Cyber

Networks in this ‘new normal’

by Mark Rowe

As businesses move applications to multi-clouds, investment in the cloud is outpacing on-premises infrastructure spend. Many businesses are choosing to continue to ‘sweat’ network assets; hence, an increase in obsolete and unpatched network devices containing software vulnerabilities. That’s introducing risk, and exposure to information security threats, according to an IT firm.

A report by NTT, which is based on data from technology assessments conducted on more than 1,000 clients covering over 800,000 network devices, found 45.6pc of organisations’ network assets in Europe were ageing or obsolete, as a weighted average, representing a surge on 2017, when this figure was 12pc. The firm suggests that the COVID-19 outbreak and surge in bandwidth consumption is putting strain on the network, compounding challenges, and, ultimately, creating a perfect storm. With an increase in remote working, remote access and consumption of voice and video services, network and security infrastructure are under pressure, the firm says.

Rob Lopez, Executive Vice President, Intelligent Infrastructure at NTT Ltd, says: “In this ‘new normal’ many businesses will need, if not be forced, to review their network and security architecture strategies, operating and support models to better manage operational risk. We expect to see strategy shift from a focus on business continuity to preparation for the future as lockdown begins to ease. Network infrastructure needs to be appropriately architected and managed to deal with unplanned surges, which will require a relook at cloud and on-premises infrastructure to reduce the impact and frequency of business-critical outages.”

Obsolete devices have, on average, twice as many vulnerabilities per device (42.2) when compared with ageing (26.8) and current ones (19.4), creating unnecessary risk. This risk is exacerbated further when businesses do not patch a device or revisit the operating system version over its lifetime. And although patching is relatively simple, and often free under a maintenance agreement or extended warranty, many businesses still don’t patch their devices, according to the report.

In the ‘new normal,’ the pandemic will introduce permanent changes to the way businesses operate, including the firm suggests ‘smart workspaces’ that accommodate social distancing within their physical offices, while many companies will continue to embrace remote working. Meanwhile, with the adoption of new wireless infrastructure on the rise – an increase of 13pc year-on-year globally – and the rise of open office and co-working spaces, a novel approach to all network architecture will be needed.

As part of digital transformation strategies, leading organisations are already using networks to enable new business models (e.g. the Internet of Things) or optimise existing operating models (e.g. asset tracking). Or, the report says, businesses may be investing in technologies such as robotic process automation (RPA), as part of their digital transformation.

Rob Lopez adds: “The network is the platform for business digital transformation. It needs to be ubiquitous, flexible, robust and secure to adapt easily to business change, while increasing the maturity of the operational support environment. Businesses that use a high-level of network automation and intelligence to optimise operations will gain a significant competitive advantage and realise the benefits of the cloud economy, securely.”

Visit www.hello.global.ntt.

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