Expanding Network Edges & Device Proliferation

With the advent of COVID-19, an enormous push to hybrid work changed the threat landscape. Many more activities have become remote, and therefore more reliant on and demanding of secure remote network connections. As more organizations expand their hybrid workforce models, the network edge continues to push out and the number of potential entry points for attackers increases. Device proliferation – specifically BYOD – is exacerbating this trend. As of 2021, 67% of employees use personal devices at work, and 59% of organizations have adopted BYOD. 

IoT device proliferation is also broadening the threat surface, adding to the list of endpoints not only in the office, but also in the operating room, the factory floor and the shipping warehouse. There may be some 21.5 billion IoT devices by 2025 – a number that keeps IT security professionals up at night. From security cameras to connected multifunction copiers, IoT devices open the real potential for breaches. 

The Role of Network Access Control

With so many diverse, dispersed devices requesting network access, security teams must be more diligent about setting and enforcing access control policies. To maintain vigilance, security teams need to focus their efforts on network access control (NAC). In a perfect world, this means deploying a NAC that offers cloud RADIUS services, a variety of authentication methods, as well as 24/7 endpoint risk assessment and remediation across all prominent access layers – wired, wireless and VPN. Simple, yet powerful – a NAC that’s easy to use while providing the extensive security coverage needed to confront these challenges head-on is required.