. Right now, in many cases, the collected data is still used on its own. The websites analyze it for their purposes. IoT analyses its data to improve itself. The telemetry of your phone is used by the supplier to improve it. Personalized offers already appear at most webshops.
Within the Internet of Behaviour, all these different substances (dust) will be combined This way a detailed picture of the consumer will be created. All to induce the consumer to make a purchase.
Many ethical questions still need to be addressed in this area.