Security professionals turn to security life cycle management tools to manage increased network complexity

Corporate networks are more complex than ever - new technologies and devices are constantly being introduced into the network, initiatives such as outsourcing or cloud computing require new strategies and adjustments, and the myriad compliance requirements require proper documentation and ongoing auditing. As a result, creating and deploying effective network policies, and monitoring and managing these, is becoming increasingly difficult for the security practitioner.

At a recent business seminar, hosted by Blue Turtle Technologies and Tufin, the companies provided guests with a view on how to better manage the security of complex and dynamic networks using security life cycle management solutions.

“Network security is no longer as simple as plugging in a series of appliances into your corporate network and leaving them to do the work, particularly with the growing number of devices, applications, and systems being added to networks that could leave them with vulnerabilities,” says Russell Young, IT Security Engineer at Blue Turtle Technologies.

“Securing the network is a continuous and highly dynamic process. It involves the formulation and implementation of corporate policies, management of change requests and the ability to demonstrate compliance with a wide set of corporate and regulatory requirements. The reality is that security professionals need to be able to monitor and manage all disparate network security devices and applications with a single network security life cycle system.”

The most effectively managed network security framework is one that is based on a life cycle approach that covers all stages of policy change management. It adds that this must cover the entire life cycle from submission of change requests, to risk analysis, through to implementation and auditing. The first step of such a solution should be the ability to track all changes in firewall configurations.

It is with this that companies turn to Tufin to assist in the deployment of security life cycle management solutions that enable them to cost-effectively manage their network security policies, comply with regulatory standards, and minimise risks.

“The costs of managing your firewalls can be crippling if not kept in check, it is with this that we advise our customers to deploy an all-inclusive security solution that allows them to implement, manage and audit security policy faster, easier, and with more accuracy. The Tufin solutions not only facilitate this but they also ensure that from the very first security audit you will experience dramatic reductions in the cost of firewall operations,” adds Young.

The Tufin offerings include:

SecureTrack - Firewall Operations Management

Tufin SecureTrack is the most comprehensive solution available for managing and auditing firewalls, routers and switches. With support for all major firewall vendors, SecureTrack provides a cohesive, unified view of all of firewalls along with many other network devices. SecureTrack is essential to ensuring that a corporate security policy is being implemented consistently in an environment with multiple rule bases, geographies, and teams.

SecureChange Workflow - Security Change Automation

Tufin SecureChange Workflow is a unique solution that automates the entire life cycle of a policy change request from submission through design, risk analysis, approval, implementation and auditing. SecureChange Workflow complements existing ticketing systems and makes them "security aware" - so you can proactively enforce security policy, manage risk, and comply with standards.

“As a gold partner of Tufin's we are qualified to design, implement, support and maintain all of the Tufin security solutions, dependent on a specific client needs,” states Young. “In our experience the Tufin technology solutions have enabled our customers to gain dramatic operational efficiencies and cut the time they spend managing their firewalls in half.”

As business networks grows and change, so does the threat of network vulnerabilities. Not to mention the growing enterprise burden on security staff to comply with industry and government regulations and compliance issues. Tufin currently works with more than 500 customers from telecoms, financial services to energy, transportation and pharmaceuticals industries to name a few.

“Our solutions are used by companies in top industries around the world. While they all have very unique and specific security needs, they share the same goal - to maintain a strong network security and compliance posture while managing an increasingly complex network environment. Our open, vendor agnostic architecture and strong partnerships with industry experts such as Blue Turtle enables us to provide a gold standard for technological innovation and dedicated customer service,” ends Mark Wellins, Vice-President of Technical Services.