

Search results
Search this site
650 results found with an empty search
- AlgoSec | Top Two Cloud Security Concepts You Won’t Want to Overlook
Organizations transitioning to the cloud require robust security concepts to protect their most critical assets, including business... Cloud Security Top Two Cloud Security Concepts You Won’t Want to Overlook 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 Organizations transitioning to the cloud require robust security concepts to protect their most critical assets, including business applications and sensitive data. Rony Moshkovitch, Prevasio’s co-founder, explains these concepts and why reinforcing a DevSecOps culture would help organizations strike the right balance between security and agility. In the post-COVID era, enterprise cloud adoption has grown rapidly. Per a 2022 security survey , over 98% of organizations use some form of cloud-based infrastructure. But 27% have also experienced a cloud security incident in the previous 12 months. So, what can organizations do to protect their critical business applications and sensitive data in the cloud? Why Consider Paved Road, Guardrails, and Least Privilege Access for Cloud Security It is in the organization’s best interest to allow developers to expedite the lifecycle of an application. At the same time, it’s the security teams’ job to facilitate this process in tandem with the developers to help them deliver a more secure application on time. As organizations migrate their applications and workloads to a multi-cloud platform, it’s incumbent to use a Shift left approach to DevSecOps. This enables security teams to build tools, and develop best practices and guidelines that enable the DevOps teams to effectively own the security process during the application development stage without spending time responding to risk and compliance violations issued by the security teams. This is where Paved Road, Guardrails and Least Privilege could add value to your DevSecOps. Concept 1: The Paved Road + Guardrails Approach Suppose your security team builds numerous tools, establishes best practices, and provides expert guidance. These resources enable your developers to use the cloud safely and protect all enterprise assets and data without spending all their time or energy on these tasks. They can achieve these objectives because the security team has built a “paved road” with strong “guardrails” for the entire organization to follow and adopt. By following and implementing good practices, such as building an asset inventory, creating safe templates, and conducting risk analyses for each cloud and cloud service, the security team enables developers to execute their own tasks quickly and safely. Security staff will implement strong controls that no one can violate or bypass. They will also clearly define a controlled exception process, so every exception is clearly tracked and accountability is always maintained. Over time, your organization may work with more cloud vendors and use more cloud services. In this expanding cloud landscape, the paved road and guardrails will allow users to do their jobs effectively in a security-controlled manner because security is already “baked in” to everything they work with. Moreover, they will be prevented from doing anything that may increase the organization’s risk of breaches, thus keeping you safe from the bad guys. How Paved Road Security and Guardrails Can Be Applied Successfully Example 1: Set Baked-in Security Controls Remember to bake security into reusable Terraform templates or AWS CloudFormation modules of paved roads. You may apply this tactic to provision new infrastructure, create new storage buckets, or adopt new cloud services. When you create a paved road and implement appropriate guardrails, all your golden modules and templates are already secure from the outset – safeguarding your assets and preventing undesirable security events. Example 2: Introducing Security Standardizations When creating resource functions with built-in security standards, developers should adhere to these standards to confidently configure required resources without introducing security issues into the cloud ecosystem. Example 3: Automating Security with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) IaC is a way to manage and provision new infrastructure by coding specifications instead of following manual processes. To create a paved road for IaC, the security team can introduce tagging to provision and track cloud resources. They can also incorporate strong security guardrails into the development environment to secure the new infrastructure right from the outset. Concept 2: The Principle of Least Privileged Access (PoLP) The Principle of Least Privilege Access (PoLP) is often synonymous with Zero Trust. PoLP is about ensuring that a user can only access the resources they need to complete a required task. The idea is to prevent the misuse of critical systems and data and reduce the attack surface to decrease the probability of breaches. How Can PoLP Be Applied Successfully Example 1: Ring-fencing critical assets This is the process of isolating specific “crown jewel” applications so that even if an attacker could make it into your environment, they would be unable to reach that data or application. As few people as possible would be given credentials that allow access, therefore following least privilege access rules. Crown jewel applications could be anything from where sensitive customer data is stored, to business-critical systems and processes. Example 2: Establishing Role Based Access Control (RABC) Based on the role that they hold at the company, RBAC or role-based access control allows specific access to certain data or applications, or parts of the network. This goes hand in hand with the principle of least privilege, and means that if credentials are stolen, the attackers are limited to what access the employee in question holds. As this is based on users, you could isolate privileged user sessions specifically to keep them with an extra layer of protection. Only if an administrator account or one with wide access privilege is stolen, would the business be in real trouble. Example 3: Isolate applications, tiers, users, or data This task is usually done with micro-segmentation, where specific applications, users, data, or any other element of the business is protected from an attack with internal, next-gen firewalls. Risk is reduced in a similar way to the examples above, where the requisite access needed is provided using the principle of least privilege to allow access to only those who need it, and no one else. In some situations, you might need to allow elevated privileges for a short period of time, for example during an emergency. Watch out for privilege creep, where users gain more access over time without any corrective oversight. Conclusion and Next Steps Paved Road, Guardrails and PoLP concepts are all essential for a strong cloud security posture. By adopting these concepts, your organization can move to the next stage of cloud security maturity and create a culture of security-minded responsibility at every level of the enterprise. The Prevasio cloud security platform allows you to apply these concepts across your entire cloud estate while securing your most critical applications. Schedule a demo Related Articles Q1 at AlgoSec: What innovations and milestones defined our start to 2026? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 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 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
- Cut the Clutter with ChatOps & Improve Network Security
Best practices for network security governance in AWS and hybrid network environments Webinars Cut the Clutter with ChatOps & Improve Network Security IT teams’ alerts are overflowing with questions about network status from coworkers. Say no to overwhelming alerts in multiple applications. There is a better way to get critical answers about the state of your network: ChatOps. ChatOps, using your existing chat tools such as Slack or Microsoft Teams, can get the crucial questions answered, and not have to track multiple apps separately. In this webinar, Dania Ben Peretz, Product Manager at AlgoSec, demonstrates the latest in AlgoBot and show how to: Get immediate answers to pressing network traffic questions Get immediate answers about whether your business applications are secure Decrease the time it takes to resolve critical security incidents Empower your business and application teams to drive innovation Ensure that your network and security teams are focusing on the most critical issues Efficiently manage security by transparently collaborating with IT, Security, Network and DevOps teams All while saving time, reducing resources, and cutting the clutter. May 13, 2020 Dania Ben Peretz Product Manager Relevant resources AlgoBot: Your Network Security Policy Management Assistant Watch Video Boosting Network Security with ChatOps Keep Reading A Siri for network security: the benefits of AlgoBot and ChatOps Keep Reading 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 2024 State of Network Security Report Reveals a Shift Towards Multi-Cloud Environments, with a 47% Increase in SD-WAN and 25% Uptick in SASE Adoption
The research found that organizations are prioritizing security, seamless integration, and compliance in hybrid cloud environments with Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, AWS and Microsoft Azure among the leaders The 2024 State of Network Security Report Reveals a Shift Towards Multi-Cloud Environments, with a 47% Increase in SD-WAN and 25% Uptick in SASE Adoption The research found that organizations are prioritizing security, seamless integration, and compliance in hybrid cloud environments with Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, AWS and Microsoft Azure among the leaders June 27, 2024 Speak to one of our experts RIDGEFIELD PARK, NJ, June 27, 2024 – Global cybersecurity leader AlgoSec has released its annual ‘The State of Network Security Report’ providing a broad view of network security in hybrid cloud environments, identifying the most popular strategies adopted by security professionals. The report sheds light on key market trends and highlights the solutions and technologies that are in demand and why, helping organizations to navigate the complexities of modern network security. Based on two comparative surveys conducted in H2 of 2022 and 2023, AlgoSec’s research evaluated market leaders including AWS, Microsoft Azure, Check Point, Palo Alto Networks, Cisco and more, identifying significant shifts in cloud platform adoption, deployment of firewalls and Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN), as well as Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) implementation. Key findings from the report include: ● Security, continuity, and compliance driving cloud platform selection – When selecting a cloud platform, organizations prioritize seamless integration, compliance, and robust security features. While the overall adoption of cloud platforms has grown, the ranking of different vendors has remained relatively stable. Azure continues to be the most widely used platform, closely followed by AWS, which has shown the fastest pace of growth. ● The growing adoption of SD-WAN – The move towards remote working and cloud computing has been the catalyst for the increased deployment of SD-WAN, ensuring secure and reliable connections across multiple locations. That is reflected in the report, with a steep decline in the number of organizations that had no SD-WAN solution from 55.2% in 2022 to 34% in 2023. ● The rise in SASE adoption – With network infrastructures becoming more complex, SASE has become a popular solution for organizations, consolidating multiple security functions into a single, unified, cloud service. The report found the rate of SASE adoption has increased year-on-year, with notable growth of Zscaler implementation from 21.9% in 2022 to 37% in 2023, and Prisma access implementation from 16.2% in 2022 to 22.8% in 2023. ● The increasing importance of firewalls in cloud estates – With more businesses looking to secure corporate resources across complex cloud networks, firewall implementation has increased as a result, providing organizations with the means to safeguard against external threats. The rate of adoption has risen significantly, with only 7.1% of respondents saying they had no firewalls deployed in 2023 - a sharp drop from the 28.4% recorded in 2022. ● The persistence of hybrid networks – Despite the general shift towards cloud adoption, on-premise data centers and device rollouts remain a significant feature of the network landscape. “According to our research there has been greater adoption of cloud-based network security solutions across the board”, said Eran Shiff, VP Product of AlgoSec. “However, there is still progress to be made in the SD-WAN and SASE space. By identifying the key trends and the most popular solutions on the market, we can provide some much-needed clarity into the complex world of network security.” The full report can be accessed here . 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 secure acceleration of 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 the 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 https://www.algosec.com .
- Your path to zero trust and micro segmentation
Your path to zero trust and micro segmentation 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. Executive summary Why zero trust is a strategic imperative Making the case for micro-segmentation Why micro-segmentation can be tricky Cloud micro-segmentation best practices How AlgoSec supports micro-segmentation AlgoSec: The ultimate engine for zero trust and micro-segmentation 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
- AlgoSec | Change automation: A step-by-step guide to network security policy change management
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 Q1 at AlgoSec: What innovations and milestones defined our start to 2026? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 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 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
- AlgoSec | 14 Step Checklist for a Flawless Network Security Audit
14 Step Checklist for a Flawless Network Security Audit If security policies aren’t periodically updated to meet modern threat demands, organizations risk introducing vulnerabilities into their IT security posture. Comprehensive audit reports help security leaders gain in-depth visibility into their organization’s cybersecurity strategy and assess the resilience of its network infrastructure. Network Security Audit Checklist: What Does Your IT Security Audit Need to Cover? Cybersecurity... Cyber Attacks & Incident Response 14 Step Checklist for a Flawless Network Security Audit Tsippi Dach 2 min read Tsippi Dach 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 12/20/23 Published 14 Step Checklist for a Flawless Network Security Audit If security policies aren’t periodically updated to meet modern threat demands, organizations risk introducing vulnerabilities into their IT security posture. Comprehensive audit reports help security leaders gain in-depth visibility into their organization’s cybersecurity strategy and assess the resilience of its network infrastructure . Network Security Audit Checklist: What Does Your IT Security Audit Need to Cover? Cybersecurity audits demand an extensive overview of the organization’s security posture and risk profile. It requires gathering and analyzing network data to identify security vulnerabilities, monitor access controls, and assess potential threats. It also includes an overview of operational security practices, penetration testing results, and incident response playbooks . Ultimately, comprehensive risk assessment data should guide the organization towards improving its security measures and preventing hackers from breaching critical data and assets. A complete network security audit should include provide in-depth visibility into the following: Security controls and their implementation. The availability of network devices and access points. High-impact security risks and their potential consequences. The effectiveness of information security management processes. Performance data on security systems and network assets like firewalls. What Do Network Security Audits Help You Achieve? Conducting in-depth security audits helps security leaders identify data breach risks and develop plans for managing those risks. Audit results play an incredibly important role in preventative risk management and in the remediation of cyberattacks. Organizations that regularly conduct these kinds of assessments are better equipped to address the security weaknesses that might arise when onboarding new users, adding new endpoints to the network, or installing new apps. Network audits and security assessments can also help you achieve other important goals as well, such as: Identifying network performance issues and addressing them to improve overall performance. Unlocking opportunities to leverage network assets and mobile devices more efficiently. Demonstrating compliance with regulatory frameworks like the NIST Cybersecurity Framework 1.1 , ISO 27001 and 27002 , and SOC 2 Type 2 . Present security performance information to core stakeholders to demonstrate the value of security policies and controls. Update system security processes to address new vulnerabilities and potential threats. Recommended Read: 20 Best Network Security Solutions + FAQs How to Perform a Network Security Audit The network audit process involves collecting data, analyzing it to identify potential threats, and using it to compile a formal audit report. Depending on the size and complexity of the organization, this audit may be performed by an individual network analyst, a third-party IT security audit specialist, or an entire team of internal security professionals. These are the steps that make up a typical network audit: 1. Plan for the audit and inform everyone involved The audit process will involve many different types of technical tasks. The specific steps you take will change depending on the complexity of your network and the specialist talent required to assess data security in different IT contexts. You will need to verify authentication protocols, operating system security, password policies, and more. It’s rare for an individual security auditor to have all the technical skills necessary to do this on every app, device, and platform an organization uses. In most cases, you’ll need to work with other employees, third-party service providers, and other stakeholders to obtain the data you need. 2. Document all procedures and processes associated with the audit Recording every process that takes place during the audit is crucial. When preparing your final report, you may want to go back and verify some of the processes that took place to ensure the fidelity and accuracy of your data. If methodological errors creep into your data, they can skew your final report’s findings and end up damaging your ability to secure sensitive data correctly. Documentation is especially important in network security audits because you are looking for systematic flaws in the way user accounts, network assets, and security systems interact with one another. These flaws may not reveal themselves without clear documentation. 3. Review standard operating procedures and how they are managed Protecting sensitive information and critical network assets from security threats takes more than sophisticated technology. It also requires strict adherence to security policies and best practices from human users. Security audits should verify that employees and third-party providers are observing security policies in their operating procedures, and provide evidence attesting to that fact. Reviewing the organization’s procedure management system should provide key insight into whether users are following procedures or not. If they are not, there is a high risk of shadow IT processes leading to phishing attacks and security breaches. This should be reported so that the security team can find ways to remediate these threats. 4. Assess the training logs and operations Human error is behind eight out of ten cyberattacks . All customer-facing employees should be trained to detect phishing and social engineering attacks, and internal staff should know how to prevent malware from infecting the network. Every employee should understand how their role contributes to the security profile of the organization as a whole. Verifying authentication processes, permissions, and password policy is also part of employee training. Every user account should be protected by a consistent policy that follows the latest guidelines for beating brute force and dictionary-based credential attacks. Data encryption policies should keep sensitive login credentials secure even if hackers successfully compromise network assets. 5. Confirm the security patches for network software are up-to-date Start by creating a list of every software application used on the network. This can be a long, time-consuming manual process, but there are automated vulnerability scanning solutions that can help you automate this step. You will have to investigate each item on the list and determine whether new security patches are installed in a reasonably tight time frame. Keep in mind that cybercriminals often exploit security patch releases by scanning for organizations that delay installing new patches. Patch release changelogs essentially broadcast known vulnerabilities directly to hackers, so exploiting late patch installations is a trivial task. 6. Confirm the penetration testing policy and process is sufficient Penetration testing is one of the best ways to identify vulnerabilities on a network. If your organization has invested in pentesting initiatives, you will need to review and confirm its policies as part of the network security audit process. If you haven’t yet invested in pentesting, you may wish to outline a potential path for incorporating it into your security processes here. You may wish to verify the size and scope of your pentesting processes at this point. Assess some of the vulnerabilities you have uncovered and determine whether the organization is investing the appropriate resources into pentesting, or whether other security initiatives should take precedence. 7. Identify gaps and misconfigurations in your firewall policies Your organization’s firewalls play an important role managing traffic between network assets. Firewall rules should not be static. They must be continuously updated to meet the needs of the organization as it changes and grows. These devices can enforce bring your own device (BYOD) mobile policies, prevent distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, and contribute to proper network segmentation. Manually configuring firewall policies can be costly and time-consuming. Consider using an automated change management platform like AlgoSec Horizon Security Analyzer to rapidly identify potential vulnerabilities in your firewall rules. Document any changes you make and include those updates in your report. 8. Ensure all sensitive and confidential data is stored securely Every organization has to store some form of sensitive or confidential data. A major goal of network security audits is making sure this data is kept separate from non-sensitive data and protected by a higher standard of security. This data includes individuals’ names, addresses, phone numbers, financial information, and government ID data. Access to sensitive data should be only allowed when critical for business purposes, and every action involving sensitive data should generate comprehensive logs. The data itself should be encrypted so that even if attackers successfully breach the database, they won’t be able to use the data itself. It may also be worth considering an enterprise data backup solution to provide a failsafe in the event of a disaster. 9. Encrypt the hard disks on any company laptops Portable devices like laptops should not generally hold sensitive data. However, many employees can’t work without processing some amount of sensitive data and storing it on the local hard drive. This is usually less than critical data, but it can still contribute to a cyberattack if it falls into the wrong hands. Encrypting laptop hard disks can help prevent that from happening. If all the data on the device is encrypted, then the organization can avoid triggering a crisis-level security incident every time an employee misplaces or loses a company device. 10. Check the security of your wireless networks Wireless network security is vital for preventing hackers from conducting phishing attacks against employees and on-premises customers. If your organization’s Wi-Fi network is not secured, hackers can spoof the network and trick users into giving up vital information without their knowledge. All modern Wi-Fi equipment supports multiple security protocols. Avoid WEP and WPA – these are old protocols with well-known security vulnerabilities – and make sure your networks are using WPA2. If the organization has equipment that does not support WPA2, you must upgrade the equipment. 11. Scan for and identify any unauthorized access points Your network may have access points that were never set up or approved by the organization. Cybercriminals can use these unauthorized access points to steal data without triggering exfiltration alerts. Additional Wi-Fi frequencies are a common culprit here – your private Wi-Fi network may be configured to use the 2.4 GHz band even though you have equipment that supports 5 GHz frequencies. If someone sets up an access point on the 5 GHz frequency, you can easily overlook it. Data breaches can occur over a wide variety of similar media. USB and Bluetooth-enabled devices have introduced malware into corporate networks in the past. Your security audit should cover as many of these communication channels as possible. 12. Review the event log monitoring process The best way to verify security events is by analyzing the logs generated by network assets as they respond to user interactions. These logs can tell you who accessed sensitive data and report where and when that access took place. Security analysts can connect log data across applications to contextualize security incidents and understand how they took place. The problem is that even a small organization with a simple network can generate an enormous volume of log data every day. Your security audit should investigate the event log monitoring process and look for opportunities to streamline it. You may consider implementing a security information and event management (SIEM) platform or improving your existing one. 13. Compile a comprehensive report Once you’ve gathered all the relevant data and included your insight into the organization’s security posture, you are ready to create your audit report. This report should compile all of your findings into a single well-organized document, with evidence supporting the claims you make and clear recommendations for improving operational security moving forward. Consider creating customized data visualizations to showcase how key performance metrics change over time. The way you choose to communicate data can have a major impact on the way it is received, potentially convincing key stakeholders to implement the changes you suggest. 14. Send the final report to appropriate stakeholders and other key parties. Once you’ve finished your network security audit, you are ready to send it to your organization’s leaders and any other stakeholders who have an interest in your findings. Be prepared to explain your recommendations and justify the methods you used to collect and analyze the organization’s security data. The more confident you are in the accuracy of your findings, the better-equipped you’ll be to present them if called upon. Schedule a demo Related Articles Q1 at AlgoSec: What innovations and milestones defined our start to 2026? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 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 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
- AlgoSec | Firewall has detected a new network
If your firewall shows a notification that it has detected a new network, it means it is doing one of its fundamental jobs properly. But good network security does not stop with just detecting a new network. You will have to analyze the network location, ensure it is authorized to connect with your network, automate this process, and ensure full-on monitoring so that none of the intrusive attempts ever go unnoticed. A good amount of all these tasks can be made more efficient, accurate, and... Firewall Change Management Firewall has detected a new network Tsippi Dach 2 min read Tsippi Dach 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 8/9/23 Published If your firewall shows a notification that it has detected a new network, it means it is doing one of its fundamental jobs properly. But good network security does not stop with just detecting a new network. You will have to analyze the network location, ensure it is authorized to connect with your network, automate this process, and ensure full-on monitoring so that none of the intrusive attempts ever go unnoticed. A good amount of all these tasks can be made more efficient, accurate, and automated with the help of strong network security solutions. What should you do if your firewall has detected an unrecognized network? 1. Analyze the incoming network request If the process is not automated, you might have to check for the incoming network request’s trustworthiness manually. You can check the security certificates associated with the request, check its source, validate with the right information whether this source can be trusted, and then decide whether to allow access. The best way to deal with any new network detection is to automate the authorization by using a strong network security policy that outlines what sources can be trusted, what cannot be trusted, and which decisions require further approval. 2. Analyze your network for any impact In case of an untrusted new network detection and possible intrusion, you should be able to check the impact or effect it has had on your current assets. You should analyze the entire system for performance, feature validation, and asset availability. A quick way to do this would be to use any network visualization product, such as Horizon Security Analyzer . This tool can also assess how your overall home network will be impacted by any possible security policy 3. Reassess your security policies and improve them In the event of any security incident, you will have to isolate your network, mitigate any impact caused by the intrusion and reset the system to a healthy state. And most importantly, you will have to investigate the incident, figure out the root cause, and fix it. This would require updating your security policies, risk management, and local network security settings. Following up on any security incident is highly recommended so that no unauthorized intrusion attempts go unnoticed and are handled appropriately. And like any other seemingly enormous task, this can be automated too. Check out firewall change management tools to help you implement continuous improvement within your network security management, contributing to network protection. How to setup strong firewall protection Here are some security measures and troubleshooting tips you need to employ to strengthen your Microsoft firewall management and network security. 1. Establish a strong network security policy management To implement a strong network security management framework, you must design the security policies, systems, and solutions as per your operating system. A network security policy framework can help you guide and streamline the security design and guide you with the enforcement of the same. As with any process, policy management should also be a continuously evolving framework and must be managed well to facilitate all the relevant tasks. Use intelligent systems like Algosec’s Algobot to help your firewall admins to carry out their tasks efficiently. And if you are looking to automate the security policy management tasks, you can also check out Fireflow . It helps you automate the security policy change process across the many phases of policy management, from planning to implementation and validation. 2. Visualize the network data Network monitoring is critical to enabling t strong firewall While AI-based alerting and monitoring systems could greatly help automate intrusion detection and notification, certain tasks require human supervision and deep analysis of the network logs. This way, you can not only analyze the network for any intrusion attempts (whether it be through malware sent through a web browser, file sharing, router, ethernet network adapter, or wi-fi) but also get to have a good understanding of your traffic and business trends. Horizon AppViz from Algosec is a helpful tool for achieving this functionality. 3. Optimize your firewall configuration Firewall configurations include a broad range of activities that range from designing your firewall solution and choosing the right software/hardware to setting up the firewall rules and management processes. Set these configurations early on with all necessary considerations regarding your environment and applications. This process should also include the overall policy configurations and security rules that define the change process, firewall administration, monitoring, and management operations. Read this resourceful guide to learn more about firewall configuration, its challenges, and guidance on implementation. 4. Ensure cloud compliance Compliance and security go hand in hand in protecting your assets and boosting the overall goodwill and trust associated with your brand. Cloud compliance frameworks provide guidelines and cover most of the pain points of managing cloud security. Staying compliant with these guidelines means that your security is up to date and can be considered on par with the high standards set by these frameworks. 5. Micro-segmentation Micro-segmentation is a domain network security technique that helps you implement flexible security measures for individually segmented data center parts. It is most helpful with protecting your virtual machine implementations as it allows you to deploy specific security measures crafted to fit each virtual machine’s requirements. With security deployed on segmented workloads, your network becomes more resilient to attacks. 6. Perform regular firewall audits To ensure continuous compliance, you must conduct regular audit checks on the status of your firewall settings, policies, and implementations. Gather all the related documents and key information, review your current processes, firewall mechanisms, perform penetration tests, assess the security measures, and optimize as required. Perform a complete risk assessment on your Windows server and fix any issues that might be discovered as part of the audit process. Tips and best practices for enhanced network security 1. Firewall for native cloud applications Make use of cloud-first prioritized firewall solutions to protect your native cloud applications. You need comprehensive visibility on all your cloud assets, ensuring advanced threat detection and protection. This requires a whole set of tools and security applications working together to provide a centralized security system. You will also have to ensure data compliance at all levels as well. You can try to employ native cloud solutions such as the extensive tools provided by Algosec. 2. Use centralized solutions Make use of centralized solutions to manage hybrid and multi-cloud applications so that you have all the important information accessible from a single platform. AlgoSec Cloud from Algosec is an amazing solution to achieve centralized visibility across hybrid and multi-cloud accounts and assets. 3. Follow the best security practices and guidelines Look into the best security practices and guidelines put forth by your cloud vendor and follow them to get the best out of the collective knowledge. You can also use vendor-specific firewall management solutions to help you deal with issues related to specific cloud accounts you might be using. Additionally, having an antivirus like Windows Defender and using a VPN also helps. A good practice to follow in case of uncertainty is to block by default. Any new network or source must be blocked unless specifically permitted by the user. Regarding access privileges, you can follow the principle of least privilege, where users are only granted as many privileges as would be required for their specific roles and responsibilities. Use audit tools for regular auditing and keep improving on any vulnerabilities your firewall may have. To increase the performance of your firewall applications, you can look into how you have set up your firewall rules and optimize them for better performance. Here are some more best practices you can follow when setting up your firewall rules: Document all your rules and firewall configurations across all the devices. Make sure to document every new rule created and keep your documentation up to date. This can help security admins review the rules and optimize them as and when necessary. As mentioned earlier, follow a zero trust policy where you block traffic by default and permit network access only on a need basis. Monitor your firewall logs even when there is no particular security incident to investigate. Regular monitoring and analysis will give you a better understanding of your network traffic and can help you identify suspicious activities early on. Group the firewall rules to boost performance and avoid complications and loopholes. You can hire expert security administrators and security solutions such as Algosec to help review your firewall rules and keep them updated. Firewall management FAQs What can a firewall do? A Windows firewall can be interpreted as similar to a literal wall. It blocks unwanted access to your system and lets you decide whether or not to allow any new network connection or access request. Similar to how a fort works, you only give access to access requests that you trust and block the rest. It is the first defensive setup you can set up for your network security. You can set a list of trusted sources, and the requests from these sources will be given automated access. The rest of the access requests from any other source, be it a third-party network, mobile devices, internet connection, or any other endpoint, can be blocked by your firewall. You can set up firewall rules that dictate which type of requests and sources can be trusted. A firewall can be implemented by using multiple methods. It can be a cloud app, hardware, software, virtualizations, an access-restricted private cloud, and more. A typical firewall ruleset consists of the following specifications: Source address Source port Destination address Destination port Information on whether to block or permit the traffic to the respective address and port criteria. A firewall can be implemented by using multiple methods. It can be a cloud app, hardware, software, virtualizations, an access-restricted private cloud, and more. How does a firewall protect businesses from cyberthreats? The obvious main use of the firewall is to restrict all kinds of unauthorized access, thus protecting your systems from cyberattacks. But it also has several other benefits, such as: Providing data privacy so your work network traffic is guarded from outside public networks. Restricting content access to your private network For instance, educational institutions can block inappropriate sites for their students while in class. Blocking unwanted traffic from ads, spam, and gaming sites. Ensuring data confidentiality and keeping you compliant with security standards. Monitoring all your incoming traffic, helping you analyze your network profile, and helping you gain insights into trending user behavior. Filtering out unwanted traffic and restricting access to certain websites. Providing secure remote access through VPNs and similar remote access mechanisms. What are the most common types of firewalls? Based on the way data is filtered through a firewall, it can be broadly classified into one of the following types: Packet filtering Stateful inspection firewalls Circuit-level gateway firewalls Proxy firewalls Next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) Threat focused NGFWs Virtual firewalls Cloud-native firewalls Schedule a demo Related Articles Q1 at AlgoSec: What innovations and milestones defined our start to 2026? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 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 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
- Improve Cybersecurity with Better Security Policy Change Management
Streamline Network Security Policy Changes, Minimize Errors, and Improve Efficiency with Effective Change Management Processes Improve Cybersecurity with Better Security Policy Change Management 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. Network security policy changes Information systems are not static – and neither is information security Security policy changes must accommodate the organization’s unique IT security life cycle Changing security policies comes with steep challenges Process security policy changes in minutes not days With AlgoSec you can 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 Solution overview See how this customer improved compliance readiness and risk Case study 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
- 비즈니스 속도에 따른 맞춤형 보안 관리 - AlgoSec
비즈니스 속도에 따른 맞춤형 보안 관리 Download PDF Download PDF Add a Title Add a Title Add a Title 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
- AlgoSec | What is a Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP)
Cloud environments are complex and dynamic. Due to the complexity and multifacetedness of cloud technologies, cloud-native applications are challenging to safeguard. As a result, security teams use multiple security solutions, like CWPP and CSPM, to protect applications. The problem with this approach is that handling multiple security tools is laborious, time-consuming, and inefficient. Cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP) is a new cloud security solution that promises to... Cloud Security What is a Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) Ava Chawla 2 min read Ava Chawla 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 Cloud environments are complex and dynamic. Due to the complexity and multifacetedness of cloud technologies, cloud-native applications are challenging to safeguard. As a result, security teams use multiple security solutions, like CWPP and CSPM, to protect applications. The problem with this approach is that handling multiple security tools is laborious, time-consuming, and inefficient. Cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP) is a new cloud security solution that promises to solve this problem. What is CNAPP? A cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP) is an all-in-one tool with the capabilities of different cloud-native security tools. It combines the security features of multiple tools and provides comprehensive protection – from the development and configuration stages to deployment and runtime. Container security is here to stay A CNAPP combines CSPM, CIEM, IAM, CWPP, and more in one tool. It streamlines cloud security monitoring, threat detection, and remediation processes. The all-in-one platform gives organizations better visibility into threats and vulnerabilities. Instead of using multiple tools to receive alerts and formulate a remediation plan, a CNAPP minimizes complexity and enables security teams to monitor and draw insights from a single platform. How Does CNAPP Work and Why is it So Important to Have? This new cloud security approach offers the capabilities of multiple security tools in one software. Some of these security functions include Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM), Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) Scanning, Cloud Workload Protection Platform (CWPP), Cloud Network Security Connectivity (CNSC), and Kubernetes Security Posture Management (CIEM). The all-in-one platform centralizes insights, enabling security professionals to monitor and analyze data from the same space. A CNAPP identifies risks with strong context, provides detailed alerts, and offers automation features to fix vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. A CNAPP is essential because it reduces complexity and minimizes overhead. Given how complex and dynamic the cloud environments are, organizations are faced with enormous security threats. Enterprises deploy applications on multiple private and public clouds leveraging various dynamic, mixed technologies. This makes securing cloud assets significantly challenging. To cope with the complexity, security operations teams rely on multiple cloud security solutions. SecOps use various solutions to protect modern development practices, such as containers, Kubernetes, serverless functions, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure as code (IaC). This approach has been helpful. That said, it’s laborious and inefficient. In addition to not providing a broad view of security risks, dealing with multiple tools negatively impacts accuracy and decreases productivity. Having to correlate data from several platforms leads to errors and delayed responses. A CNAPP takes care of these problems by combining the functionalities of multiple tools in one software. It protects every stage of the cloud application lifecycle, from development to runtime. Leveraging advanced analytics and remediation automation, CNAPPs help organizations address cloud-native risks, harden applications, and institute security best practices. What Problems Does a CNAPP Solve? This new category of cloud application security tool is revolutionizing the cybersecurity landscape. It solves major challenges DevSecOps have been dealing with. That said, a CNAPP helps security teams to solve the following problems. 1. Enhancing Visibility and Quantifying Risks A CNAPP offers a broader visibility of security risks. It leverages multiple security capabilities to enable DevOps and DevSecOps to spot and fix potential security issues throughout the entire application lifecycle. The all-in-one security platform enables teams to keep tabs on all cloud infrastructures ( like apps, APIs, and classified data) and cloud services (like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud). In addition, it provides insights that help security teams to quantify risks and formulate data-driven remediation strategies. 2. Combined Cloud Security Solution A CNAPP eliminates the need to use multiple cloud-native application protection solutions. It provides all the features needed to detect and solve security issues. Scanning, detection, notification, and reporting are consolidated in one software. This reduces human error, shortens response time, and minimizes the cost of operation. 3. Secure Software Development It reinforces security at every stage of the application lifecycle. The tool helps DevOps teams to shift left, thus minimizing the incidence of vulnerabilities or security issues at runtime. 4. Team Collaboration Collaboration is difficult and error-prone when teams are using multiple tools. Data correlation and analysis take more time since team members have more than one tool to deal with. A CNAPP is a game-changer! It has advanced workflows, data correlation, analytics, and remediation features. These functionalities enhance team collaboration and increase productivity. What are CNAPP Features and Capabilities/Key Components of CNAPP? Even though the features and capabilities of CNAPPs differ (based on vendors), there are key components an effective CNAPP should have. That being said, here are the seven key components: Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) A CSPM solution focuses on maintaining proper cloud configuration. It monitors, detects, and fixes misconfigurations & compliance violations. CSPM monitors cloud resources and alerts security teams when a non-compliant resource is identified. Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) Scanning IaC Scanning enables the early detection of errors (misconfigurations) in code. Spotting misconfigurations before deployment helps to avoid vulnerabilities at runtime. This tool is used to carry out some kind of code review. The purpose is to ensure code quality by scanning for vulnerable points, compliance issues, and violations of policies. Cloud Workload Protection Platform (CWPP) Cloud workload protection platform (CSPM) secures cloud workloads, shielding your resources from security threats. CSPM protects various workloads, from virtual machines (VMs) and databases to Kubernetes and containers. A CWPP monitors and provides insights to help security teams prevent security breaches. Cloud Network Security Connectivity (CNSC) Cloud Network Security Connectivity (CNSC) provides complete real-time visibility and access to risks across all your cloud resources and accounts. This cloud security solution allows you to explore the risks, activate security rules, and suppress whole risks or risk triggers, export risk trigger details, access all network rules in the context of their policy sets and create risk reports. Kubernetes Security Posture Management (KSPM) Kubernetes security posture management (KSPM) capability enables organizations to maintain standard security posture by preventing Kubernetes misconfigurations and compliance violations. KSPM solution, similar to Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM), automates Kubernetes security, reinforces compliance, identifies misconfigurations, and monitors Kubernetes clusters to ensure maximum security. Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) A Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) tool is used to administer permissions and access policies. To maintain the integrity of cloud and multi-cloud environments, identities and access privileges must be regulated. This is where CIEM comes in! CIEM solutions, also known as Cloud permissions Management Solutions, help organizations prevent data breaches by enforcing the principle of least privileges. Integration to Software Development Activities This component of CNAPP focuses on integrating cloud-native application protection solutions into the development phase to improve reliability and robustness in the CI/CD pipeline stage. What are the Benefits of CNAPP? Transitioning from using multiple cloud security tools to implementing a CNAPP solution can benefit your company in many ways. Some benefits include: 1. Streamlines Security Operations Managing multiple security tools decreases efficiency and leads to employee burnout. Correlating data from different software is laborious and error-prone. It prolongs response time. A CNAPP streamlines activities by giving security teams broad visibility from a single tool. This makes monitoring and remediation easier than ever – making security teams more efficient and productive. 2. Better Visibility into Risks A CNAPP provides better visibility into security risks associated with your cloud infrastructure. It covers all aspects of cloud-native application protection, providing security teams with the necessary insights to close security gaps, harden applications, and ward off threats. 3. Improves Security With Automation Risk detection and vulnerability management are automated. Automation of security tasks increases reliability, reduces human error, and enables rapid response to threats. It combines automation and advanced analytics to offer organizations accurate insights into risks. 4. Reduces the Number of Bug Fixes A CNAPP prevents vulnerabilities at runtime by detecting threats and errors in the CI/CD pipeline phases. This approach improves DevOps team productivity and decreases the number of bug fixes after deployment. In other words, shifting left ensures the deployment of high-quality code. 5. Reduces Overhead Costs If you want to cut down the cost of operation, consider choosing a CNAPP over CSPM and other standalone cloud security tools. It reduces overhead by eliminating the need to operate and maintain multiple cloud security solutions. AlgoSec CNAPP with Horizon ACE and CloudFlow Cloud environments are increasingly complex and dynamic. Maintaining secure cloud infrastructures has become more challenging than ever. Security teams rely on multiple tools to gain visibility into risks. CNAPPs promise to fix the challenges of using multiple solutions to protect cloud-native applications. Gartner, the first to describe the CNAPP category, encourages organizations to consider emerging CNAPP providers and adopt an all-in-one security approach that takes care of the entire life cycle of applications – covering development and runtime protection. Horizon ACE makes transitioning to a CNAPP a fantastic experience. Horizon ACE takes pride in helping organizations protect their cloud-native applications and other cloud assets. Horizon ACE’s agentless cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP) offers increased risk visibility and enables security teams to reinforce best practices. Contact us to learn how we can help you manage your cloud security. Schedule a demo Related Articles Q1 at AlgoSec: What innovations and milestones defined our start to 2026? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 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 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
- AlgoSec | Managing network connectivity during mergers and acquisitions
Prof. Avishai Wool discusses the complexities of mergers and acquisitions for application management and how organizations can securely... Security Policy Management Managing network connectivity during mergers and acquisitions Prof. Avishai Wool 2 min read Prof. Avishai Wool 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 7/22/21 Published Prof. Avishai Wool discusses the complexities of mergers and acquisitions for application management and how organizations can securely navigate the transition It comes as no surprise that the number of completed Mergers and Acquisitions (M&As) dropped significantly during the early stages of the pandemic as businesses closed ranks and focused on surviving rather than thriving. However, as we start to find some reprieve, many experts forecast that we’ll see an upturn in activity. In fact, by the end of 2020, M&A experienced a sudden surge and finished the year with only a 3% decline on 2019 levels. Acquiring companies is more than just writing a cheque. There are hundreds of things to consider both big and small, from infrastructure to staffing, which can make or break a merger. With that in mind, what do businesses need to do in order to ensure a secure and successful transition? When two worlds collide For many businesses, a merger or acquisition is highly charged. There’s often excitement about new beginnings mixed with trepidation about major business changes, not least when it comes to IT security. Mergers and acquisitions are like two planets colliding, each with their own intricate ecosystem. You have two enterprises running complex IT infrastructures with hundreds if not thousands of applications that don’t just simply integrate together. More often than not they perform replicated functions, which implies that some need to be used in parallel, while others need to be decommissioned and removed. This means amending, altering, and updating thousands of policies to accommodate new connections, applications, servers, and firewalls without creating IT security risks or outages. In essence, from an IT security perspective, a merger or acquisition is a highly complicated project that, if not planned and implemented properly, can have a long-term impact on business operations. Migrating and merging infrastructures One thing a business will need before it can even start the M&A process is an exhaustive inventory of all business applications spanning both businesses. An auto-discovery tool can assist here, collecting data from any application that is active on the network and adding it to a list. This should allow the main business to create a map of network connectivity flows which will form the cornerstone of the migration from an application perspective. Next comes security. A vulnerability assessment should be carried across both enterprise networks to identify any business-critical applications that may be put at risk. This assessment will give the main business the ability to effectively ‘rank’ applications and devices in terms of risk and necessity, allowing for priority lists to be created. This will help SecOps focus their efforts on crucial areas of the business that contain sensitive customer data, for instance. By following these steps you’ll get a clear organizational view of the entire enterprise environment and be able to identify and map all the critical business applications, linking vulnerabilities and cyber risks to specific applications and prioritize remediation actions based on business-driven needs. The power of automation While the steps outlined above will give you with an accurate picture of your IT topology and its business risk, this is only the first half of the story. Now you need to update security policies to support changes to business applications. Automation is critical when it comes to maintaining security during a merger or acquisition. An alarming number of data breaches are due to firewall misconfigurations, often resulting from attempts to change policies manually in a complex network environment. This danger increases with M&A, because the two merging enterprises likely have different firewall setups in place, often mixing traditional with next-generation firewalls or firewalls that come from different vendors. Automation is therefore essential to ensure the firewall change management process is handled effectively and securely with minimal risk of misconfigurations. Achieving true Zero-Touch automation in the network security domain is not an easy task but over time, you can let your automation solution run handsfree as you conduct more changes and gain trust through increasing automation levels step by step. Our Security Management Solution enables IT and security teams to manage and control all their security devices – from cloud controls in public clouds, SDNs, and on-premise firewalls from one single console. With AlgoSec you can automate time-consuming security policy changes and proactively assess risk to ensure continuous compliance. It is our business-driven approach to security policy management that enables organizations to reduce business risk, ensure security and continuous compliance, and drive business agility. Maintaining security throughout the transition A merger or acquisition presents a range of IT challenges but ensuring business applications can continue to run securely throughout the transition is critical. If you take an application centric approach and utilize automation, you will be in the best position for the merger/migration and will ultimately drive long term success. To learn more or speak to one of our security experts, schedule your personal demo . Schedule a demo Related Articles Q1 at AlgoSec: What innovations and milestones defined our start to 2026? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 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 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
- Advanced Cyber Threat and Incident Management | algosec
Security Policy Management with Professor Wool Advanced Cyber Threat and Incident Management Advanced Cyber Threat and Incident Management is a whiteboard-style series of lessons that examine some of the challenges and provide technical tips for helping organizations detect and quickly respond to cyber-attacks while minimizing the impact on the business. Lesson 1 SIEM solutions collect and analyze logs generated by the technology infrastructure, security systems and business applications. The Security Operations Center (SOC) team uses this information to identify and flag suspicious activity for further investigation. In this lesson, Professor Wool explains why it’s important to connect the information collected by the SIEM with other databases that provide information on application connectivity, in order to make informed decisions on the level of risk to the business, and the steps the SOC needs to take to neutralize the attack. How to bring business context into incident response Watch Lesson 2 In this lesson Professor Wool discusses the need for reachability analysis in order to assess the severity of the threat and potential impact of an incident. Professor Wool explains how to use traffic simulations to map connectivity paths to/from compromised servers and to/from the internet. By mapping the potential lateral movement paths of an attacker across the network, the SOC team can, for example, proactively take action to prevent data exfiltration or block incoming communications with Command and Control servers. Bringing reachability analysis into incident response Watch Have a Question for Professor Wool? Ask him now 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







