Your universe keeps expanding — so should your network security.

Secure the branch with Cisco.

Let’s talk branch.

IT staff is typically not on-premises at the branch. Enterprises struggle to manage more nontraditional users and connected devices across disparate locations, while the risk of exposure to critical business resources rises. At the same time, application usage via multiple clouds is quickly increasing, challenging the existing network architecture. IT staff is under pressure to reduce costs and improve security measures, application performance, and availability — all while managing the explosive growth of data, IoT, and cloud-first initiatives. With advanced intelligence, and ease of integration with your existing environment, there’s only one secure internet gateway that you can build your entire business on — Cisco Umbrella.

Users

Includes enterprise employees, guests, and contractors

 

80%

located in branch offices

Source: Gartner

Connected Devices

Includes end-user devices, loT, BYOD, and on-site services

 

6.2B

have wireless connectivity

Source: IHS Markit, “IOT Trend Watch 2017”, 2017

Application Usage

Includes on-network to migrating to multiple clouds

 

70%

using cloud office by 2021

Source: Gartner, “Market Guide for Cloud Office Migration Tools”, Gavin Tay, Adam Preset, Joe Mariano, 11 December 2017

Bye-bye, backhauling.

The wide area network (WAN) was built to enable branch offices and roaming users to access IT resources within the customer’s headquarters and private data centers. As networks become more decentralized and users connect directly to SaaS applications, backhauling all traffic to apply security policy becomes inefficient for the network. Backhauling internet-bound traffic is expensive and lacks high-speed performance required for cloud apps, resulting in a poor user experience.

Complexity

Non-automated and error-prone operations with IT skills shortage

Cost

Underutilized, rigid WAN links with increasing bandwidth demands

Disruptions

Slow decisions due to lack of security, as well as business and IT insights

Delays

Slow to enable new connectivity as well as inconsistent app performance

Hello, direct internet access; hello, risk.

According to Gartner, more than 60% of enterprises will have deployed direct internet access (DIA) by 2020. IT decision-makers realize they can accelerate growth, significantly decrease telecom costs, and improve network performance by allowing their branch offices and remote employees to go direct-to-internet and use multi-cloud applications. As full or partial DIA increases, so do the risks. Organizations need to defend their branches against malware infections, command and control callbacks, phishing attacks and unacceptable use, as well as unauthorized access and denial-of-service attacks.

Source: Gartner, “How to Balance Performance and Security When Connecting Branch Offices to the Public Cloud”, Bjarne Munch, Lawrence Orans, 17 October 2016

Did you know?

30%

of advanced threats will specifically target branch offices as an entry point
Source: Gartner

40-60%

of enterprise data traffic is migrating from private WANs to the Internet
Source: IDC

50%

of data will be outside the physical control of enterprise IT by 2021
Source: Gartner

The need for a secure cloud edge.

The WAN fabric provides paths connecting all the edges: the data center, cloud, and branch. The focus used to be on securing the data center edge — that’s where the traditional security stack was built. Gartner’s Tom Bittman defines the edge as “the point where people and devices/things connect to the network."

Users and connected devices that were once managed by the organization are now outside of their control, leading to gaps in visibility and coverage.

As more branch office locations connect directly to the internet, it is important to have a secure cloud edge, to sit and protect in front of the internet, software as a service (SaaS) apps, and infrastructure as a service (IaaS), or public cloud data center. By providing a secure cloud edge, organizations can reduce the risk of data exfiltration, and block malware over all ports and protocols with no added latency.

Secure cloud edge starts with DNS-layer enforcement.

Cisco Umbrella, a secure internet gateway, provides effective protection against malware, phishing, command and control, and unacceptable requests by blocking bad content or proxying risky domain connections using an intelligent proxy for deeper inspection.

With Umbrella you can mitigate remediation costs and breach damage, reduce the time to detect and contain threats, and increase visibility into internet activity and cloud apps across all locations and users.

Protect branch users and devices.

Cisco protects branch users, connected devices, and application usage at tens to thousands of DIA breakouts. Backed by Cisco Talos security intelligence, Cisco’s cloud-delivered and intent-based networking constantly learns, adapts, and protects to not only see where attacks are staged, but to deliver the shortest threat detection time in the industry. With simplified cloud management Cisco mitigates both external and internal security risks to the branch, improving network agility and business continuity.

Secure your cloud edge.

Gain web and DNS-layer protection for users at direct internet access locations 

Intelligence to uncover threats earlier

Gain visibility and control into shadow IT with Application discovery and blocking

Broadest coverage of malicious destinations and files

Most open, simplest cloud security platform

Visibility and protection on and off network

Your first line of defense against threats

Secure the branch with Cisco.

See how you can gain better performance and more effective security for your branch offices. 

Cisco Umbrella provides the first line of defense against threats on the internet wherever users go. And with the Cisco SD-WAN and Umbrella integration, you can deploy Umbrella across your network to hundreds of devices in minutes and instantly gain web and DNS-layer protection against threats such as malware, ransomware, and C2 callbacks.

Gain visibility and protection for all activity at the branch, or anywhere. It's the fastest way to secure users and connected devices.

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