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Contrast Between Netskope and Traditional Security Solutions

Introduction

Due to the rapidly transforming digital landscape and the implementation of cloud services, it begs the question of just how effective our traditional security solutions, which were built around safeguarding us within organizational perimeters, will still remain relevant. Businesses understand that although licensed traditional firewalls, servers, and routers might be rented and still used well, more innovative cybersecurity tools are explored. And one of these revolutionary players is Netskope. This blog specifically takes you through the Netskope cloud security model by drawing a comparison with traditional tools to understand how different or better it can be.

Traditional Security Solutions

In IT security infrastructures, traditional security solutions have long been the staple. These include:

Firewalls

Used as a protective measure against unauthorized access by creating a border between the untrusted environment and the trusted network.

Servers

The backbone of any IT environment – not only in terms of computing power but also those hosting your security solutions.

Routers

Used to route data packets across networks and also have security functions that protect them against threats.

Traditional Approaches Benefits

• Experience: Proven over decades.
• Control: Organizations can control where their hardware is and what configurations it has.
• Customizability: It can be configured to fit the needs of a particular organization.

But traditional solutions are challenged as businesses move to the cloud. While the service is perimeter-focused, it can be difficult since cloud environments know no boundaries. Meaning that for those looking to monitor a SaaS app within these tools, you need traditional log data on traffic from every network and node connection in order to have full visibility into risky application usage, user behavior anomalies across both apps like Office 365 as well as unnamed or unsanctioned cloud applications integrated with other best-of-breed services. Clearly some way off reinforcement!

Netskope’s Approach

Netskope propels cybersecurity into the cloud age. The full suite of security services provided by Netskope Security Cloud is applicable to securing cloud and web traffic.

Core Features

• Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB): Enables visibility and data protection while allowing you to rapidly extend the controls of your security services.
• Secure Web Gateway (SWG): Secures users from web-based threats by determining what internet protocols the user has access to.
• Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW): Provides a multi-layered approach to threat protection, regardless of where the data is located and fully complies with enterprise security policies.
• Data Loss Prevention (DLP): Protects against data loss in different environments, where the data should be protected.

Key Differences

Finally, Netskope’s approach differs from traditional security solutions in several ways:

1. Perimeter vs Cloud-focused

• Traditional Solutions: Defend a static perimeter
• Netskope: Borderless support for cloud environments

2. Visibility and Control

• Traditional: Knowing about cloud services.
• Netskope: Provides good control over data and user behavior available through granular visibility of cloud activities (including web).

3. Scalability

• Traditional: Scaling often involves large amounts of capital being invested in hardware.
• Netskope: Since it is the cloud, you can scale very easily to keep up with more demand.

4. Threat Detection

• Traditional: Very reliant on signature-based detection.
• Netskope: Employs machine learning and advanced behavioral analytics to identify real-time threats.

5. Data Protection

• Traditional: Guards data almost entirely within enterprise walls.
• Netskope: Controls and protects data in cloud services and remote environments.

Advantages of Netskope

Netskope’s cloud-native security model provides a number of benefits to businesses:

1. Robust and Comprehensive Cloud Security

Netskope provides a consolidated security platform, ensuring all digital spaces and sanctioned/unsanctioned cloud apps are protected.

2. Real-Time Threat Protection

The behavioral analytics and machine learning model behind Netskope are extremely advanced, providing real-time threat detection and data protection that signatures simply were not designed to withstand.

3. Increased Visibility & Control

The architecture of Netskope provides much better visibility into activities in the cloud, enables you to enforce policies more detailed, and detect anomalies at a greater level.

4. Cost-Efficiency

Conventional security solutions tend to be cost-intensive, including capital related to physical hardware and maintenance/upgrades. Netskope, on the other hand, has a cloud-focused solution that provides more economical models and fewer investments in hardware.

5. Seamless Integration

Integrating within the existing security framework is a common concern. Netskope is versatile and does not disrupt business operations.

6. Rapid Deployment

Netskope provides rapid deployment across entire organizations when compared to the time taken in setting up and configuring security hardware.

7. Adaptable Policies

With Netskope, policies can be precisely adjusted to stay in sync with changing business requirements while maintaining protection that moves at the speed of threats.

Conclusion

Traditional security solutions are proving to be inadequate as businesses continue their journey of adopting cloud environments. While renting boxes that act as firewalls, servers, and routers are a necessity to provide core security measures from established vendors, more advanced agile cloud-native solutions such as Netskope have merits for future-oriented customers.

Netskope’s patented Cloud XD technology eradicates blind spots by going deeper than any other security provider to quickly target and control activities across thousands of cloud services and millions of websites. These features make it a critical solution for modern organizations aiming to safeguard their digital transformation journey.

The decision to go with Netskope or traditional security solutions is not just a technological choice but also a strategic one. By following a cloud-native strategy like Netskope, businesses can ensure that whatever transformation they undergo in the changing business landscape will be supported by available security information.