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Automate network management and policy changes to increase efficiency, reduce errors, and ensure security compliance across your network infrastructure. Network management & policy change automation Overview This eBook provides practical suggestions for implementing a change automation process, lays out the pitfalls, and gives practical tips for choosing a change management solution. Schedule a Demo Cure the network management headache In today’s IT environment, the only constant is change. Business needs change. As your business changes, so must your security policies. The problem Change comes with challenges, leading to major headaches for IT operations and security teams. This develops into huge business problems: Manual workflows and change management processes are time-consuming and hinder business agility. Improper management changes lead to serious business risks – as benign as blocking legitimate traffic all the way to network outages. The solution Automation and actionable intelligence can enhance security and business agility – without the headaches and misconfigurations caused by manual, ad-hoc processes. In this document, you will learn the secrets of how to elevate your firewall change management from manual labor-intensive work to a fully automated zero-touch change management process. Schedule a Demo Why’s it hard to change network policies? Placing a sticky note on your firewall administrator’s desk or sending an email that gets lost in the clutter and expecting the change request to be performed pronto does not constitute a formal policy. Yet, shockingly, this is common. You need a formal change request process. Such a process dictates defined and documented steps about how to handle a change request, by whom, how it is addressed, defines an SLA, and more. Firewall change management requires detailed and concise steps that everyone understands and follows. Exceptions must be approved and documented so stakeholders can understand the risk. Your security policy management solution should seamlessly integrate with the tools you are already using to accelerate its adoption in your organization. AlgoSec enables business agility by integrating with ITSM systems like ServiceNow, BMC Helix ITSM (formerly Remedy), Clarity SM (formerly CA Service Management) and HP Service Management. Communication breakdown Network security and IT operations staff work in separate silos. Their goals, and even their languages, are different. Working in silos is a clear path to trouble. It is a major contributor to out-of-band changes that result in outages and security breaches. In many large companies, routine IT operational and administrative tasks may be handled by a team other than the one that handles security and risk. Although both teams have the same goal, decisions made by one team lead to problems for the other. Network complexity is a security killer Today’s networks exist across complex environments – on-premise data centers, multiple multi-vendor public and private clouds, spanning geographic borders. It’s difficult to keep track of your entire network estate. Security expert Bruce Schneider once stated that “Complexity is the worst enemy of security.” The sheer complexity of any given network can lead to a lot of mistakes. Simplifying and automating the firewall environment and management processes is necessary. Did you know? Up to 30 percent of implemented rule changes in large firewall infrastructures are unnecessary because the firewalls already allow the requested traffic! Under time pressure, firewall administrators often create rules that turn out to be redundant. This wastes valuable time and makes the firewalls even harder to manage. Get a Demo Schedule a Demo Mind the security gap Introducing new things open up security gaps. New hires, software patches, upgrades, server migrations, and network updates increase your exposure to risk. Who can keep track of it all? What about unexpected, quick fixes that enable access to certain resources or capabilities? A fix is made in a rush (after all, who wants a C-level exec breathing down their neck because he wants to access resources RIGHT NOW?) without sufficient consideration of whether that change is allowed under current security policies. Problems abound when speed is mistaken for agility and takes precedence over security. You need to be able to make changes fast and accurately – agility without compromising security. How can you get both agility and security? Network automation. There are solutions that automate firewall management tasks and record them so that they are part of the change management plan. Network automation helps bridge the gap between change management processes and reality. A sophisticated firewall and topology-aware system that identifies redundant change requests increases productivity. IT and security teams are responsible for making sure that systems function properly. However, they approach business continuity from different perspectives. The security department’s goal is to protect the business and its data, while the IT operations team focuses on keeping systems up and running. The business has to keep running AND it has to be secure. Alignment is easier said than done. To achieve alignment, organizations must reexamine IT and security processes. Let’s take a look at some examples of what happens when there is no alignment. Schedule a Demo Good changes gone bad Example 1 A classic lack of communication between IT operations and security groups put Corporation XYZ at risk. An IT department administrator, trying to be helpful, took the initiative to set up (with no security involvement or documentation) a file share for a user who needed to upload files in a hurry. By making this off-the-cuff change, the IT admin quickly addressed the client’s request. However, the account lingered unsecured. The security team noticed larger spikes of inbound traffic to the server from this account. Hackers abound. The site had been compromised and was being exploited. Example 2 A core provider of e-commerce services suffered a horrible fate due to a simple, but poorly managed, firewall change. One day, all e-commerce transactions in and out of its network ceased. The entire business was taken offline for several hours. The costs were astronomical. What happened? An out-of-band (and untested) change to a core firewall broke communications between the e-commerce application and the internet. Business activity ground to a halt. Because of this incident, executive management got involved and the responsible IT staff members were reprimanded. Hundreds of thousands of dollars later, the root cause of the outage was uncovered: IT staff chose not to test their firewall changes, bypassing their “burdensome” ITIL-based change management procedures. They failed to consider the consequences. Schedule a Demo Avoiding a firewall fire drill Automation is the key to gaining control. It helps staff disengage from firefighting. It bridges between agility and security to drive business-driven productivity. The right automation solution automates manual, error-prone workflows. It allows changes to be made accurately, with clear visibility across complex network topologies, while focusing on keeping the business running effectively. Automation helps teams track down potential traffic or connectivity issues and highlights risky areas. It can automatically pinpoint devices that require changes and show how to create and implement the changes. To ensure proper balance between business continuity and security, look for a firewall policy management solution that: Provides visibility of network traffic flows and network devices across complex, hybrid and multi-cloud network topologies Intelligently designs firewall rules to eliminate redundant rules and reduce clutter and complexity. Eliminates mistakes and rework. Improves accountability for change requests. Proactively assesses the impact of network changes to ensure security and continuous compliance. Identifies risky security policy rules and offers suggestions to de-risk your network environment Automatically pushes changes to devices Schedule a Demo 10 steps to automate and standardize the firewall change-management process Once a request is made, a change-request process should include these steps: Clarify the change request and determine the dependencies. Obtain all relevant information (i.e., who is requesting the change and why). Validate that the change is necessary. Many requests are unnecessary and already covered by existing rules. Get proper authorization for the change. Make sure you understand the dependencies and the impact on business applications, and other devices and systems. This usually involves multiple stakeholders from different teams. Perform a risk assessment. Before approving the change, thoroughly test it and analyze the results so as not to block desired traffic or violate compliance. Does the proposed change create a new risk in the security policy? Plan the change. Assign resources, create and test your back-out plans, and schedule the change. This is also a good time to ensure that everything is properly documented for troubleshooting or recertification purposes. Execute the change. Backup existing configurations, prepare target device(s) and notify appropriate workgroups of any planned outage, and then perform the actual change. Verify correct execution to avoid outages. Test the change, including affected systems and network traffic patterns. Audit and govern the change process. Review the executed change and any lessons learned. Having a non-operations-related group conduct the audit provides the necessary separation of duties and ensures a documented audit trail for every change. Measure SLAs. Establish new performance metrics and obtain a baseline measurement. Recertify policies. Part of your change management process should include a review and recertification of policies at a regular, defined interval (e.g., once a year). This step forces you to review why policies are in place, enabling you to improve documentation and remove or tweak policy rules. Schedule a Demo What to look for in a change-management solution Your solution must be firewall- and network-aware. This allows the system to pull information from the firewalls and understand the current policies. Your solution must support the firewalls, routers, security controls, load balancers, and other devices across your hybrid network. Your solution must be topology-aware. It must understand how the network is laid out, comprehend how the devices fit and interact, and provide the necessary visibility of how traffic is flowing through the network. Your solution must integrate with the existing general change management systems. You don’t want to undergo massive retraining of processes and systems simply because you have introduced a new solution. Your solution must provide out-of-the-box change workflows to streamline change-management processes and be highly customizable. No two organizations’ network and change processes are exactly the same. Schedule a Demo Summary While change management is complex stuff, the decision for your business is simple. You can continue to slowly chug along with manual change management processes or you can accelerate those processes with an automated network change management workflow solution that aligns stakeholders and helps your business run more smoothly. Think of your change process as a key component of the engine of an expensive car (in this case, your organization). Would you drive your car at high speed if you didn’t have tested, dependable brakes or a steering wheel? Hopefully, the answer is no! The brakes and steering wheel are analogous to change controls and processes. Rather than slowing you down, they actually make you go faster, securely! “Accelerate your business with security policy change automation” Power steering and power brakes (in this case firewall-aware integration and automation) help you zoom to success. Schedule a Demo About AlgoSec AlgoSec enables the world’s largest organizations to align business and security strategies, and manage their network security based on what matters most — the applications that power their businesses. Through a single pane of glass, the AlgoSec Security Management Solution provides holistic, business-level visibility across the entire network security infrastructure, including business applications and their connectivity flows — in the cloud and across SDN and on-premise networks. With AlgoSec users can auto-discover and migrate application connectivity, proactively analyze risk from the business perspective, tie cyber-attacks to business processes and intelligently automate time-consuming security changes— all zero-touch, and seamlessly orchestrated across any heterogeneous environment. Over 1,800 leading organizations, including 20 Fortune 50 companies, have relied on AlgoSec to drive business agility, security and compliance. AlgoSec has provided the industry’s only money-back guarantee since 2005. Did you know? AlgoSec integrates with your existing business processes and multi-vendor security controls to keep your business safe and agile nomatter where your network resides. Let's start your journey to our business-centric network security. Schedule a Demo Select a size Overview Cure the network management headache Why’s it hard to change network policies? Mind the security gap Good changes gone bad Avoiding a firewall fire drill 10 steps to automate and standardize the firewall change-management process What to look for in a change-management solution Summary About AlgoSec Get the latest insights from the experts Choose a better way to manage your network

Migrate policies to Cisco ACI with AlgoSec Download PDF Schedule time with one of our experts Schedule time with 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 Continue

Learn the basics of managing multiple workloads in the cloud and how to create a successful enterprise level security management program Webinars Journey to the Cloud Learn to speed up application delivery across a hybrid cloud environment while maintaining a high level of security Efficient cloud management helps simplify today’s complex network environment, allowing you to secure application connectivity anywhere. But it can be hard to achieve sufficient visibility when your data is dispersed across numerous public clouds, private clouds, and on-premises devices. Today it is easier than ever to speed up application delivery across a hybrid cloud environment while maintaining a high level of security. In this webinar, we’ll discuss: – The basics of managing multiple workloads in the cloud – How to create a successful enterprise-level security management program – The structure of effective hybrid cloud management July 5, 2022 Stephen Owen Esure Group Omer Ganot Product Manager Relevant resources Cloud atlas: how to accelerate application migrations to the cloud Keep Reading A Pragmatic Approach to Network Security Across Your Hybrid Cloud Environment Keep Reading 6 best practices to stay secure in the hybrid cloud Read Document Choose a better way to manage your network Choose a better way to manage your network Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

The Web application and service business loves containers, but they present a security challenge. Prevasio has the skills and experience... Cloud Security Don’t Neglect Runtime Container Security 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 9/21/20 Published The Web application and service business loves containers, but they present a security challenge. Prevasio has the skills and experience to meet the challenge. Its runtime scanning technology and techniques will let you avoid the serious risks of vulnerable or compromised containers. The very thing that makes Docker containers convenient — their all-in-one, self-contained structure — makes them opaque to traditional security tests. Instances come and go as needed, sometimes deleting themselves within seconds. This scalable and transient nature isn’t amenable to the usual tools. Prevasio’s approach is specifically designed to analyze and test containers safely, finding any problems before they turn into security incidents. The container supply chain Container images put together code from many sources. They include original source or binary code, application libraries,language support, and configuration data. The developer puts them all together and delivers the resulting image. A complex container has a long supply chain,and many things can go wrong. Each item in the image could carry a risk. The container developer could use buggy or outdated components, or it could use them improperly. The files it imports could be compromised. A Docker image isn’t a straightforward collection of files, like a gzip file. An image may be derived from another image. Extracting all its files and parameters is possible but not straightforward. Vulnerabilities and malicious actions We can divide container risks into two categories: vulnerabilities and malicious code. Vulnerabilities A vulnerability unintentionally introduces risk. An outsider can exploit them to steal information or inflict damage. In a container, they can result from poor-quality or outdated components. The building process for a complex image is hard to keep up to date. There are many ways for something to go wrong. Vulnerability scanners don’t generally work on container images. They can’t find all the components. It’s necessary to check an active container to get adequate insight. This is risky if it’s done in a production environment. Container vulnerabilities include configuration weaknesses as well as problems in code. An image that uses a weak password or unnecessarily exposes administrative functions is open to attacks. Malicious code Malware in a container is more dangerous than vulnerabilities. It could intrude at any point in the supply chain. The developer might receive a compromised version of a runtime library. A few unscrupulous developers put backdoors into code that they ship. Sometimes they add backdoors for testing purposes and forget to remove them from the finished product. The only way to catch malware in a container is by its behavior. Monitoring the network and checking the file system for suspicious changes will discover misbehaving code. The Prevasio solution Security tools designed for statically loaded code aren’t very helpful with containers. Prevasio has created a new approach that analyzes containers without making any assumptions about their safety. It loads them into a sandboxed environment where they can’t do any harm and analyzes them.The analysis includes the following: Scanning of components for known vulnerabilities Automated pen-test attacks Behavioral analysis of running code Traffic analysis to discover suspicious data packets Machine learning to identify malicious binaries The analysis categorizes an image as benign,vulnerable, exploitable, dangerous, or harmful. The administrator looks at agraph to identify any problems visually, without digging through logs. They can tell at a glance whether an image is reasonably safe to run, needs to be sent back for fixes, or should be discarded on the spot. If you look at competing container security solutions, you’ll find that the key is runtime technology. Static analysis, vulnerability scans, and signature checking won’t get you enough protection by themselves. Prevasio gives you the most complete and effective checking of container images, helping you to avoid threats to your data and your business. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 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 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

Partner solution brief Manage secure application connectivity within ServiceNow Download PDF Schedule time with one of our experts Schedule time with 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 Continue

Compared to on-premises data storage, cloud computing comes with a lot of benefits. On-demand access to company data, flexibility, and... Cloud Security What is a Cloud Security Assessment? (and How to Perform One) 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 7/12/23 Published Compared to on-premises data storage, cloud computing comes with a lot of benefits. On-demand access to company data, flexibility, and fast collaboration are just a few. But along with these advantages come increased security risks. To manage them, companies should invest in regular cloud security assessments. What Is a Cloud Security Risk Assessment? A cloud security assessment evaluates the potential vulnerabilities of an organization’s cloud environment. These assessments are essential to mitigate risks and ensure the continued security of cloud-based systems. By looking at cloud applications, services, and data, companies can better understand the biggest threats to their cloud environment. By managing these threats, businesses can avoid costly workflow interruptions. A security assessment can be done by an organization’s internal security team or by an outside security expert. This can happen one time only, or it can be done regularly as part of an organization’s overall cybersecurity plan. How Do Cloud Security Risk Assessments Protect Your Business? Cloud-based systems and services are an essential part of most businesses nowadays. Unfortunately, what makes them convenient is also what makes them vulnerable to security threats. A cloud security risk assessment helps organizations find out what might go wrong and prevent it from happening. It also helps with prioritizing and managing the most serious issues before they become full-on data breaches. One way assessments do this is by identifying misconfigurations. Cloud misconfigurations are behind many security breaches. They result from errors introduced by network engineers working on early cloud systems. A cloud security assessment earmarks these and other outmoded security features for repair. What’s more, cloud security assessments identify third-party risks from APIs or plugins. When your company identifies risks and manages permissions, you keep your cloud environment safe. By mitigating third-party risks, you can still benefit from outside vendors. Of course, none of this information is valuable without employee education. Employees need to know about risks and how to stop them; this is the best way to reduce the number of security incidents caused by human error or carelessness. To put it simply, a cloud security assessment helps your business run smoothly. When you know the risks your company faces and can manage them, you reduce the impact of security-related incidents. That means you can recover faster and get back to work sooner. 7 Benefits of Cloud Security Risk Assessments Cloud security risk assessments provide lots of benefits. They can help you: Improve cloud security posture . Understanding the ins and outs of a cloud-based system helps organizations plan better. For example, they can modify their security budget or improve their risk management strategy based on the results. Uncover security vulnerabilities . Cloud security assessments pinpoint weak spots. This includes misconfigurations , access control issues, and missing multi-factor authentications (MFAs). Once identified, organizations can fix the issues and avoid security breaches. Develop a more secure multi-cloud environment . Most organizations use multiple cloud platforms. Usually, this involves private or public clouds or a combination of both. This is ideal from a financial and agility perspective. But every extra layer in a cloud environment introduces potential risks. A cloud security assessment is essential in identifying these cross-cloud threats. Achieve compliance with industry standards and regulatory bodies . Ensuring compliance with GDPR, PCI-DSS, and HIPAA helps protect organizations from millions of dollars of potential fines . Manage your reputation. A sensitive data leak or other cloud security incident damages a company’s reputation. Think of companies like Target, Facebook, and LinkedIn. All have faced backlash after security breaches . Conducting cloud security assessments shows that organizations value customer and stakeholder privacy. Detect past threats . A cloud security assessment looks for things that might be wrong with the way your cloud system is set up. It can also help you find out if there have been any past security problems. By doing this, you can see if someone has tried to tamper with the security of your cloud system in the past, which could signal a bigger problem. Increase efficiency . Cloud security assessments show you which security measures are working and which aren’t. By getting rid of security tools that aren’t needed, employees have more time to work on other tasks. Cost savings . The most compelling reason to run a cloud security assessment is that it helps save money. Cost savings come from eliminating unnecessary security measures and from missed work time due to breaches. What Risks Do Cloud Security Assessments Look For? Cloud security assessments focus on six areas to identify security vulnerabilities in your cloud infrastructure: overall security posture, access control and management, incident management, data protection, network security, and risk management and compliance. Some specific risks cloud security assessments look for include: Cloud Misconfigurations Misconfigurations are one of the most common threats to overall security posture. In fact, McAfee’s enterprise security study found that enterprises experience 3,500 security incidents per month because of misconfigurations. From improperly stored passwords to insecure automated backups, misconfiguration issues are everywhere. Because they’re so common, fixing this issue alone can reduce the risk of a security breach by up to 80%, according to Gartner . Access Control and Management Problems This assessment also highlights ineffective access control and management. One way it does this is by identifying excessive network permissions. Without the proper guardrails (like data segmentation) in place, an organization’s attack surface is greater. Plus, its data is at risk from internal and external threats. If an employee has too much access to a company’s network, they might accidentally delete or change important information. This could cause unintended system problems. Additionally, if hackers get access to the company’s network, they could easily steal important data. Cloud security assessments also look at credentials as part of user account management. A system that uses only static credentials for users or cloud workloads is a system at risk. Without multifactor authentication (MFA) in place, hackers can gain access to your system and expose your data. Improper Incident Management and Logging When it comes to incident management, a cloud security assessment can reveal insufficient or improper logging — problems that make detecting malicious activities more difficult. Left unchecked, the damage is more severe, making recovery more time-consuming and expensive. Insufficient Data and Network Security Data protection and network security go hand in hand. Without proper network controls in place (for example firewalls and intrusion detection), data in the cloud is vulnerable to attack. A cloud security assessment can identify gaps in both areas. Based on the results of a cloud security assessment, a company can make a risk management plan to help them react as quickly and effectively as possible in the event of an attack. The last aspect of cloud security the assessment looks at is compliance with industry standards. 7 Steps To Perform a Cloud Security Assessment The main components of cloud security assessments include: Identifying your cloud-based assets, discovering vulnerabilities through testing, generating recommendations, and retesting once the issues have been addressed. The steps to performing a cloud security assessment are as follows: Step One: Define the project Get a picture of your cloud environment. Look at your cloud service providers (CSPs), third-party apps, and current security tools. First, decide which parts of your system will be evaluated. Next, look at the type of data you’re handling or storing. Then consider the regulations your business must follow. Step Two: Identify potential threats Look at both internal and external threats to your cloud-based system. This could include endpoint security, misconfigurations, access control issues, data breaches, and more. Then figure out how likely each type of attack is. Finally, determine what impact each attack would have on your business operations. Step Three: Examine your current security system Look for vulnerabilities in your existing cloud security. In particular, pay attention to access controls, encryption, and network security. Step Four: Test Penetration testing, port scanners, and vulnerability scanners are used to find weaknesses in your cloud environment that were missed during the original risk assessment. Step Five: Analyze Look at the results and determine which weaknesses need immediate attention. Deal with the issues that will have the biggest impact on your business first. Then, focus on the issues most likely to occur. Finish by handling lower-priority threats. Step Six: Develop an action plan Come up with a time-bound remediation plan. This plan should spell out how your organization will deal with each security vulnerability. Assign roles and responsibilities as part of your incident response program. Depending on the results, this could include updating firewalls, monitoring traffic logs, and limiting access control. Step Seven: Maintain Cloud security assessments can be done as a one-off, but it’s much better to monitor your systems regularly. Frequent monitoring improves your organization’s threat intelligence. It also helps you identify and respond to new threats in real time. Getting Help With Your Cloud Security Assessment Cloud security assessment tools are used to identify vulnerabilities in a cloud infrastructure which could lead to data loss or compromise by attackers. As an agentless cloud security posture management (CSPM) tool , Prevasio helps identify and fix security threats across all your cloud assets in minutes. Our deep cloud scan checks for security weaknesses, malware, and compliance. This helps ensure that your company’s cloud environment is protected against potential risks. But any CSPM can do that . Prevasio is the only solution that provides container security dynamic behavior analysis. Our technology spots hidden backdoors in your container environments. It also identifies supply chain attack risks. Paired with our container security static analysis for vulnerabilities and malware, your containers will never be safer. Our CSPM works across multi-cloud, multi-accounts, cloud-native services , and cloud assets. Whether you’re using Microsoft Azure, S3 buckets in AWS, or Cosmos DB in GCP, Prevasio is the security system your company has been looking for. But we do more than identify security threats. We increase your team’s efficiency. How? By providing a prioritized list of cloud risks ranked according to CIS benchmarks. That means no more uncertainty about what needs to get done. Our easy-to-understand results help your team concentrate on the most important things. This saves time and money by reducing the need for extra administrative work. A Final Word on Cloud Security Assessments Performing regular cloud security assessments helps your business spot security issues before they become major problems. When you reinforce your security controls and define your incident response plan, you make your organization more efficient. Plus, you keep things going even when issues arise. Put together, these proactive measures can save you money. Sign up today and see how Prevasio can help your team ! FAQs About Cloud Security Assessments What are the four areas of cloud security? The four pillars of cloud security are data availability, data confidentiality, data integrity, and regulatory compliance. What is included in a security assessment? Cloud security assessments include: Identifying your cloud-based assets, discovering vulnerabilities through testing, generating recommendations, and retesting once the issues have been addressed. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 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 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

Secure VPC as the main pillar of cloud security      Remember the Capital One breach back in 2019 ? 100 million customers' data exposed,... Cloud Security A secure VPC as the main pillar of cloud security Asher Benbenisty 2 min read Asher Benbenisty 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 11/11/24 Published Secure VPC as the main pillar of cloud security Remember the Capital One breach back in 2019 ? 100 million customers' data exposed, over $270 million in fines – all because of a misconfigured WAF. Ouch! A brutal reminder that cloud security is no joke. And with cloud spending skyrocketing to a whopping $675.4 billion this year, the bad guys are licking their chops. The stakes? Higher than ever. The cloud's a dynamic beast, constantly evolving, with an attack surface that's expanding faster than a pufferfish in a staring contest. To stay ahead of those crafty cybercriminals, you need a security strategy that's as agile as a ninja warrior. That means a multi-layered approach, with network security as the bedrock. Think of it as the backbone of your cloud fortress, ensuring all your communication channels – internal and external – are locked down tighter than Fort Knox. In this post, we're shining the spotlight on Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs) – the cornerstone of your cloud network security. But here's the kicker: native cloud tools alone won't cut it. They're like a bicycle in a Formula 1 race – good for a leisurely ride, but not built for high-speed security. We'll delve into why and introduce you to AlgoSec, the solution that turbocharges your VPC security and puts you in the driver's seat. The 5 Pillars of Cloud Security: A Quick Pit Stop Before we hit the gas on VPCs, let's do a quick pit stop to recap the five foundational pillars of a rock-solid cloud security strategy: Identity and Access Management (IAM): Control who gets access to what with the principle of least privilege and role-based access control. Basically, don't give the keys to the kingdom to just anyone! Keep a watchful eye with continuous monitoring and logging of access patterns. Integrate with SIEM systems to boost your threat detection and response capabilities. Think of it as having a security guard with night vision goggles patrolling your cloud castle 24/7. Data Encryption: Protect your sensitive data throughout its lifecycle – whether it's chilling in your cloud servers or traveling across networks. Think of it as wrapping your crown jewels in multiple layers of security, making them impenetrable to those data-hungry thieves. Network Security: This is where VPCs take center stage! But it's more than just VPCs – you also need firewalls, security groups, and constant vigilance to keep your network fortress impenetrable. It's like having a multi-layered defense system with moats, drawbridges, and archers ready to defend your cloud kingdom. Compliance and Governance: Don't forget those pesky regulations and internal policies! Use audit trails, resource tagging, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to stay on the right side of the law. It's like having a compliance officer who keeps you in check and ensures you're always playing by the rules. Incident Response and Recovery: Even with the best defenses, breaches can happen. It's like a flat tire on your cloud journey – annoying, but manageable with the right tools. Be prepared with real-time threat detection, automated response, and recovery plans that'll get you back on your feet faster than a cheetah on Red Bull. Why Network Security is Your First Line of Defense Network security is like the moat around your cloud castle, the first line of defense against those pesky attackers. Breaches can cost you a fortune, ruin your reputation faster than a bad Yelp review, and send your customers running for the hills. Remember when Equifax suffered a massive data breach in 2017 due to an unpatched vulnerability? Or the ChatGPT breach in 2023 where a misconfigured database exposed sensitive user data? These incidents are stark reminders that even a small slip-up can have massive consequences. VPCs: Building Your Secure Cloud Fortress VPCs are like creating your own private kingdom within the vast public cloud. You get to set the rules, control access, and keep those unwanted visitors out. This isolation is crucial for preventing those sneaky attackers from gaining a foothold and wreaking havoc. With VPCs, you have granular control over your network traffic – think of it as directing the flow of chariots within your kingdom. You can define routing tables, create custom IP address ranges, and isolate different sections of your cloud environment. But here's the thing: VPCs alone aren't enough. You still need to connect to the outside world, and that's where secure options like VPNs and dedicated interconnects come in. Think of them as secure tunnels and bridges that allow safe passage in and out of your kingdom. Native Cloud Tools: Good, But Not Good Enough The cloud providers offer their own security tools – think AWS CloudTrail, Azure Security Center, and Google Cloud's Security Command Center. They're a good starting point, like a basic toolkit for your cloud security needs. But they often fall short when it comes to dealing with the complexities of today's cloud environments. Here's why: Lack of Customization: They're like one-size-fits-all suits – they might kinda fit, but they're not tailored to your specific needs. You need a custom-made suit of armor for your cloud kingdom, not something off the rack. Blind Spots in Multi-Cloud Environments: If you're juggling multiple cloud platforms, these tools can leave you with blind spots, making it harder to keep an eye on everything. It's like trying to guard a castle with multiple entrances and only having one guard. Configuration Nightmares: Misconfigurations are like leaving the back door to your castle wide open. Native tools often lack the robust detection and prevention mechanisms you need to avoid these costly mistakes. You need a security system with motion sensors, alarms, and maybe even a moat with crocodiles to keep those intruders out. Integration Headaches: Trying to integrate these tools with other security solutions can be like fitting a square peg into a round hole. This can leave gaps in your security posture, making you vulnerable to attacks. You need a security system that works seamlessly with all your other defenses, not one that creates more problems than it solves. To overcome these limitations and implement best practices for securing your AWS environment, including VPC configuration and management, download our free white paper: AWS Best Practices: Strengthening Your Cloud Security Posture . AlgoSec: Your Cloud Security Superhero This is where AlgoSec swoops in to save the day! AlgoSec is like the ultimate security concierge for your cloud environment. It streamlines and automates security policy management across all your cloud platforms – whether it's a hybrid setup or a multi-cloud extravaganza. Here's how it helps you conquer the cloud security challenge: X-Ray Vision for Your Network: AlgoSec gives you complete visibility into your network, automatically discovering and mapping your applications and their connections. It's like having X-ray vision for your cloud fortress, allowing you to see every nook and cranny where those sneaky attackers might be hiding. Automated Policy Enforcement: Say goodbye to manual errors and inconsistencies. AlgoSec automates your security policy management, ensuring everything is locked down tight across all your environments. It's like having a tireless army of security guards enforcing your rules 24/7. Risk Prediction and Prevention: AlgoSec is like a security fortune teller, predicting and preventing risks before they can turn into disasters. It's like having a crystal ball that shows you where the next attack might come from, allowing you to prepare and fortify your defenses. Compliance Made Easy: Stay on the right side of those regulations with automated compliance checks and audit trails. It's like having a compliance officer who whispers in your ear and keeps you on the straight and narrow path. Integration Wizardry: AlgoSec plays nicely with other security tools and cloud platforms, ensuring a seamless and secure ecosystem. It's like having a universal translator that allows all your security systems to communicate and work together flawlessly. The Bottom Line VPCs are the foundation of a secure cloud environment, but you need more than just the basics to stay ahead of the bad guys. AlgoSec is your secret weapon, providing the comprehensive security management and automation you need to conquer the cloud with confidence. It's like having a superhero on your side, always ready to defend your cloud kingdom from those villainous attackers. AWS Security Expertise at Your Fingertips Dive deeper into AWS security best practices with our comprehensive white paper. Learn how to optimize your VPC configuration, enhance network security, and protect your cloud assets. Download AWS security best practices white paper now! If you’re looking to enhance your cloud network security, explore AlgoSec's platform.  Request a demo to see how AlgoSec can empower you to create a secure, compliant, and resilient cloud infrastructure. Dive deeper into cloud security: Read our previous blog post, Unveiling Cloud's Hidden Risks , to uncover the top challenges and learn how to gain control of your cloud environment. Don't miss out : We'll be publishing more valuable insights on critical cloud security topics, including Security as Code implementation, Azure best practices, Kubernetes security, and cloud encryption. These articles will equip you with the knowledge and tools to strengthen your cloud defenses. Subscribe to our blog to stay informed and join us on the journey to a safer and more resilient cloud future. Have a specific cloud security challenge? Contact us today for a free consultation. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 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 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

Anat Kleinmann, AlgoSec Sr. Product Manager and IaC expert, discusses how incorporating Infrastructure-as-Code into DevSecOps can allow... Risk Management and Vulnerabilities Bridging the DevSecOps Application Connectivity Disconnect via IaC Anat Kleinmann 2 min read Anat Kleinmann 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 11/7/22 Published Anat Kleinmann, AlgoSec Sr. Product Manager and IaC expert, discusses how incorporating Infrastructure-as-Code into DevSecOps can allow teams to take a preventive approach to secure application connectivity . With customer demands changing at breakneck speed, organizations need to be agile to win in their digital markets. This requires fast and frequent application deployments, forcing DevOps teams to streamline their software development processes. However, without the right security tools placed in the early phase of the CI/CD pipeline, these processes can be counterproductive leading to costly human errors and prolonged application deployment backups. This is why organizations need to find the right preventive security approach and explore achieving this through Infrastructure-as-Code. Understanding Infrastructure as Code – what does it actually mean? Infrastructure-as-Code (Iac) is a software development method that describes the complete environment in which the software runs. It contains information about the hardware, networks, and software that are needed to run the application. IAC is also referred to as declarative provisioning or automated provisioning. In other words, IAC enables security teams to create an automated and repeatable process to build out an entire environment. This is helpful for eliminating human errors that can be associated with manual configuration. The purpose of IaC is to enable developers or operations teams to automatically manage, monitor and provision resources, rather than manually configure discrete hardware devices and operating systems. What does IaC mean in the context of running applications in a cloud environment When using IaC, network configuration files can contain your applications connectivity infrastructure connectivity specifications changes, which mkes it easier to edit, review and distribute. It also ensures that you provision the same environment every time and minimizes the downtime that can occur due to security breaches. Using Infrastructure as code (IaC) helps you to avoid undocumented, ad-hoc configuration changes and allows you to enforce security policies in advance before making the changes in your network. Top 5 challenges when not embracing a preventive security approach Counterintuitive communication channel – When reviewing the code manually, DevOps needs to provide access to a security manager to review it and rely on the security manager for feedback. This can create a lot of unnecessary back and forth communication between the teams which can be a highly counterintuitive process. Mismanagement of DevOps resources – Developers need to work on multiple platforms due to the nature of their work. This may include developing the code in one platform, checking the code in another, testing the code in a third platform and reviewing requests in a fourth platform. When this happens, developers often will not be alerted of any network risk or non-compliance issue as defined by the organization. Mismanagement of SecOps resources – At the same time, network security managers are also bombarded with security review requests and tasks. Yet, they are expected to be agile, which is impossible in case of manual risk detection. Inefficient workflow – Sometimes risk analysis process is skipped and only reviewed at the end of the CI/CD pipeline, which prolongs the delivery of the application. Time consuming review process – The risk analysis review itself can sometimes take more than 30 minutes long which can create unnecessary and costly bottlenecking, leading to missed rollout deadlines of critical applications Why it’s important to place security early in the development cycle Infrastructure-as-code (IaC) is a crucial part of DevSecOps practices. The current trend is based on the principle of shift-left, which places security early in the development cycle. This allows organizations to take a proactive, preventive approach rather than a reactive one. This approach solves the problem of developers leaving security checks and testing for the later stages of a project often as it nears completion and deployment. It is critical to take a proactive approach since late-stage security checks lead to two critical problems. Security flaws can go undetected and make it into the released software, and security issues detected at the end of the software development lifecycle demand considerably more time, resources and money to remediate than those identified early on. The Power of IaC Connectivity Risk Analysis and Key Benefits IaC connectivity risk analysis provides automatic and proactive connectivity risk analysis, enabling a frictionless workflow for DevOps with continuous customized risk analysis and remediation managed and controlled by the security managers. IaC Connectivity Risk Analysis enables organizations to use a single source of truth for managing the lifecycle of their applications. Furthermore, security engineers can use IaC to automate the design, deployment, and management of virtual assets across a hybrid cloud environment. With automated security tests, engineers can also continuously test their infrastructure for security issues early in the development phase. Key benefits Deliver business applications into production faster and more securely Enable a frictionless workflow with continuous risk analysis and remediation Reduce connectivity risks earlier in the CI/CD process Customizable risk policy to surface only the most critical risks The Takeaway Don’t get bogged down by security and compliance. When taking a preventive approach using a connectivity risk analysis via IaC, you can increase the speed of deployment, reduce misconfiguration and compliance errors, improve DevOps – SecOps relationship and lower costs Next Steps Let AlgoSec’s IaC Connectivity Risk Analysis can help you take a proactive, preventive security approach to get DevOps’ workflow early in the game, automatically identifying connectivity risks and providing ways to remediate them. Watch this video or visit us at GitHub to learn how. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 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 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

In the context of the Zero Trust vs. least privilege debate, this post explores the difference between Zero Trust and least privilege, how the Zero Trust security model and least privilege access control work together, and where each fits in a modern security program. Organizations need both Zero Trust and least privilege. These two fundamental security approaches verify all requests and restrict all permissions. This article explains the operation of each security method as well as their distinct approaches to defense. It also provides guidance on their combined use for enhanced security. Zero trust vs least privilege Select a size Which network Can AlgoSec be used for continuous compliance monitoring? Yes, AlgoSec supports continuous compliance monitoring. As organizations adapt their security policies to meet emerging threats and address new vulnerabilities, they must constantly verify these changes against the compliance frameworks they subscribe to. AlgoSec can generate risk assessment reports and conduct internal audits on-demand, allowing compliance officers to monitor compliance performance in real-time. Security professionals can also use AlgoSec to preview and simulate proposed changes to the organization’s security policies. This gives compliance officers a valuable degree of lead-time before planned changes impact regulatory guidelines and allows for continuous real-time monitoring. Zero Trust vs. Least Privilege: What's the Difference and How Do They Work Together? In the context of the Zero Trust vs. least privilege debate, this post explores the difference between Zero Trust and least privilege, how the Zero Trust security model and least privilege access control work together, and where each fits in a modern security program. Organizations need both Zero Trust and least privilege. These two fundamental security approaches verify all requests and restrict all permissions. This article explains the operation of each security method as well as their distinct approaches to defense. It also provides guidance on their combined use for enhanced security. Zero Trust vs. Traditional Security Security operations previously focused on creating an unbreakable defensive boundary. The rule was: Trust the people and devices inside the network. Be suspicious of everything on the outside. This "castle-and-moat" security model proved effective when technology systems were run from restricted server rooms. But cloud computing, SaaS solutions, and hybrid work environments have resulted in traditional system perimeters dissolving. Cloud, SaaS, and remote endpoints now make up a fragmented and complex “frontline,” with inconsistent controls that create gaps attackers can exploit. Malicious actors know that if they find one unlocked door—usually a stolen password—they can often wander freely through the entire network. This is precisely what the Zero Trust security model was designed to prevent. What Is the Zero Trust Security Model? The Zero Trust security model follows a single core belief surrounding verification. The new rule is: All users and systems must require verification before being granted access. Under this model, there is no free pass. Every single time someone or something tries to access a resource, they must authenticate their identity and prove they have access rights to the resources they seek. What Are the Building Blocks of Zero Trust Access Management? Making a Zero Trust architecture work requires a few key components: Policy decision point (PDP): The PDP operates as the central regulatory system of the entire network. It's where you define and store all the rules about who has access to what. Policy enforcement point (PEP): This is your security guard. The system functions as a security checkpoint that protects all resources while implementing the policies defined by the PDP. Trust algorithm: This evaluates various real-time indicators (e.g., user identity, device health status, location data, and data sensitivity) to generate a trust score for each request. Zero Trust Architecture in Practice Implementing Zero Trust requires organizations to establish ongoing verification processes for all identity and device access, as well as network, workload, and data security: Devices: Companies must verify the security posture of all laptops and phones through software updates and security tool verification. The testing process identifies non-compliant devices, which are placed in a digital waiting area until they achieve safety standards. Networks: Micro-segmentation is the main player here. By dividing your network into tiny, isolated zones, you prevent an intruder from moving around freely. All traffic between servers (east-west) needs to be encrypted and pass through a PEP checkpoint. Applications & workloads: Applications, together with services, require robust identity systems. This can be done using methods like mTLS to ensure services are securely talking to each other, and by enforcing strict authorization checks at the front door (gateways) of every application. Data : Are you fully aware of what your data cons ists of and its level of sensitivity? The process of classification and labeling enables organizations to develop smart policies that implement least privilege access controls, preventing sensitive information from leaving the organization. The Least Privilege Principle and Least Privilege Access Control Following the least privilege principle, least privilege access control requires that all users and non-human identities receive permissions that exactly match their required tasks and only remain active during the time needed to complete those tasks. Limiting permissions to specific times and tasks: Minimizes system vulnerabilities Restricts damage from compromised credentials Prevents unauthorized system access Makes audit processes easier and regulatory requirements more achievable Provides clear visibility into all access elevation activities Teams use three main operational controls to implement least privilege in their daily operations: RBAC/ABAC function together to restrict resource access based on job titles and user characteristics ; RBAC handles basic access control, while ABAC offers detailed context-based authorization checks. Just-in-time (JIT) allows a user to ask for special permissions for a short period to perform a specific task, with any rights granted terminated when the work is complete. Time-boxed tokens grant access credentials with an expiration date, so even if a token is stolen, exposure is short‑lived and any impact contain ed. How Do You Implement Least Privilege Access Control? The implementation of least privilege access control requires a methodical approach to provide each identity with the smallest set of permissions needed to perform its duties for a limited duration. These are the essential steps for successful implementation: Inventory and map privileges: You cannot protect what you do not even know is yours. This step demands complete identification of human and machine identities to establish their current permissions and necessary access permissions. Shrink service account scopes: After creating a map, you can begin to limit the permissions of accounts that have excessive access. Credential rotation and exceptions: Organizations need to adopt credential rotation and temporary identity systems for automated operations while also making just-in-time access their default security approach. The Difference Between Zero Trust and Least Privilege The discussion of Zero Trust vs. least privilege comes down to the two concepts dealing with different security issues. Zero Trust vs. Least Privilege The table below presents a clear comparison. Feature Zero Trust Least Privilege Scope & Purpose The overall game plan for securing the entire organization A core access‑management principle limiting each identity to the minimum permissions required for specific tasks/resources Decision Focus Evaluation of whether to trust the present request Stopping users from getting unintended and extra access Primary Goal To get rid of assumed trust and verify everything, always To limit the damage if an account or system gets compromised Ownership Usually driven by the security and platform architecture teams Put into practice by the people who own the data and applications Conclusion Zero Trust and least privilege security solutions deliver a major security improvement when deployed together, despite their distinct implementation methods. Their combination significantly reduces the potential damage from a breach, makes it much harder for attackers to move around, and delivers a crystal-clear record of who is accessing what and why. If you’re evaluating platforms to operationalize these practices, AlgoSec can help by: Modeling application connectivity Orchestrating network security policy changes Supporting micro-segmentation Maintaining continuous compliance across hybrid and multi‑cloud environments All these capabilities reinforce both Zero Trust and least privilege. Explore AlgoSec Cloud Enterprise for multi‑cloud and hybrid policy automation, see how our approach helps application owners model and secure application connectivity, and learn about our native integrations with AWS . Schedule a demo of AlgoSec today. Get the latest insights from the experts Schedule time with 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 Continue

Partner solution brief Enforcing micro-segmentation with Akamai and AlgoSec Download PDF Schedule time with one of our experts Schedule time with 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 Continue

Multi-cloud environments create complex IT architectures that are hard to secure. Although cloud computing creates numerous advantages... Cloud Security 3 Proven Tips to Finding the Right CSPM Solution 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 Multi-cloud environments create complex IT architectures that are hard to secure. Although cloud computing creates numerous advantages for companies, it also increases the risk of data breaches. Did you know that you can mitigate these risks with a CSPM? Rony Moshkovitch, Prevasio’s co-founder, discusses why modern organizations need to opt for a CSPM solution when migrating to the cloud and also offers three powerful tips to finding and implementing the right one. Cloud Security Can Get Messy if You Let it A cloud-based IT infrastructure can lower your IT costs, boost your agility, flexibility, and scalability, and enhance business resilience. These great advantages notwithstanding, the cloud also has one serious drawback: it is not easy to secure. When you move from an on-premise infrastructure to the cloud, the size of your digital footprint expands. This can attract hackers on the prowl who are looking for the first opportunity to compromise your assets or steal your data. Cloud security solutions include multiple elements that must be managed and protected, such as microservices, containers, and serverless functions. These elements increase cloud complexity, reduce visibility into the cloud estate, and make it harder to secure. For all these reasons, security issues arise in the cloud, increasing the risk of breaches that may result in financial losses, legal liabilities, or reputational damage. To protect the complex and fluid cloud environment, sophisticated automation is essential. Enter cloud security posture management. How to Identify and Implement the Right CSPM Solution 1) It must offer a flat learning curve to accelerate time to value: The CSPM solution can be easy to implement, adopt, and use. It should not burden your security team. Rather, it should simplify cloud security by providing non-intrusive, agentless scans of all cloud accounts, services, and assets. It should also provide actionable information in a single-pane-of-glass view that clearly reveals what needs to be remediated in order to strengthen your cloud security posture. In addition, the solution should generate reports that are easy to understand and share. 2) It must support non-intrusive, agentless, static and dynamic analyses: Some CSPM solutions only support static scans, leaving dynamic scans to other intrusive solutions. The problem with the latter is that they require agents to be deployed, managed, and updated for every scan, increasing the organization’s technical debt and forcing security teams to spend expensive (and scarce) resources on solution management. The best way to minimize the debt and the management burden on security teams is to choose a CSPM that can scan for threats in an agentless manner. It should also perform agentless dynamic analyses on all container applications and images that can reveal valuable information about exposed network ports and other risks. 3) It must be reasonably priced: CSPM is important but it shouldn’t burn a hole in your pocket. The solution should fit your security budget and match your organization’s size, cloud environment complexity, and cloud asset usage. Also, look for a vendor that provides a transparent license model and dynamic security features instead of just dynamic, expensive billing (that could reduce your ability to control your cloud costs). Conclusion and next steps The global CSPM market is set to double from $4.2 billion in 2022 to $8.6 billion by 2027. Already, many CSPM vendors and solutions are available. In order to select the best solution for your organization, make sure to consider the three tips discussed here. Need more tailored advice about the security needs of your enterprise cloud? Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 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 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

Avivi Siman-Tov, Director of Product Management at AlgoSec, discusses the benefits of network automation and takes us through a... Firewall Change Management Change automation: A step-by-step guide to network security policy change management Avivi Siman Tov 2 min read Avivi Siman Tov 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 10/21/21 Published Avivi Siman-Tov, Director of Product Management at AlgoSec, discusses the benefits of network automation and takes us through a step-by-step process to standardize change management In today’s fast-paced, data-driven environment, the only constant that businesses can bank on is change. For organizations to function and compete in the modern digital landscape, they need their data to be able to move freely and unobstructed through every branch of their business, unimpeded by security issues that require constant manual attention. The network is arguably the beating heart of an organization but keeping it ticking requires more maintenance than it once did, owing to constantly changing risk profiles and circumstances. That’s why a greater number of businesses are turning to change automation to bridge the gap between network alerts and the action that needs to be taken. Barriers to automation According to Gartner , organizations that can automate more than 70% of their network changes can reduce the number of outages by at least 50% and deliver services up to 50% faster. That’s because a lot of legacy solutions tend to take a reactive rather than proactive approach to dealing with security. There are multiple controls in place that simply don’t talk to each other. While most businesses get alerts from SIEM solutions and vulnerability scanners, responding to them turns into a full-time job, distracting your team from other important work they could be doing. Most organizations know that manual policy changes impact their productivity, but they’re afraid to take the leap to automation because of an ill-placed perception around security. Production environments in all organizations are maintained by different teams — for example, DevOps, maintenance, cloud security, IT, and more. Not all of these teams are educated to the same level in security matters, and some see it as a constraint that slows their work. This can lead to conflict between teams, which means that automation is not always welcome. Despite some resistance to change, enterprise-wide change automation makes it possible to transform network security policies without needing to reinvent the wheel or replace existing business processes. Automation and actionable intelligence are proven to enhance security and business agility without the stress often associated with misconfigurations caused by manual, ad-hoc processes. A typical network change workflow By elevating firewall change management from a manual, arduous task to a fully automated, zero-touch process, networks can become more agile and organizations far more adaptive. There are several steps that organizations need to take towards complete network security automation, from a simple change request through to implementation and validation. Let’s take a look at the most common steps in establishing automation for a simple change request. Step 1 – Request a network change Every change begins with a request. At this stage, you need to clarify who is asking for the amendment and why because sometimes the request is unnecessary or covered by an existing ruleset. Step 2 – Find relevant security devices Once this request is translated, the change automation platform will handle the request and implement the changes to hybrid networks. The administrator will be able to see which firewall and routing devices are involved and what impact the change will have. Step 3 – Plan change The change automation platform understands how to deal with different vendor-specific settings and how to implement the requests in a way that avoids creating any duplicates. Step 4 – Risk check The administrator will get a ‘ what if’ analysis, which checks the change for any risks. In this phase, the decision as to whether to allow the change and expose the network to the risk mentioned is in the hands of the network admin or security manager, depending on who is handling this phase. Step 5 – Push change to device Once planned changes are approved, the ‘magic’ happens. The change automation platform implements and pushes the changes to the desired devices automatically, either through APIs or directly to the device (CLI). This is a fully automated action that can be conducted on multiple devices, whether cloud-based or on-premises. The push can be done in a scheduled manner, in your maintenance window, or on-demand. Step 6 – Validate change At the end of each request, the solution will check that the request was successfully implemented across all devices. The solution also provides ongoing audits of the whole process, enabling easy checking of each stage. Step 7 – Documentation and logging Network security automation platforms can provide you with a full, automated audit trail. Documentation happens on the go, saving IT and security teams time and accelerating tedious network compliance management tasks. Put your trust in network automation While change management is complex stuff, the decision for your business is simple. It’s like the engine of an expensive car. Would you drive at high speeds if you didn’t have your brakes tested or a steering wheel to keep your course straight? Hopefully, the answer is no. With AlgoSec FireFlow , you can automate the security policy change process without introducing any element of risk, vulnerability, or compliance violation. AlgoSec FireFlow allows you to analyze every change before it is introduced, and validate successful changes as intended, all within your existing IT Service Management (ITSM) solutions . By putting your trust in us we can put you firmly in the driving seat with zero-touch change management and secure application deployment. For more information, or to arrange a demo , visit our website . Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 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 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