Akamai Technologies has introduced the Akamai Guardicore Platform, a security solution merging Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and micro-segmentation. This innovative platform offers businesses improved security measures against ransomware, facilitates compliance adherence, and fortifies security for both hybrid work environments and hybrid cloud setups.
The groundbreaking platform provides Zero Trust capabilities through a comprehensive integration of micro-segmentation, ZTNA, multi-factor authentication, DNS firewall, and threat hunting. Notably, the micro-segmentation component of the platform is undergoing enhancements focused on optimizing workflows and bolstering security measures. These improvements include multi-factor segmentation, which incorporates authentication verifications within micro-segmentation rules, facilitating rapid implementation of researched and best practice policies. Additionally, worksite integration enables scoped delegation, further refining security protocols.
Leveraging AI technology, the Akamai Guardicore Platform aims to streamline user experience, vulnerability assessments, compliance, and incident response. A notable highlight is its AI assistant, enabling security professionals to pose inquiries in their network's natural language rather than manually sifting through logs. This notably accelerates tasks such as compliance scoping and incident response. Furthermore, AI simplifies the historically arduous and time-consuming process of network labeling by analyzing asset behavior and suggesting labels, complete with confidence scores and explanations for their selection.
Across APJ (Asia Pacific and Japan), many security teams face the mounting challenge of deploying sophisticated solutions such as ZTNA and micro-segmentation with a lack of expertise and knowledge on these subjects. "Many security teams are facing challenges in deploying advanced solutions like ZTNA and microsegmentation because of the scarcity of expertise and knowledge around such solutions. As they navigate this challenge, there’s a growing imperative for solutions like these to be much more streamlined and integrated, offering the key to bolster protection with greater ease and efficiency,” said Reuben Koh, Director of Security Technology & Strategy, APJ, Akamai Technologies.
The Akamai Guardicore Platform enables the implementation of Zero Trust through a unified agent, console, and vendor. It provides comprehensive visibility, allowing administrators to monitor all assets, users, and their interactions and permissions. Importantly, it offers modular flexibility, empowering businesses to selectively adopt the modules they require while maintaining readiness to integrate additional capabilities as needed.
This new platform serves as a rejection of older, perimeter-based security solutions such as traditional network firewalls and VPNs, with Pavel Gurvich, Senior Vice President and general manager, Enterprise Security at Akamai, explaining that “Security teams are under more pressure than ever as they face ransomware threats and manage stringent compliance standards, all while trying to consolidate vendors and manage budgets”. He added, “As organizations are adopting Zero Trust, they are looking for simplified experiences that offer broad visibility and granular controls for all assets and access policies. Security professionals can deploy the Akamai Guardicore Platform as a single console to consolidate agents and implement Zero Trust principles across varied infrastructures".