5G-enabled edges require the network, security to converge

DIGITAL innovation, work-fromhome, the Internet of Things, and other macro-trends have forced nearly every organization to redesign their networks to provide better business outcomes and user experiences.

The so-called network perimeter, which was once a narrow point of access at the edge of the network, now extends across the entire IT infrastructure — from home offices, branch offices, and enterprise data centers to multiple public clouds well beyond the traditional trusted zone. This fracturing and extension of the perimeter have introduced new requirements across all of the edges with 5G that make up the new network — the LAN, WAN, and cloud.

“Networking and Security must converge to keep up with the changing pace of today’s digital transformation of interconnected environments. It helps ensure that threat detection and prevention can continue to span the evolving network and respond at network speeds,” said Louie Castaneda, country manager of Fortinet Philippines.

We are at the cusp of a new generation of accelerated digital innovation. Billions of new, high-performance devices will create new edge networks and platforms, many of them ad hoc and temporary. We will see new immersive applications, such as VR and AR-based communications, rich streaming media, and interactive tools that create collaborative experiences that will soon become business-critical.

These solutions will tie multiple services together in new ways, enabling intelligent systems such as smart transportation, smart building and cities, and smart infrastructures. Protecting these environments will require the convergence of networking and security to ensure data and devices’ integrity across their extended and expanding environments and to do so at the accelerating speeds evolving systems will demand.