Empowering Hybrid Workforce With Security-driven Networking For All Edges

### Overview In this presentation, Nirav Shah, Vice President of Product and Solution at Fortinet, addresses the networking and cybersecurity challenges created by the expansion of the hybrid workforce, multi-cloud adoption, and edge computing. As users shift between remote environments and office locations, traditional hub-and-spoke network architectures—which route traffic back through central data centers via VPNs—introduce security gaps and degrade user experience. Shah advocates for Security-driven Networking and the convergence of security and networking through a unified Secure Access Services Edge (SASE) platform to secure all edges without compromising application performance.

### Key Topics - **Hybrid Workforce and Infrastructure Shifts**: The widespread adoption of multi-cloud strategies (over 93% of surveyed customers) and enduring remote work models (IDC reporting over 72% maintaining a hybrid workforce) demand a departure from legacy centralized data center backhauling. - **Limitations of Legacy Architecture**: Routing remote traffic through legacy VPNs into a data center causes latency, poor user experience (reported by over 70% of organizations), and prompts users to bypass corporate controls to access SaaS applications directly. - **Explosion of Edges**: The definition of the network edge has transformed from traditional branches and campuses to home offices, mobile environments, IoT devices, and 5G connectivity, resulting in fragmented point products and operational silos. - **Three Pillars of Security Posture**: Organizations must converge networking and security around three core foundations: Security-driven Networking (incorporating SD-WAN and SD-branch), Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), and Adaptive Cloud Security. - **Convergence via SASE and Platform Approach**: Shifting from disconnected point tools to an integrated cybersecurity mesh platform (such as Fortinet's Security Fabric) delivering cloud-delivered security services alongside organically developed SD-WAN.

### Technical Details - **Threat Landscape and Performance**: Threat actors are executing increasingly sophisticated campaigns (e.g., SolarWinds, deep delivery mechanisms, and command-and-control infrastructures). Shah notes FortiGuard Labs blocks over five million web attacks every minute. Defending against these threats requires purpose-built security processors capable of deep packet and security inspection without creating network bottlenecks. - **Cloud-Delivered SASE and Edge Controls**: SASE consolidates Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW), Secure Web Gateway (SWG), Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), Application Control, Sandboxing, and Data Loss Prevention (DLP) into cloud-delivered security as a service. - **Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)**: ZTNA replaces the broad, implicit network access granted by traditional VPNs with explicit, per-session, application-level verification managed by edge- or cloud-based access proxies. Access decisions factor in user role and context (e.g., preventing an HR employee in Singapore from accessing finance systems without appropriate permissions). - **Thin Edge Deployment and AIOps**: Branch offices can deploy "thin edges" using SD-WAN and 5G connectivity to offload heavy security inspection to the cloud while maintaining local segmentation on the LAN. Artificial Intelligence for Network Operations (AIOps) provides event correlation, predictive analytics, and Digital Experience Monitoring (DEM) to evaluate end-to-end performance.

### Takeaways Shah recommends an actionable timeline for enterprise transformation: 1. **Immediate (Next Week)**: Establish cross-functional teams unifying networking and security personnel to dismantle operational silos. 2. **Months 1–3**: Define a comprehensive SASE strategy with measurable milestones and begin replacing legacy VPN connections with ZTNA access proxies. 3. **12+ Months**: Consolidate branch and remote architectures using unified SD-WAN and cloud-delivered security, maintaining open integrations (such as APIs, cloud connectors, and ITSM tools) to preserve existing infrastructure investments while continuously monitoring end-to-end user experience.