The Shift to NetOps

Back in ’93, when I kicked off as a network admin, things were different – much slower, and infinitely more manual (I exaggerate, but you get the idea.) Quite frankly a pain in the posterior, in the early days. We were hacking multiplexers to shove voice and data down PSTN lines, which seems so quaint now, but was leading edge back then. Flash forward a couple of decades and your looking into a modern network with all sorts of SD-WAN and cloud integration and a threat landscape that turns the slammer worm into a toddler with lego blocks.

And get this — those standard network ops won’t work, anymore. If you are still applying patches and configuring devices by hand, you could already be behind. Enter NetOps (Network Operations) — with a twist. Secure network operations not just network management. Put simply, NetOps is the progression of network management with security and automation thrown on top like a high-powered engine on a hot rod.

Security-Driven Networking

This is thus the deal with security and networking—at some point it can’t be two different teams of strangers waving at each other across the office. When I recently assisted three banks do the transition to zero-trust architecture, it became evident how security and network operations must be closely aligned. They must move in lockstep. The Fortinet approach gets this exactly right by baking security deep into the network fabric.

Secure NetOps isn’t just marketing buzzwords:

• Includes real-time threat intelligence
•  Uses Fortinet SD-WAN to secure traffic
• Implementing the same policy on all edges and endpoints

The last time I encountered a solution boasting that it was AI-powered I was a little dubious. Don’t get me wrong, automation is wonderful, but blindly trusting AI without any understanding in its limitation? That’s a recipe for disaster. Fortinet sidesteps this pitfall by zeroing in on pragmatic, automated workflows created by and for human beings.

Automating Network Operations

Automation saves your sanity. Seriously, without it, you’re grounded like I was back in the day, playing whack‐a‐mole against fire after fire — remember the Slammer worm? Those nights were brutal. Since that time, I’ve come to understand that the opportunity to automate arduous tasks and bake security controls into those functions is a game changer.

The proof is in the pudding, and Fortinet’s NetOps platform delivers:

• Configures changes across devices are automated
• Watches security events in real time
• Unifies visibility between performance and threats

Automating these tasks means you are less likely to have the human touch problems—all those things people inadvertently screw up. And you free up your team to think strategically rather than putting out daily fires.

Quick Take:

• Automation = fewer mistakes
• Security built in, not bolted on
• Visibility that has a purpose and not overpowering

PJ Networks Fortinet NetOps Services

We have used Fortinet NetOps at PJ Networks for a group of clients across the board. Most recently, those three banks I told you about. What they desired was to seamlessly manage secure network automation without putting up with the eternal pains in their basements to juggle across tools.

Our approach:

• Implement Fortinet SD-WAN to improve network performance and security
•  Add threat intelligence to network policies
• Enable automated incident response workflows

The result? These banks today operate more smoothly, they experience less downtime, and most critically they have a network that responds and fights back against threats. Don’t get me wrong, no system is perfect, but this is as close as you can get without converting your entire team into a 24/7 security detail.

Oh yeah, and also, just back from DefCon, still reeling from the hardware hacking village. It is a reminder that as important as software and the automation are, physical security and network resilience work together as one.

So if you’re asking whether Fortinet NetOps can improve your network, here’s my two cents: Absolutely yes. But please know this is not a magic bullet. Would you like to know the secret of having a beautiful garden that once you have planted it will basically maintain itself? It involves careful selection, custom fit and knowing your own environment.

Conclusion

And, to conclude, here’s what I know from more than two decades of networking and cybersecurity experience: Secure network operations are now essential. They’re essential. The Fortinet NetOps platform neatly balances enabling automation while also ensuring you are able to provide rock solid security for your network.

And trust me, not after those long nights with Slammer, watching networks writhe and raise the dead, because my friend, I wouldn’t advise anything less. Oh, and if you’re still mired in the idea that security and networking are separate disciplines, it’s time to re-evaluate your playbook.

Why? Because a network without security automation is akin to a car with a powerful engine and no breaks — it’s just a matter of time before something very bad happens.

So have that fourth cup of joe. I’ll help you get your network purring like a kitten. That’s what we do at PJ Networks — defend your digital highways with Fortinet NetOps.

Stay safe out there.

Sanjay Seth
Cyber Security Consultant & Founder, P J Networks Pvt Ltd