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Learn about the essential firewall change management process. Understand how to implement, track, and control changes to your firewall configurations for optimal security and compliance. Firewall change management process: How does It work? Are network firewalls adequately managed in today's complex environment? For more than two decades, we have been utilizing network firewalls, yet we’re still struggling to properly manage them. In today’s world of information-driven businesses there’s a lot more that can go wrong— and a lot more to lose—when it comes to firewalls, firewall policy management and overall network security. Network environments have become so complex that a single firewall configuration change can take the entire network offline and expose your business to cyber-attacks. Schedule a Demo Why you need firewall change management processes Improperly managed firewalls create some of the greatest business risks in any organization, however often you don’t find out about these risks until it is too late. Outdated firewall rules can allow unauthorized network access which result in cyber-attacks and gaps in compliance with industry and government regulations, while improper firewall rule changes can break business applications. Often, it is simple errors and oversights in the firewall change management process that cause problems, such as opening the network perimeter to security exploits and creating business continuity issues. Therefore, firewall configuration changes present a business challenge that you need to address properly once and for all. Schedule a Demo Firewall change management FAQs Frequently asked questions about the firewall change management process How can I manage firewall changes? In IT, things are constantly in a state of flux. The firewall change management process is one of the biggest problems that businesses face, however, if you can manage the firewall configuration changes consistently over time, then you’ve already won half the battle. You’ll not only have a more secure network environment, but you will allow IT to serve its purpose by facilitating business rather than getting in the way. To manage firewall changes properly, it’s critical to have well-documented and reasonable firewall policies and procedures, combined with automation controls, such as AlgoSec’s security policy management solution, to help with enforcement and oversight. With AlgoSec you can automate the entire firewall change management process: Process firewall changes with zero-touch automation in minutes, instead of days – from planning and design through to deployment on the device – while maintaining full control and ensuring accuracy Leverage topology awareness to identify all the firewalls that are affected by a proposed change Proactively assess the impact of every firewall change before it is implemented to ensure security and continuous compliance with regulatory and corporate standards Automate rule recertification processes while also identifying firewall rules which are out of date, unused or unnecessary Reconcile change requests with the actual changes performed, to identify any changes that were performed “out of band” Automatically document the entire firewall change management workflow It is also important to analyze the impact firewall changes will have on the business. The ideal way is to utilize AlgoSec’s firewall policy management solution to test different scenarios before pushing them out to production. Once AlgoSec and your processes are integrated with your overall change management workflow, you can set your business up for success instead of creating a “wait and see” situation, and “hoping” everything works out. Simply put, if you don’t have the proper insight and predictability, then you’ll set up your business and yourself for failure. How can I assess the risk of my firewall policies? As networks become more complex and firewall rulesets continue to grow, it becomes increasingly difficult to identify and quantify the risk caused by misconfigured or overly permissive firewall rules. A major contributor to firewall policy risks is lack of understanding of exactly what the firewall is doing at any given time. Even if traffic is flowing and applications are working, it doesn’t mean you don’t have unnecessary exposure. All firewall configuration changes either move your network towards better security or increased risks. Even the most experienced firewall administrator can make mistakes. Therefore, the best approach for minimizing firewall policy risks is to use automated firewall policy management tools to help find and fix the security risks before they get out of control. Automated firewall policy management tools, such as AlgoSec, employ widely-accepted firewall best practices and can analyze your current environment to highlight gaps and weaknesses. AlgoSec can also help tighten overly permissive rules (e.g., “ANY” service) by pinpointing the traffic that is flowing through any given rule. Combining policy analysis with the right tools allows you to be proactive with firewall security rather than finding out about the risks once it’s too late. How can I maintain optimized firewall rulesets? Maintaining a clean set of firewall rules is one of the most important functions in network security. Unwieldy rulesets are not just a technical nuisance—they also create business risks, such as open ports and unnecessary VPN tunnels, conflicting rules that create backdoor entry points, and an enormous amount of unnecessary complexity. In addition, bloated rulesets significantly complicate the auditing process, which often involves a review of each rule and its related business justification. This creates unnecessary costs for the business and wastes precious IT time. Examples of problematic firewall rules include unused rules, shadowed rules, expired rules, unattached objects and rules that are not ordered optimally (e.g. the most hit rule is at the bottom of the policy, creating unnecessary firewall overhead). Proactive and periodic checks can help eliminate rule base oversights and allow you to maintain a firewall environment that facilitates security rather than exposes weaknesses. To effectively manage your firewall rulesets, you need the right firewall administrator tools, such as AlgoSec, that will provide you with the visibility needed to see which rules can be eliminated or optimized, and what the implications are of removing or changing a rule. AlgoSec can also automate the change process, eliminating the need for time-consuming and inaccurate manual checks. You also need to ensure that you manage the rulesets on all firewalls. Picking and choosing certain firewalls is like limiting the scope of a security assessment to only part of your network. Your results will be limited, creating a serious false sense of security. It’s fine to focus on your most critical firewalls initially, but you need to address the rulesets across all firewalls eventually. Schedule a Demo Additional use cases AlgoSec’s Firewall Policy Management Solution supports the following use-cases: Auditing and Compliance Generate audit-ready reports in an instant! Covers all major regulations, including PCI, HIPAA, SOX, NERC and more. Business Continuity Now you can discover, securely provision, maintain, migrate and decommission connectivity for all business applications and accelerate service delivery helping to prevent outages. Micro-segmentation Define and implement your micro-segmentation strategy inside the datacenter, while ensuring that it doesn’t block critical business services. Risk Management Make sure that all firewall rule changes are optimally designed and implemented. Reduce risk and prevent misconfigurations, while ensuring security and compliance. Digital Transformation Discover, map and migrate application connectivity to the cloud with easy-to-use workflows, maximizing agility while ensuring security. DevOps Integrate security with your DevOps tools, practice, and methodology enabling faster deployment of your business applications into production. Schedule a Demo Select a size Are network firewalls adequately managed in today's complex environment? Why you need firewall change management processes Firewall change management FAQs Additional use cases Get the latest insights from the experts Network management & policy change automation Read more https://www.algosec.com/webinar/security-change-management-agility-vs-control/ Watch webinar Security policy change management solution Read more Choose a better way to manage your network

Proactively manage vulnerabilities with application-centric strategies. Prioritize risks, enhance visibility, and secure your applications across complex environments. Application-centric vulnerability management ---- ------- Schedule a Demo Select a size ----- Get the latest insights from the experts Choose a better way to manage your network

AlgoSec’s latest product release provides application-based risk analysis and enhanced support for cloud platforms Extend application connectivity visibility into the multicloud with AlgoSec A32.20 AlgoSec’s latest product release provides application-based risk analysis and enhanced support for cloud platforms May 3, 2022 Speak to one of our experts RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J., May 3, 2022 – AlgoSec , the application connectivity and security policy company, announced today the release of its latest product version A32.20. AlgoSec’s A32.20 provides a powerful solution for organizations to manage security in their hybrid and multi-cloud estate. With A32.20, organizations obtain granular application visibility and discovery, allowing them to identify and analyze risk in their multicloud environment, including AWS, GCP and Azure. The key benefits that AlgoSec A32.20 delivers to IT, network and security experts include: Application-based risk analysis in the Cloud Enables SecOps teams to shift focus of risk analysis and remediation efforts to specific business applications beyond risk categories. PAN Prisma access support As an early availability, A32.20 supports Prisma Access visibility for remote networks and service connections, a true industry leading technology of this kind. GCP risk support A32.20 provides advanced capabilities to support discovery of GCP related risks across the hybrid network estate and multiple public clouds Extended support of NSX in AWS As an early availability, A32.20 offers extended cloud support for NSX running on AWS in addition to the existing on-premise support. “With this release, A32.20 offers new powerful cloud coverage, including PAN Prisma access. This gives customers the ability to deploy apps in the cloud and on-premise faster than ever before”, said Eran Shiff, Vice President of Product at AlgoSec. “A32.20 provides a comprehensive solution for organizations to secure application connectivity, reduce risk and ensure continuous compliance while undergoing digital transformation.” About AlgoSec AlgoSec, a global cybersecurity leader, empowers organizations to secure application connectivity by automating connectivity flows and security policy, anywhere. The AlgoSec platform enables the world’s most complex organizations to gain visibility, reduce risk and process changes at zero-touch across the hybrid network. AlgoSec’s patented application-centric view of the hybrid network enables business owners, application owners, and information security professionals to talk the same language, so organizations can deliver business applications faster while achieving a heightened security posture. Over 1,800 of the world’s leading organizations trust AlgoSec to help secure their most critical workloads across public cloud, private cloud, containers, and on-premises networks, while taking advantage of almost two decades of leadership in Network Security Policy Management. See what securely accelerating your digital transformation, move-to-cloud, infrastructure modernization, or micro-segmentation initiatives looks like at www.algosec.com

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AlgoSec extends Cisco ACI’s policy-based automation to security devices in the Data Center AlgoSec’s Network Security Management Solution Now on Cisco’s Global Price List AlgoSec extends Cisco ACI’s policy-based automation to security devices in the Data Center November 26, 2019 Speak to one of our experts Ridgefield Park, NJ, USA (November 26, 2019) – AlgoSec, a leading provider of business-driven network security management solutions, today announced the availability of its integrated solution for Cisco ACI and security devices on Cisco’s Global Price List. This enables Cisco’s direct and channel sales network to offer AlgoSec’s solutions to customers through Cisco’s SolutionsPlus program. Cisco ACI, the industry’s leading software-defined networking solution, facilitates application agility and Data Center automation. ACI enables scalable multi-cloud networks with a consistent policy model and provides the flexibility to move applications seamlessly to any location or any cloud while maintaining security and high availability. AlgoSec integrates with Cisco ACI to extend ACI’s policy-based automation to multi-vendor security devices across the Data Center, on its edges and in the cloud. AlgoSec Security Management Solution for ACI enables customers to better ensure continuous compliance and automates the provisioning of security policies across ACI fabric and multi-vendor security devices connected to the ACI fabric, helping customers build more secure Data Centers. “AlgoSec and Cisco ACI share an application-centric approach to network security management, allowing customers to realize the full potential of intent-based Data Centers. We are delighted to be a part of Cisco’s Solutions Plus program and get listed on Global Price List,” said Avishai Wool, CTO and co-founder at AlgoSec. “Extending Cisco ACI’s policy driven automation to security devices, closely aligns with AlgoSec’s strategies and will deliver powerful benefits to our mutual customers. It enables customers to build truly automated IT environments that are flexible, secure and responsive to their business needs,” added Bruno Weinberger, VP, Strategic Alliances at AlgoSec. “Networking teams are increasingly adopting application-centric, policy-driven approach to meet rapidly changing requirements from IT teams and application owners,” said Ranga Rao, Senior Director of Product Management and Solutions, Cisco Data Center Networking. “AlgoSec security management solution extends ACI’s policy model and automation capabilities to security devices, allowing customers and partners to build agile and more secure data centers.” Cisco and AlgoSec’s channel partners share an equal level of enthusiasm about this initiative. “This collaboration between Cisco and AlgoSec is a great news for Conscia. As a Cisco Gold Partner and AlgoSec’s strategic partner, we hope to enable customers to realize the potential of application driven security automation, help ensure continuous compliance and reduce the attack surface in their Data Centers” said Henrik Skovfoged, System Engineering Director, Conscia A/S. About Cisco DevNet SolutionsPlus Program DevNet Solutions Plus 2.0 places a select set of “Cisco Compatible” products on the Cisco Systems price list, making it faster for customers to order non-Cisco products from Cisco sales teams and channel partners. Products in Cisco DevNet Solutions Plus 2.0 complement and augment Cisco’s advanced technology products. Cisco DevNet Solutions Plus 2.0 vendors are also part of the Cisco® Solution Partner Program. About AlgoSec The leading provider of business-driven network security management solutions, AlgoSec helps the world’s largest organizations align security with their mission-critical business processes. With AlgoSec, users can discover, map and migrate business application connectivity, proactively analyze risk from the business perspective, tie cyber-attacks to business processes and intelligently automate network security changes with zero touch – across their cloud, SDN and on-premise networks. Over 1,800 enterprises , including 20 of the Fortune 50, have utilized AlgoSec’s solutions to make their organizations more agile, more secure and more compliant – all the time. Since 2005, AlgoSec has shown its commitment to customer satisfaction with the industry’s only money-back guarantee .All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners. Media Contacts: Tsippi [email protected] Craig CowardContext Public [email protected] +44 (0)1625 511 966

Learn how to move applications to the cloud seamlessly. Explore best practices for cloud migration, minimizing downtime, and optimizing your cloud environment Cloud migration: How to move applications to the cloud Introduction Responsiveness to the ever-growing demand coming from the business is redefining IT processes and technologies. One way IT can improve responsiveness and business agility is by moving business applications to the cloud. In the cloud, businesses increase their agility while reducing costs. But in the process of migrating applications to the cloud, network security is often neglected. When this happens, applications are deployed in the cloud with inadequate security and compliance measures, or, conversely, the security team steps in and halts the migration process. This puts the company at risk. On the one hand, inadequate security makes it easier for hackers to access the network and mount an attack against the company – exposing the company to financial losses and legal repercussions. On the other hand, if the business is unable to respond to market demands in a timely fashion, there are clear financial implications. In this paper, we take a deep dive into the process that enterprise organizations take when approaching a migration project. We look at the challenges associated with migration projects and discuss a systematic process that organizations should embrace when approaching these types of projects. Schedule a Demo Advantages and security challenges of the cloud There are multiple advantages to adopting a cloud architecture and migrating applications to it, but there are also security concerns that need to be taken into consideration. Below are the top four advantages and the security challenge that accompanies each. Security and data protection When adopting public cloud computing, data itself is much more accessible, no matter where it is located. Users can access the data they need from any location and device. An additional benefit relates to disaster recovery processes that include out-of-the-box backup and restore functionality. In the cloud, there is a need to maintain additional servers in a remote location. However, these advantages do not come without a cost. Once the data is no longer kept on-premises, security must be tightened. The closed garden we had when data resided on servers protected by firewalls in our facilities, is gone. Additional security controls must be employed. Special consideration should be given to upholding regulatory requirements regarding the data itself. There are best practices to uphold, as well as financial penalties if organizations do not comply with them. Business agility Spinning up a server in the cloud is a matter of minutes. Cloud computing is considered an enabler for digital transformation, as businesses work to be more agile and accommodating to their customers’ needs. All you need is a credit card. No hardware is required to be purchased, shipped or connected to your data center. The ease of spinning up a new cloud server makes shadow IT possible. But this is also a security problem. It is hard to control the security aspect of each cloud server if you are unaware of it. Therefore, visibility and strong prefrail security measures such as identity management and cloud firewalls that protect access from the internet, are needed. For each cloud server, you need to set an allowed connectivity baseline and incorporate it into the sever creation process. Financial benefits The cloud offers zero maintenance costs and zero capital costs. Additional financial gains should be taken into consideration such as the reduction in IT support costs and the flexibility offered by cloud server usage of paying only for what you consume. This means you don’t have to purchase expensive hardware needed during peak times only. Of course, there are also hidden costs when migrating to the cloud. Usage needs to be monitored and optimized and your cloud assets need to be monitored and maintained. Additional security measures need to be put in place. This includes purchasing additional software as well as hiring additional personnel proficient in securing a cloud architecture. Faster time to market The cloud, coupled with DevOps practices and tools, delivers a flexible framework that enables companies to deliver innovations faster to market. However, there are lingering questions about the impact on security. With multiple functional teams collaborating on development, and so many moving parts in the process, security is often not incorporated into the release process. Rather it’s tacked on at the end. And this is where you need a security policy automation that supports the DevOps methodology. The solution needs to be able to automatically copy the firewall rules and then make the necessary modifications to map rules to the new objects – for each new environment in the DevOps lifecycle. With the right automation solution, security can be baked into the release process. Get a Demo Schedule a Demo The shared responsibility model Public cloud security is the responsibility of both the cloud vendor and cloud customers. This joint ownership of security is often called the shared responsibility model. On one side you have security of the cloud infrastructure itself. Security OF the cloud The cloud vendor is responsible for securing the infrastructure that runs all the services offered in the cloud. This includes both software-related services such as compute, storage, database, and networking as well as hardware services. The cloud vendor is also responsible for securing the physical facilities themselves. On the other side, you have security within the cloud accounts. Security IN the cloud Cloud customers are responsible for the security of the services they consume. For example, when using Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) the customer needs to perform all the necessary security configuration and management tasks. Any software or utility that the customer installs should be followed by configuring all relevant security controls, including security groups, third-party firewalls and other necessary security configurations. Cloud customers are responsible for managing and securing the data that resides in the consumed cloud service. Figure 1: Shared responsibility model Schedule a Demo Cloud network security controls Data center network security is already quite complex. Customers generally utilize multiple vendors to manage their network security, including SDNs, such as Cisco ACI and VMWare NSX. Adding cloud network security controls to the mix raises the complexity up several notches. Cloud network security consists of multi-layered security controls. You have the cloud vendor infrastructure controls spanning across asset types, such as instances, databases, storage, and accounts; and across configuration types, such as deployment location, security groups, and more. You also have cloud providers’ security products, such as Azure Firewall and AWS WAF. And on top all of that, third-party vendors have not left the cloud network security controls ring and are providing dedicated firewalls for the cloud, such as CloudGuard by Check Point, V-Series by Palo Alto Networks and more. When migrating an application to the cloud it is important to determine how you are going to guard your cloud assets. What mix of security controls are you going to utilize to secure your data? Schedule a Demo Visibility into what you have is key for cloud migration Gain visibility into which applications your organization has Obtaining an inventory of applications is the foundation of your security and essential for your cloud migration. The process of discovering all the applications used by your business is not a trivial task. Most businesses have two types of applications – enterprise and departmental. Enterprise applications, which are the more complex applications in your data center, usually serve many business units and can span multiple geographies and even company subsidiaries. In most cases, the IT team is well-aware of them. While documentation of these applications and their connectivity requirements may not be perfect, that is a good starting point for the migration process. Note that there may still be a need to update the documentation. Many departments or business units purchase their department applications such as Business Intelligence solutions or project management tools. Some of these applications may be SaaS while others are installed on corporate servers. For these types of applications, it is likely that documentation never existed. Fortunately, in most cases, their architecture isn’t complex. It should be relatively easy to obtain the necessary connectivity information needed to migrate them to the cloud. The key here is to know that these applications exist. There are two ways to generate a list of applications. The first requires using consultants to conduct thorough interviews with the various stakeholders in each department and each geography. A second, more cost-effective and efficient way, is to use visibility and automation solutions such as AlgoSec’s AppViz and AppChange. Tools like AlgoSec’s AppViz help discover, identify, and map business applications on your network. Once the list of applications – the foundation – is in place, you can move onto the next stage in the process of closing the security gap as you migrate to the cloud: understanding each application’s attributes, such as the number of servers, the associated business processes and the network connectivity requirements. These attributes help determine the complexity involved in migrating applications. Gain visibility into your current network and its security elements Several attributes can affect the complexity of migrating an application to the cloud, including the application’s network connectivity requirements and the firewall rules that allow/deny that connectivity. A mapping of the network connectivity yields a deeper understanding of network traffic complexity which, in turn, provides insight into the flows you will need to migrate and maintain with the application in the cloud (see Figure 2). Additionally, this information will tell you how many applications are dependent on a specific server. The more applications a server serves, the harder it is to migrate one of them. It may be necessary to migrate the server itself or to migrate multiple applications at the same time. Mapping the firewall rules provides insight into the security measures you will need to put in place once the application has been migrated to the cloud. As a rule of thumb, the more firewall rules are required, the greater the complexity. A mapping of the firewall rules enables you to identify and decommission firewall rules that are no longer necessary post-migration. How do you generate documentation of application connectivity? The obvious choice is to employ a solution that automatically maps the various network traffic flows, servers and firewall rules for each application. If you do not have access to such an automation solution, then manual documenting, however tedious, will provide the necessary information. Schedule a Demo Which applications should I move first? Applications that store data about personal information When an application holds sensitive data such as personal information it is worth thinking twice before moving it to the cloud. In most cases, data privacy laws mandate where personal data should be stored, and when the information can be collected, processed, or communicated. Over 80 countries and territories have adopted comprehensive data protection laws. Most of Europe has already adopted comprehensive data protection laws such as GDPR. Many Latin American, Asian, and African countries have done so as well. Many US states also have data protection regulations such as the California Consumer Privacy Act and the New York SHIELD Act. It is worthwhile checking what is legally allowed before moving such an application to a cloud, as well as considering the cloud’s geographical location. Highly-regulated applications An additional issue to look out for is whether the application is subject to regulatory requirements such as HIPPA or requires PCI DSS compliance. If the answer is yes, you must find out the security compliance status of that application and whether moving it to the cloud would violate that status. HIPPA, for example, requires accountability practices on all LANs, WANs, and for users accessing the network remotely through a Virtual Private Network (VPN). PCI compliance requires, for example, a firewall at each internet connection and between any DMZ and the internal network zone. Applications subject to these and similar regulations are not the best candidates, to say the least, for migration to the cloud. Applications already exposed to the internet On the other hand, if an application has elements that are already exposed to the internet, such as the web server in Figure 2 below, that’s a good indication that maybe some of it, if not all, can be moved to the cloud for the elasticity and cost savings gain. For these applications, you have most probably already implemented strong security inside the application server, backed with strong security limitations in front of and behind the web-facing interface. Adopting these strong limitations also when moving the workload to the cloud will ensure the security of the server and of the internal network behind it. Using network segmentation as a guide Finally, if you manage your network segmentation correctly, the servers and applications that reside in the less isolated zones are the best candidates for moving to the more open cloud. For example, applications and servers in a zone with only one firewall that acts as a barrier between the zone and the internet are good candidates for migration. Whereas entities in protected zones such as server group 1 in Figure 2, which reside behind several firewalls, should remain in your on-premise data center. Figure 2: Network segmentation Schedule a Demo Migration is only the beginning Whether you move all your applications to the cloud or just a few of them, and whether you use one or multiple cloud vendors, you now need to manage and maintain security and compliance in the cloud just as you did in your on-premise network over which you have complete control. Establishing a route from a server in the cloud to a server on the on-premise network requires an intimate understanding of both the cloud security controls and the on-premise security devices. If there are separate cloud and on-premise network security teams, as is the norm in many businesses, collaboration between the teams is needed which, of course, adds its own complexity. Once applications are deployed in the cloud, you will likely want to be able to move between cloud providers ‘at the speed of the cloud’ to avoid vendor lock-in and to minimize costs. While you might be led to believe that this is a simple requirement, in reality each cloud provider has its own unique network security controls with which you need to familiarize yourself. There are several ways to manage security across the hybrid cloud environment. You can manage the environment manually, which is slow, time-consuming, and error-prone. You can use the cloud provider’s native controls to manage the cloud network security in addition to the existing tools and methodology you currently use for your on-premise environment. However, bear in mind that cloud security controls do not provide a holistic view of security across your entire estate and their limited capabilities may not sufficiently support your business’s security posture. Alternatively, there are third party automated network security policy management solutions that span the entire hybrid environment, which can assist in managing your entire network security. Schedule a Demo Migrate with AlgoSec The AlgoSec platform makes it easy to support your cloud migration journey, ensuring that migration does not block critical business services while meeting compliance requirements. AlgoSec’s powerful Application Discovery capabilities help you understand the network flows in your organization. You can effectively connect the recognized traffic flows to the business applications that use them. AlgoSec manages the network security policy across your hybrid network estate and proactively checks every proposed firewall rule change request against your network security strategy to ensure that the change doesn’t introduce risk or violate compliance requirements. Schedule a Demo About AlgoSec AlgoSec, a global cybersecurity leader, empowers organizations to secure application connectivity and cloud-native applications throughout their multi-cloud and hybrid network. Trusted by more than 1,800 of the world’s leading organizations, AlgoSec’s application-centric approach enables to securely accelerate business application deployment by centrally managing application connectivity and security policies across the public clouds, private clouds, containers, and on-premises networks. Using its unique vendor-agnostic deep algorithm for intelligent change management automation, AlgoSec enables acceleration of digital transformation projects, helps prevent business application downtime and substantially reduces manual work and exposure to security risks. AlgoSec’s policy management and CNAPP platforms provide a single source for visibility into security and compliance issues within cloud-native applications as well as across the hybrid network environment, to ensure ongoing adherence to internet security standards, industry, and internal regulations. Learn how AlgoSec enables application owners, information security experts, DevSecOps and cloud security teams to deploy business applications up to 10 times faster while maintaining security at www.algosec.com . Let's start your journey to our business-centric network security. Schedule a Demo Select a size Introduction Advantages and security challenges of the cloud The shared responsibility model Cloud network security controls Visibility into what you have is key for cloud migration Which applications should I move first? Migration is only the beginning Migrate with AlgoSec About AlgoSec Get the latest insights from the experts Choose a better way to manage your network

Knowing how to select and position security capabilities in different cloud deployment models is critical to comprehensive security... Cloud Security Understanding Security Considerations in IaaS/PaaS/SaaS Deployments Rony Moshkovich 2 min read Rony Moshkovich Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 11/24/22 Published Knowing how to select and position security capabilities in different cloud deployment models is critical to comprehensive security across your organization. Implementing the right pattern allows you to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of cloud data assets. It can also improve incident response to security threats. Additionally, security teams and cloud security architects no longer have to rely on pre-set security templates or approaches built for on-premises environments. Instead, they must adapt to the specific security demands of the cloud and integrate them with the overall cloud strategy. This can be accomplished by re-evaluating defense mechanisms and combining cloud-native security and vendor tools. Here, we’ll break down the security requirements and best practices for cloud service models like IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. Do you have cloud security architects on board? We’ll also cover their roles and the importance of leveraging native security tools specific to each model. Managing Separation of Responsibilities with the Cloud Service Provider Secure cloud deployments start with understanding responsibilities. Where do you stand, and what is expected of you? There are certain security responsibilities the cloud security provider takes care of and those that the customer handles. This division of responsibilities means adjusting focus and using different measures to ensure security is necessary. Therefore, organizations must consider implementing compensating controls and alternative security measures to make up for any limitations in the cloud service provider’s security offerings. Security Considerations for SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) Deployments The specific security requirements in SaaS deployments may vary between services. However, it’s important to consider the following areas: Data protection During cloud deployments, protecting data assets is a tough nut to crack for many organizations. As a SaaS provider, ensuring data protection is crucial because you handle and store sensitive customer data. Encryption must be implemented for data in transit and at rest. Protecting data at rest is the cloud provider’s responsibility, whereas you are responsible for data in transit. The cloud provider implements security measures like encryption, access controls, and physical security to protect the data stored in their infrastructure. On the other hand, it’s your responsibility to implement secure communication protocols like encryption, ensuring data remains protected when it moves between your SaaS application. Additionally, best practice solutions may offer you the option of managing your encryption keys so that cloud operations staff cannot decrypt customer data. Interfacing with the Cloud Service There are a number of security considerations to keep in mind when interacting with a SaaS deployment. These include validating data inputs, implementing secure APIs, and securing communication channels. It’s crucial to use secure protocols like HTTPS and to ensure that the necessary authentication and authorization mechanisms are in place. You may also want to review and monitor access logs frequently to spot and address any suspicious activity. Application Security in SaaS During SaaS deployments, it’s essential to ensure application security. For instance, secure coding practices, continuous vulnerability assessments, and comprehensive application testing all contribute to effective SaaS application security. Cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection are some of the common web application cyber-attacks today. You can improve the application’s security posture by implementing the right input validation, regular security patches from the SaaS provider, and web application firewalls (WAFs). Cloud Identity and Access Controls Here, you must define how cloud services will integrate and federate with existing enterprise identity and access management (IAM) systems. This ensures a consistent and secure access control framework. Implementing strong authentication mechanisms like multifactor authentication (MFA) and enforcing proper access controls based on roles and responsibilities are necessary security requirements. You should also consider using Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) tools to provide adaptive and risk-based access controls. Regulatory Compliance Using a cloud service doesn’t exempt one from regulatory compliance, and cloud architects must design the SaaS architecture to align with these requirements. But why are these stringent requirements there in the first place? The purpose of these regulations is to protect consumer privacy by enforcing confidentiality, integrity, availability, and accountability. So, achieving compliance means you meet these regulations. It demonstrates that your applications and tech stack maintain secure privacy levels. Failure to comply could cost money in the form of fines, legal action, and a damaged reputation. You don’t want that. Security Considerations for PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) Deployments PaaS security considerations during deployments will address all the SaaS areas. But as a PaaS customer, there are slight differences you should know. For example, more options exist to configure how data is protected and who can do what with it. As such, the responsibility of user permissions may be given to you. On the other hand, some PaaS providers may have built-in tools and mechanisms for managing user permissions. So, what are the other key areas you want to address to ensure a secure environment for PaaS deployments? We’ll start with the application security. Application Security The customer is responsible for securing the applications they build and deploy on the PaaS platform. Securing application platforms is necessary, and cloud architects must ensure this from the design and development stage. So, what do you do to ensure application security? It all starts from the onset. From secure coding practices, addressing application vulnerabilities, and conducting regular security testing. You’ll often find that most security vulnerabilities are introduced from the early stages of software development. If you can identify and fix potential flaws using penetration testing and threat modeling practices, you’re on your way to successful deployment. Data Security PaaS cloud security deployments offer more flexibility and allow customers control over their data and user entitlements. What this means is you can build and deploy your own applications on the platform. You can configure security measures and controls within your applications by defining who has access to applications, what they can do, and how data is protected. Here, cloud security architects and security teams can ensure data classification and access controls, determining appropriate encryption keys management practices, secure data integration and APIs, and data governance. Ultimately, configuring data protection mechanisms and user permissions provides customers with greater customization and control. Platform Security The platform itself, including the operating system, underlying infrastructure, data centers, and middleware, need to be protected. This is the responsibility of the PaaS provider. They must ensure that the components that keep the platform up are functional at all times. Network Security In PaaS environments, identity and roles are primarily used for network security to determine access to resources and data in the PaaS platform. As such, the most important factor to consider in this case is verifying the user identity and managing access based on their roles and permissions. Rather than relying on traditional network security measures like perimeter controls, IDS/IPS, and traffic monitoring, there is a shift to user-centric access controls. Security Considerations for IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service) Cloud Deployments When it comes to application and software security, IaaS security during cloud deployment is similar. If you’re an IaaS customer, there are slight differences in how IaaS cloud deployment is handled. For example, while the cloud provider handles the hypervisor or virtualized layer, everything else is the customers’ responsibility. So, you must secure the cloud deployment by implementing appropriate security measures to safeguard their applications and data. Due to different deployment patterns, some security tools that work well for SaaS may not be suitable for IaaS. For example, we discussed how CASB could be excellent for cloud identity, data, and access controls in SaaS applications. However, this may not be effective in IaaS environments. Your cloud architects and security teams must understand these differences when deploying IaaS. They should consider alternative or additional security measures in certain areas to ensure more robust security during cloud deployments. These areas are: Access Management IaaS deployment requires you to consider several identity and access management (IAM) dimensions. For example, cloud architects must consider access to the operating system, including applications and middleware installed on them. Additionally, they must also consider privileged access, such as root or administrative access at the OS level. Keep in mind that IaaS has additional access layers. These consist of access to the IaaS console and other cloud provider features that may offer insights about or impact the operation of cloud resources. For example, key management and auditing and resource configuration and hardening. It’s important to clarify who has access to these areas and what they can do. Regular Patching There are more responsibilities for you. The IaaS customer is responsible for keeping workloads updated and maintained. This typically includes the OS itself and any additional software installed on the virtual machines. Therefore, cloud architects must apply the same vigilance to cloud workloads as they would to on-premises servers regarding patching and maintenance. This ensures proactive, consistent, and timely updates that ensure the security and stability of cloud workloads. Network Security IaaS customers must configure and manage security mechanisms within their virtual networks. This includes setting firewalls, using intrusion detection and intrusion prevention systems (IDS/IPS), establishing secure connections (VPN), and network monitoring. On the other hand, the cloud provider ensures network security for the underlying network infrastructure, like routers and switches. They also ensure physical security by protecting network infrastructure from unauthorized access. Data Protection While IaaS providers ensure the physical security of data centers, IaaS customers must secure their own data in the IaaS environment. They need to protect data stored in databases, virtual machines (VMs), and any other storage system provisioned by the IaaS provider. Some IaaS providers, especially large ones, offer encryption capabilities for the VMs created on their platform. This feature is typically free or low-priced. It’s up to you to decide whether managing your own encryption keys is more effective or to choose the provider’s offerings. If you decide to go for this feature, it’s important to clarify how encrypting data at rest may affect other services from the IaaS provider, such as backup and recovery. Leveraging Native Cloud Security Tools Just like the encryption feature, some cloud service providers offer a range of native tools to help customers enforce effective security. These tools are available for IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS cloud services. While customers may decide not to use them, the low financial and operational impact of native cloud security tools on businesses makes them a smart decision. It allows you to address several security requirements quickly and easily due to seamless control integration. However, it’s still important to decide which controls are useful and where they are needed. Conclusion Cloud security architecture is always evolving. And this continuous change makes cloud environments more complex and dynamic. From misconfigurations to data loss, many challenges can make secure cloud deployments for IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS services more challenging. Prevasio, an AlgoSec company, is your trusted cloud security partner that helps your organization streamline cloud deployments. Our cloud-native application provides increased risk visibility and control over security and compliance requirements. Contact us now to learn more about how you can expedite your cloud security operations. Schedule a demo Related Articles Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Convergence didn’t fail, compliance did. Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

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In today’s digital world, is your data 100% secure? As more people and businesses use cloud services to handle their data,... Cloud Security Your Complete Guide to Cloud Security Architecture Rony Moshkovich 2 min read Rony Moshkovich Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 7/4/23 Published In today’s digital world, is your data 100% secure? As more people and businesses use cloud services to handle their data, vulnerabilities multiply. Around six out of ten companies have moved to the cloud, according to Statista . So keeping data safe is now a crucial concern for most large companies – in 2022, the average data leak cost companies $4.35 million . This is where cloud security architecture comes in. Done well, it protects cloud-based data from hackers, leaks, and other online threats. To give you a thorough understanding of cloud security architecture, we’ll look at; What cloud security architecture is The top risks for your cloud How to build your cloud security How to choose a CPSM (Cloud Security Posture Management) tool Let’s jump in What is cloud security architecture? Let’s start with a definition: “Cloud security architecture is the umbrella term used to describe all hardware, software and infrastructure that protects the cloud environment and its components, such as data, workloads, containers, virtual machines and APIs.” ( source ) Cloud security architecture is a framework to protect data stored or used in the cloud. It includes ways to keep data safe, such as controlling access, encrypting sensitive information, and ensuring the network is secure. The framework has to be comprehensive because the cloud can be vulnerable to different types of attacks. Three key principles behind cloud security Although cloud security sounds complex, it can be broken down into three key ideas. These are known as the ‘CIA triad’, and they are; Confidentiality Integrity Availability ‘The CIA Triad’ Image source Confidentiality Confidentiality is concerned with data protection. If only the correct people can access important information, breaches will be reduced. There are many ways to do this, like encryption, access control, and user authentication. Integrity Integrity means making sure data stays accurate throughout its lifecycle. Organizations can use checksums and digital signatures to ensure that data doesn’t get changed or deleted. These protect against data corruption and make sure that information stays reliable. Availability Availability is about ensuring data and resources are available when people need them. To do this, you need a robust infrastructure and ways to switch to backup systems when required. Availability also means designing systems that can handle ‘dos attacks’ and will interrupt service. However, these three principles are just the start of a strong cloud infrastructure. The next step is for the cloud provider and customer to understand their security responsibilities. A model developed to do this is called the ‘Shared Responsibility Model.’ Understanding the Shared Responsibility Model Big companies like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform offer public cloud services. These companies have a culture of being security-minded , but security isn’t their responsibility alone. Companies that use these services also share responsibility for handling data. The division of responsibility depends on the service model a customer chooses. This division led Amazon AWS to create a ‘shared responsibility model’ that outlines these. Image Source There are three main kinds of cloud service models and associated duties: 1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), 2. Platform as a Service (PaaS) 3. Software as a Service (SaaS). Each type gives different levels of control and flexibility. 1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) With IaaS, the provider gives users virtual servers, storage, and networking resources. Users control operating systems, but the provider manages the basic infrastructure. Customers must have good security measures, like access controls and data encryption. They also need to handle software updates and security patches. 2. Platform as a Service (PaaS) PaaS lets users create and run apps without worrying about having hardware on-premises. The provider handles infrastructure like servers, storage, and networking. Customers still need to control access and keep data safe. 3. Software as a Service (SaaS) SaaS lets users access apps without having to manage any software themselves. The provider handles everything, like updates, security, and basic infrastructure. Users can access the software through their browser and start using it immediately. But customers still need to manage their data and ensure secure access. Top six cybersecurity risks As more companies move their data and apps to the cloud, there are more chances for security to occur. Although cybersecurity risks change over time , some common cloud security risks are: 1. Human error 99% of all cloud security incidents from now until 2025 are expected to result from human error. Errors can be minor, like using weak passwords or accidentally sharing sensitive information. They can also be bigger, like setting up security incorrectly. To lower the risk of human error, organizations can take several actions. For example, educating employees, using automation, and having good change management procedures. 2. Denial-of-service attacks DoS attacks stop a service from working by sending too many requests. This can make essential apps, data, and resources unavailable in the cloud. DDoS attacks are more advanced than DoS attacks, and can be very destructive. To protect against these attacks, organizations should use cloud-based DDoS protection. They can also install firewalls and intrusion prevention systems to secure cloud resources. 3. Hardware strength The strength of the physical hardware used for cloud services is critical. Companies should look carefully at their cloud service providers (CSPs) hardware offering. Users can also use special devices called hardware security modules (HSMs). These are used to protect encryption codes and ensure data security. 4. Insider attacks Insider attacks could be led by current or former employees, or key service providers. These are incredibly expensive, costing companies $15.38 million on average in 2021 . To stop these attacks, organizations should have strict access control policies. These could include checking access regularly and watching for strange user behavior. They should also only give users access to what they need for their job. 5. Shadow IT Shadow IT is when people use unauthorized apps, devices, or services. Easy-to-use cloud services are an obvious cause of shadow IT. This can lead to data breaches , compliance issues, and security problems. Organizations should have clear rules about using cloud services. All policies should be run through a centralized IT control to handle this. 6. Cloud edge When we process data closer to us, rather than in a data center, we refer to the data as being in the cloud edge. The issue? The cloud edge can be attacked more easily. There are simply more places to attack, and sensitive data might be stored in less secure spots. Companies should ensure security policies cover edge devices and networks. They should encrypt all data, and use the latest application security patches. Six steps to secure your cloud Now we know the biggest security risks, we can look at how to secure our cloud architecture against them. An important aspect of cloud security practices is managing access your cloud resources. Deciding who can access and what they can do can make a crucial difference to security. Identity and Access Management (IAM) security models can help with this. Companies can do this by controlling user access based on roles and responsibilities. Security requirements of IAM include: 1. Authentication Authentication is simply checking user identity when they access your data. At a superficial level, this means asking for a username and password. More advanced methods include multi-factor authentication for apps or user segmentation. Multi-factor authentication requires users to provide two or more types of proof. 2. Authorization Authorization means allowing access to resources based on user roles and permissions. This ensures that users can only use the data and services they need for their job. Limiting access reduces the risk of unauthorized users. Role-based access control (RBAC) is one way to do this in a cloud environment. This is where users are granted access based on their job roles. 3. Auditing Auditing involves monitoring and recording user activities in a cloud environment. This helps find possible security problems and keeps an access log. Organizations can identify unusual patterns or suspicious behavior by regularly reviewing access logs. 4. Encryption at rest and in transit Data at rest is data when it’s not being used, and data in transit is data being sent between devices or users. Encryption is a way to protect data from unauthorized access. This is done by converting it into a code that can only be read by someone with the right key to unlock it. When data is stored in the cloud, it’s important to encrypt it to protect it from prying eyes. Many cloud service providers have built-in encryption features for data at rest. For data in transit, encryption methods like SSL/TLS help prevent interception. This ensures that sensitive information remains secure as it moves across networks. 5. Network security and firewalls Good network security controls are essential for keeping a cloud environment safe. One of the key network security measures is using firewalls to control traffic. Firewalls are gatekeepers, blocking certain types of connections based on rules. Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS) are another important network security tool. IDPS tools watch network traffic for signs of bad activity, like hacking or malware. They then can automatically block or alert administrators about potential threats. This helps organizations respond quickly to security incidents and minimize damage. 6. Versioning and logging Versioning is tracking different versions of cloud resources, like apps and data. This allows companies to roll back to a previous version in case of a security incident or data breach. By maintaining a version history, organizations can identify and address security vulnerabilities. How a CSPM can help protect your cloud security A Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) tool helpful to safeguard cloud security. These security tools monitor your cloud environment to find and fix potential problems. Selecting the right one is essential for maintaining the security of your cloud. A CSPM tool like Prevasio management service can help you and your cloud environment. It can provide alerts, notifying you of any concerns with security policies. This allows you to address problems quickly and efficiently. Here are some of the features that Prevasio offers: Agentless CSPM solution Secure multi-cloud environments within 3 minutes Coverage across multi-cloud, multi-accounts, cloud-native services, and cloud applications Prioritized risk list based on CIS benchmarks Uncover hidden backdoors in container environments Identify misconfigurations and security threats Dynamic behavior analysis for container security issues Static analysis for container vulnerabilities and malware All these allow you to fix information security issues quickly to avoid data loss. Investing in a reliable CSPM tool is a wise decision for any company that relies on cloud technology. Final Words As the cloud computing security landscape evolves, so must cloud security architects. All companies need to be proactive in addressing their data vulnerabilities. Advanced security tools such as Prevasio make protecting cloud environments easier. Having firm security policies avoids unnecessary financial and reputational risk. This combination of strict rules and effective tools is the best way to stay secure. Schedule a demo Related Articles Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Convergence didn’t fail, compliance did. Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

Explore top-rated alternatives to Skybox Security for comprehensive security posture management. Find the best fit for your needs and budget in 2024. 7 Best Skybox Security Alternatives & Competitors for 2024 7 Best Skybox Security Alternatives & Competitors for 2024 Skybox Security Suite bundles multiple cybersecurity solutions into a single package. The product is designed to mitigate cyber risk, reduce downtime, and leverage automation to improve operational security workflows. However, the product also comes with a few drawbacks . Its high pricing and complex implementation requirements can become obstacles to leveraging its security posture management platform effectively. Security leaders may be concerned with dedicating application security, endpoint security, and firewall management to Skybox. Fortunately the market offers many high quality Skybox alternatives worth considering. We’ve gone ahead and listed the 7 most competitive security solutions available to network administrators right now. Schedule a Demo Is SkyBox Security Suite the right network security management platform for you? SkyBox Security Suite is not one product, but a collection of security tools designed for different purposes. It includes two separate tools for vulnerability control and security policy management . Both these solutions are designed to work together in a variety of environments, from on-premises workstations running Microsoft Windows to multi-cloud environments with a variety of third-party software-as-a-service (SaaS) integrations enabled. Key features: The product helps security teams prioritize policy changes and risk management around the organization’s most valuable assets. It includes a complete patch management feature that proactively addresses known vulnerabilities, reducing the organization’s attack surface. Real-time analytics allow security professionals to conduct vulnerability assessment tasks with up-to-date data without performing time-consuming manual queries. Pros: SkyBox is compatible with a wide range of security tools and applications. It features built-in API connectivity for many of the tools enterprise customers are already using. Change request tracking makes it easy for security administrators to manage network security policy in response to detected vulnerabilities and conduct remediation tasks. It includes a comprehensive solution for managing firewall rules and comparing observed data with industry and compliance benchmarks. The platform integrates threat intelligence feeds directly, allowing security teams to detect emerging threats in real time. Cons: The cost of implementing SkyBox can be quite high compared to many other options. This is especially true for smaller organizations. SkyBox implementation can be difficult and time-consuming. Some organizations will need to onboard specialist talent to complete the project. SkyBox does not conduct accurate inventory and asset discovery on its own. Instead, it relies on organizations to feed this data to it. If this data is inaccurate, SkyBox performance will suffer. Schedule a Demo 7 Best Skybox Security competitors on the market right now: AlgoSec Tufin FireMon Oracle Audit Vault and Database Firewall RedSeal Cisco Defense Orchestrator Tenable Vulnerability Management Schedule a Demo 1. AlgoSec AlgoSec provides organizations with an end-to-end solution for monitoring, analyzing, and enforcing network security policies. It supports on-premises, hybrid, and cloud security architectures, making it a versatile and powerful choice for many organizations. The product’s core workflow revolves around effective change management for security policies , giving security teams clear information on how well their fleet of firewalls and other security tools perform over time. Key features: AlgoSec Firewall Analyzer maps out business applications and assets throughout the network. It provides a comprehensive inventory of network assets and provides detailed reports on their security status. AlgoSec FireFlow brings automation to security policy management . Security leaders can use the platform to gain visibility into network traffic and make automatic changes in response to detected risks in real-time. AlgoSec CloudFlow enables network administrators to provision, configure, and manage cloud infrastructure efficiently. It provides a coherent policy management platform for enhancing cloud security . Pros: Comprehensive network mapping gives AlgoSec a significant advantage over SkyBox, taking the guesswork out of building reliable asset inventories. The product supports query simulation, which allows security teams to simulate security configurations and “what-if” scenarios before committing them to production environments. The security platform supports firewall policy auditing and reporting according to compliance goals, including regulatory frameworks like ISO 27001, NIST 800-53, and others. Cons: The platform’s dashboards do not support extensive customization. Some users will find it difficult to create compelling visualizations and communicate results to key stakeholders. Some user reviews indicate slower rollout times for security patches and hotfixes. Schedule a Demo 2. Tufin Tufin Orchestration Suite is a network security management software that aims to simplify and automate the complex tasks of firewall, router, and VPN policy management. It also provides compliance checks and reporting capabilities through its API. Tufin Orchestration Suite integrates with various network devices and security platforms, such as Cisco, Check Point, Palo Alto Networks, and more. Key features: It enables users to visualize and analyze the network topology, traffic flows, and security risks across the hybrid environment. It allows users to manage firewall, router, and VPN policies in a centralized and consistent manner, using a graphical interface or the API. It supports change management workflows, audit trails, and approval processes to ensure compliance with internal and external regulations and standards. It generates comprehensive and customizable reports on network security posture, policy changes, compliance status, and violations. Pros: Tufin Orchestration Suite offers a comprehensive and holistic solution for network security management, covering both on-premise and cloud environments. It reduces the manual effort and human errors involved in policy management and improves the efficiency and accuracy of network operations. It enhances visibility and control over network security tools and helps users identify and remediate potential vulnerabilities and threats. It facilitates compliance with various frameworks and regulations, such as PCI DSS, NIST, ISO, and more. Cons: Tufin Orchestration Suite has a steep learning curve and requires a lot of training and expertise to use effectively. It has a slow and outdated user interface, which can be frustrating and confusing for users. It lacks customization and flexibility options. Tufin does not support some advanced features and functions that other competitors offer. Schedule a Demo 3. FireMon FireMon is a security policy management platform that aims to simplify and automate the process of creating, enforcing, and auditing security policies across diverse and distributed networks. The product is a comprehensive solution that covers the entire lifecycle of security policy management , from design and implementation to monitoring and optimization. Key features: Distributed alarm and response helps users respond quickly and proactively to potential threats and to enforce security policies consistently across the network. FireMon’s multi-vendor approach helps organizations avoid vendor lock-in. The solution supports integration with a wide variety of firewalls, routers, switches, as well as cloud services and web applications. Security teams can use FireMon to provision and manage security policies for cloud environments. The platform automatically discovers and maps cloud resources, enabling administrators to create and enforce security policies accordingly. Pros: FireMon provides real-time reporting tools that allow users to monitor and audit their firewall policies across multiple vendors and platforms. It supports cloud provisioning and automation, enabling users to manage security policies in hybrid environments with ease and efficiency. It offers comprehensive multi-vendor support, covering most of the market’s recognizable firewall, router, and switch manufacturers. Cons: FireMon‘s risk detection algorithm is not very accurate and may produce false positives or overlook critical vulnerabilities It has a complex and cumbersome report customization process, which requires a lot of manual work and technical knowledge. It is an expensive product, compared to other alternatives in the market, and does not include some features that are expected at its price range. Schedule a Demo 4. Oracle Audit Vault and Database Firewall Oracle Audit Vault and Database Firewall (AVDF) is a security solution that monitors and protects networks from unauthorized access and cyberattacks . It includes a network-based firewall designed specifically for protecting databases along with a comprehensive auditing and policy control solution. It provides enterprise-level security and automation to security leaders who need Key features: Oracle AVDF enables detailed security and vulnerability assessments designed to identify and prioritize database vulnerabilities. Oracle’s full-featured assessment capabilities include complete asset discovery, compliance mappings, and risk level categories. Full enterprise support ensures Oracle customers can integrate Oracle AVDF with most operating systems and enterprise tech stacks. It supports Microsoft Active Directory and OpenLDAP for centralized user management, and generates log data suitable for SIEM analysis. Pros: Intuitive interface and detailed error messages help users understand exactly what is happening on their network at all times. Extensive and customizable audit support tools designed to meet regulatory standards for internal and external audit requirements. Flexible suite of security products and compatibility. Oracle provides a wide range of network security resources to customers. Cons: This is an expensive product that does not always scale well. Organizations that need to cover multiple targets may end up paying much more than they would with a competing solution. Setting up and implementing Oracle AVDF is a complex process. Professional guidance from an experienced specialist is highly recommended. Schedule a Demo 5. RedSeal RedSeal provides security risk management solutions to its customers. Its solution collects data from endpoints and network devices and examines that data in real-time. This lets network administrators do vulnerability assessments and endpoint security audits when they need to, helping security service providers stay ahead of evolving threats. Key features: RedSeal’s security platform focuses on analytics and visualization. It enables network administrators to easily assess the organization’s overall risk level and identify weak points before attackers can take advantage of them. RedSeal’s data visualization features let security leaders determine where future security spending should go. The platform is built to simplify risk prioritization while allowing key stakeholders to convey cyber risk effectively. Pros: RedSeal caters to enterprise users who want to see their networks clearly with little technical setup. As a high-level reporting tool, it enables API integration with various third-party services without overwhelming users with irrelevant details. The product collects data about how your network is set up, including the devices that control your traffic flow, such as firewalls, switches, routers, and load balancers. Cons: RedSeal‘s subscription fee depends on how many layer 3 and layer 2 devices are on the network, which can lead to high implementation costs. Unlike other solutions that have strong communities around open source security solutions, RedSeal has very little community presence. Beyond technical documentation and support, the company offers very little to new customers. The platform is primarily a mapping and analytics tool. It does feature enhanced security policy management capabilities. Schedule a Demo 6. Cisco Defense Orchestrator Cisco Defense Orchestrator is a cloud-based service that helps security teams manage firewall rules and policies across multiple cloud networks. It offers complete asset discovery and visibility for cloud infrastructure, and network administrators can use it to control security settings and evaluate their exposure to security risks. However, it only works with Cisco products and hardware. Key features: Cisco Defense Orchestrator offers a single unified view for managing and setting up Cisco security devices throughout the network. The cloud-delivered product is fast and easy to deploy. It uses a cloud-based SaaS format to enable scalability, making it a good choice for growing organizations. The solution enables security teams to implement policies on Cisco security devices and demonstrate that those policies align with widely-used compliance frameworks like NIST, PCI-DSS, and others. Pros: Administrators can conveniently control the organization’s security devices and other network assets from one place. Cisco’s cloud-based delivery model is cost-effective and adaptable, while still being feature-rich enough to improve security for enterprise-level organizations and smaller businesses alike. Visibility is integral to the software package. It gives security teams the ability to discover network assets and detect vulnerabilities before they become critical threats. Cons: Implementing Cisco Defense Orchestrator may be too expensive for some organizations. This network security management tool only works with Cisco products. If your organization has to replace its current devices with firewalls, switches, and routers from Cisco, it will increase the cost of using this solution significantly. Schedule a Demo 7. Tenable Vulnerability Management Tenable Vulnerability Management is a software suite that offers ongoing vulnerability evaluation and risk management services to organizations. It uses Tenable Nessus, the company’s main vulnerability assessment solution, to help organizations discover and fix security weaknesses in their environment and protect cloud infrastructure from cyberattacks. Key features: Tenable provides built-in prioritization and threat intelligence for discovered vulnerabilities. The solution gives real-time feedback on the organization’s risk exposure. Unlike Nessus, Tenable Vulnerability Management uses a web application format, making it accessible to network security professionals without requiring additional configuration or setup. Pros: Tenable finds and evaluates assets based on their risk level in real-time. Network administrators can monitor threats as they evolve over time, even in complicated networks that use cloud services and have hybrid workers. The product helps security teams create and enforce security policies that address current threats. It includes wide-ranging coverage of emerging indicators of compromise and ranks them according to their severity. Cons: Implementing and configuring Tenable can require the involvement of several key stakeholders, and any problems can slow down the process. Tenable’s support often takes a lot of time to provide expert help, which leaves their customers vulnerable to potential risks while they wait. Schedule a Demo Select a size 7 Best Skybox Security Alternatives & Competitors for 2024 Is SkyBox Security Suite the right network security management platform for you? 7 Best Skybox Security competitors on the market right now: 1. AlgoSec 2. Tufin 3. FireMon 4. Oracle Audit Vault and Database Firewall 5. RedSeal 6. Cisco Defense Orchestrator 7. Tenable Vulnerability Management Get the latest insights from the experts Use these six best practices to simplify compliance and risk mitigation with the AlgoSec White paper Learn how AlgoSec can help you pass PCI-DSS Audits and ensure continuous compliance Solution overview See how this customer improved compliance readiness and risk Case study Choose a better way to manage your network

Explore Algosec's customer success stories to see how organizations worldwide improve security, compliance, and efficiency with our solutions. SANOFI FINDS THE CURE FOR TIME-CONSUMING APPLICATION MIGRATION WITH ALGOSEC Organization Sanofi Industry Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals Headquarters Paris, France Download case study Share Customer
success stories "Using AlgoSec during our data center migration allowed us to give technical project leaders access to all of the rules involved in the migration of their applications, which reduced the IT security team’s time on these projects by 80%. The application was very useful, simple to use and made everybody happy." AlgoSec Business Impact Simplify data center migration projects Reduce rule migration process time by 80% Streamline and improve firewall operations Background A multinational pharmaceutical company, Sanofi, has 112 industrial sites in 41 countries and operations in more than 100 countries. The company’s 110,000 employees are committed to protecting health, enhancing life, providing hope and responding to the potential healthcare needs of seven billion people around the world. Challenge The sensitive nature of Sanofi’s business and its wide ranging global operations require an extensive and well secured network, which currently has 120 firewalls all over the world. In the midst of a data center consolidation project, the company needed to understand how its security devices would be affected by application migrations. Sanofi was also eager to improve change management processes and gain key performance indicators (KPIs) for risk analysis.“Our main concern with the data center consolidation project was to enable various technical project leaders to see the different rules impacting the migration of their applications, and to avoid any outages. For that, we needed pre-migration and post-migration documentation on security,” says Bruno Roulleau, Network Security Architect at Sanofi. “We also needed metrics on the risk associated with different policies on the firewalls.” Solution When looking for a solution, Sanofi evaluated several vendors. “A key point for us was the ability to easily integrate the security devices in our current infrastructure, into the solution. We also wanted detailed reporting that would allow us to delegate policy management to project leaders,” Roulleau notes.Because Sanofi constantly upgrades its devices, its systems need to evolve and incorporate the new devices and rules seamlessly. “We chose the AlgoSec Security Management solution because its graphical interface is very user-friendly, it easily supports new devices and generates detailed reports and metrics on risks,” says Roulleau.Sanofi also appreciated AlgoSec’s flexibility. “AlgoSec is very open to developing new capabilities. We can ask to have some new features available by a certain date and they will deliver on time,” according to Roulleau. For a company with a complex network and rapidly evolving security needs, that responsiveness proved key to the decision to go with AlgoSec. Results Sanofi’s security team is now able to delegate responsibility for rule changes both during migration and on an ongoing basis. “Using AlgoSec during our data center migration allowed us to give technical project leaders access to all of the rules involved in the migration of their applications, which reduced the IT security team’s time on these projects by 80%. The application was very useful, simple to use and made everybody happy,” Roulleau says.Additionally, with AlgoSec’s reports Sanofi can now easily and clearly document the status of their firewalls as well as the impact of any changes on the network throughout the migration project. “We can now generate detailed reports in just three clicks!” Roulleau adds.Furthermore, AlgoSec’s optimization reports enabled Sanofi to clean up its security policies. Because they could clearly see all of the rules and their impact on network security, Roulleau’s team was able to safely eliminate unused and duplicate rules, which increased the efficiency of the firewalls. Those reports also provided insight into the risks associated with the current system and various changes being made. Schedule time with one of our experts