Network segmentation refers to breaking a network into separate parts, usually through subnet partitioning devices that communicate via routers with each other.
Appropriately implemented, network segmentation offers tremendous security advantages. One key benefit is its ability to reduce overall attack surfaces by restricting how far malware spreads once detected in one area.
Improved Security
Network Segmentation provides an additional layer of defense to reduce security risks. By creating firewalls within firewalls and restricting access based on what each user or system needs, network segmentation ensures only those authorized can gain entry to sensitive data. It's an integral component of any defense-in-depth strategy as it limits how much damage an attacker can do even if they gain access through external systems.
To implement Network Segmentation in your firm, identify its most valuable assets and their sensitivity levels. This will enable you to design simple segments for employees without exposing confidential information about your firm.
As part of your overall security measures, it is also crucial that you consider how each employee performs their job so you can determine the system and file access they require to complete it successfully. Once determined, access can be limited according to what each person needs to fulfill their role within your company and thus prevent accidental or intentional breaches by untrusted sources.
Network segmentation enhances internal security and boosts performance by isolating traffic and mitigating localized issues. For instance, an app hogging all of your bandwidth can be placed into its segment to prevent other apps from slowing down or crashing due to being given priority over others.
Compliance is simplified when sensitive health data is placed into its network segment for easy monitoring by authorized personnel only. Furthermore, compliance policies can be more effectively applied through more targeted approaches.
Network Segmentation can bring numerous security and performance improvements for an organization; its benefits more than justify its implementation and ongoing expenses. However, to ensure it goes smoothly, you must enlist expert knowledge for its successful execution and reap its rewards as soon as possible.
Faster Network Performance
Network segmentation creates multiple separate networks within one large one to enhance security by restricting outside access and keeping devices local to their subnet, making it harder for attackers to move laterally across it. Not only does network segmentation enhance internal performance, but it also helps prevent costly breaches as well as comply with regulations.
Network administrators also find it easier to address security issues once they have occurred, instead of dealing with the fallout of breaches themselves, by restricting traffic to affected areas and fixing them as quickly as possible. This reduces risks such as damaged data, compliance issues, and brand reputation damage.
Network segmentation offers another advantage - managing network congestion. When network traffic becomes too intense, operations become too slow, and user experience suffers significantly. By segmenting their networks into separate areas, administrators can set policies specific to each segment to increase quality-of-service for applications, devices, or use cases.
Network segmentation can also reduce regulatory compliance audits and costly security upgrades by isolating payment processing systems from those unrelated to payments, thus helping organizations reduce compliance-related expenses.
One practical approach to network segmentation involves using hardware devices, such as switches and routers, to partition an expansive network into several subnetworks. However, this requires extensive knowledge of the network infrastructure so that each segment can be created without creating vulnerabilities or providing workarounds to bypass security controls.
Micro-segmentation technology offers an effective alternative to network segmentation by inspecting and controlling traffic at Layer 7, providing protection from advanced threats that cannot be blocked with traditional firewall solutions. Micro segmentation can be implemented across physical and virtual networks to achieve similar benefits to network segmentation yet at an even finer granularity level. For more information, download our whitepaper "How to Protect Your Business with Network Segmentation."
Increased Internal Security
Network segmentation enhances internal security by restricting hackers once they breach the perimeter. Furthermore, it enables organizations to enforce a policy of least privilege allowing only the systems and files necessary for a job to access systems and files employees need for tasks at hand. Network segmentation also plays an integral part in keeping malware from spreading throughout a network unknowingly - for instance, if one computer infected by viruses’ infiltrates connected infusion pumps, the virus could spread to patients; with network segmentation, a firewall would block its progress before ever reaching such systems - saving patients their future pain!
Additionally, network segmentation can reduce the risk of confidential corporate data falling into the wrong hands by creating guest networks; employees logging in using guest credentials will only gain Internet access without accessing files or communication systems for your organization.
Network segmentation also makes it easier for administrators to monitor and assess all subnetworks' performances, helping to ensure the architecture is secure and identify any gaps that need addressing. This is particularly important given that cybersecurity threats evolve quickly; openings could open a gateway for attackers.
Implementing network segmentation successfully takes planning and knowledge of your company's IT infrastructure to be effective. For example, to establish the necessary segments, you must determine who needs access to each system and data to create them and understand how the segments will interconnect. Without an in-depth knowledge of your IT infrastructure, it can lead to under or over-segmented networks; under-segmented networks have fewer protections in place that make them vulnerable to attack, while over-segmented networks often have frequent blocks as users wait for permissions reducing productivity and ultimately increase user productivity.
Segmenting networks also provides another significant benefit regarding regulatory compliance costs: by restricting the systems under its purview, network segmentation helps lower compliance expenses by limiting audit processes and requirements to those within its in-scope network. Separating payment processing systems makes compliance with industry regulations simpler.
Less Congestion
Maintaining network traffic within its specified zone helps limit congestion, improving performance for end users and decreasing time to fix problems. It also ensures that one activity will not affect another -- for instance, guests using guest Wi-Fi won't slow down credit card transactions.
Segmenting networks makes it easier for IT teams to implement finer policies, improve monitoring and performance enhancements, and localize technical issues more quickly. Furthermore, it helps organizations comply with regulations like PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard).
As well as increasing internal security, an effective segmentation strategy can boost employee productivity by simplifying data access for employees to do their jobs more efficiently. When networks are under or over-segmented, threats can quickly move between endpoints to gain control of the whole system - potentially disrupting operations or compromising confidential information.
Network segmentation can be done physically or logically. Physical segmentation entails breaking the network down into multiple smaller sections with firewalls serving as subnet gateways to regulate which traffic comes and goes out; on the other hand, logical segmentation uses software or networking hardware to create separate logical networks without wiring changes; it is often more flexible and affordable than its physical counterpart.
Using logical segmentation, IT teams can manage traffic flow among different network parts using rules defining the destination, traffic type, and more. They may even create policies to block specific sections from communicating depending on an organization's requirements in achieving its business goals.
FAQ section
A: There are some of the major benefits which are possible through network segmentation include slowing down attackers, increasing data security, reducing damage from successful attacks, and implementation of policy for the least privileged network.
A: By network segmentation, we can split the network into smaller subnetworks, which helps reduce the impact of infections, blocking the lateral movement of attackers to gain a bigger impact and reduce the rate of spread. It also adds extra time for the security team to contain the virus before the malware spreads further.
A: Besides reducing the attacker's spread rate of malware through network segmentation. It also improves performance by reducing the congestion of traffic with the help of specific segments.
A: Through network segmentation, we can help reduce network congestion and improve security for both single and big network trunks.