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Enterprise Cybersecurity Assessments

Posted on by Bluewave

The astronomical figures associated with cybercrime costs are more than just numbers; they represent a growing menace that threatens the very fabric of our digital existence. As businesses and individuals continue to rely on technology for everyday activities, cybercriminals are evolving their tactics and strategies to exploit vulnerabilities in more sophisticated ways.

The estimated global cost of cybercrime is projected to soar by 15% annually, ultimately reaching a staggering $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. This explosive growth in cybercrime underscores the urgent need for reliable and robust cybersecurity solutions.

What is a Cybersecurity Risk Assessment?

A cybersecurity assessment evaluates the efficacy of your organization’s cybersecurity measures in addressing vulnerabilities. Unlike a cybersecurity audit that follows a checklist, risk assessments should be conducted with consideration for your organization’s business goals. This approach provides a broad overview of the weaknesses in your network, enabling security teams to implement appropriate controls to mitigate risks.

To ensure your organization is adequately equipped to combat various security threats, it is essential to conduct a thorough cybersecurity evaluation. The Bluewave Cybersecurity Assessment serves the purpose of detecting weaknesses, addressing security gaps, and ensuring you maintain compliance. It also enables key stakeholders and executives to stay informed about your organization’s cybersecurity status, which can facilitate better decision-making regarding the integration of security measures into daily operations.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

  • The human element is the most common threat vector; it was the root cause of 82% of data breaches, according to Verizon’s “2022 Data Breach Investigations Report”
  • The cost of cybercrime is predicted to hit $8 trillion in 2023 and will grow to $10.5 trillion by 2025, according to Cybersecurity Ventures’ “2022 Official Cybercrime Report”
  • The cost of data breaches will rise from $3 trillion each year to more than $5 trillion in 2024, according to the “State of Cybersecurity Resilience 2021” report from Accenture
  • It takes an average of 277 days for security teams to identify and contain a data breach, according to “Cost of a Data Breach 2022”, a report released by IBM and Ponemon Institute
  • According to the IBM/Ponemon Institute report, breaches in the healthcare industry were the costliest at $10.10 million on average. Breaches in the U.S. were the most expensive at $9.44 million

It’s never been more important to protect your business using the best cybersecurity solutions available. What you might not realize is how much cybersecurity can help you save in the long run, especially as cyberattacks become more prevalent and sophisticated.

Key Components of a Cybersecurity Risk Assessment

  • Vulnerability & Gap Assessments
  • NIST & CIS Alignments
  • Compliance Assessments and Attestations
  • Threat Reconnaissance
  • Tabletop Exercises
  • Vendor Management Risk Assessment
  • Cyber Risk Report
  • Cyber Defense Matrix Plan
  • Cybersecurity Investment Strategy

See How Bluewave Accelerated Cybersecurity Practices for an Emergency Lighting and Egress Solutions Company

The Client

For decades, this client has specialized in designing and manufacturing innovative emergency lighting and egress solutions to customers all over the world.

The Challenge

The client had grown increasingly dissatisfied with their current MSP, prompting them to explore other options. However, in their pursuit of a new provider, they found themselves overwhelmed by conflicting advice from various vendors. With so many options presented to them, the client struggled to determine their true needs and became increasingly confused and frustrated. As a result, valuable time was wasted, leaving the client feeling uncertain about how to proceed.

Our Approach

Bluewave recommended a Telecom Assessment to gain a comprehensive understanding of their technology stack, application landscape, and contracts. The assessment revealed several gaps in the technology infrastructure, processes, and operations, so Bluewave helped develop a list of requirements.

During the assessment, Bluewave also discovered that they had no formal cybersecurity process in place. They were unaware of who was responsible for cybersecurity and assumed their existing vendor was taking care of it. Bluewave advised them to conduct a Cybersecurity assessment to identify vulnerabilities and risks. The assessment uncovered several issues, including compromised hosting, weak passwords, and missing best practices.

With the Telecom Technology and Cybersecurity Assessments completed, the client gained valuable insights into their technology infrastructure and security posture, plus an understanding of their requirements and gaps. With this roadmap, Bluewave evaluated five IT vendors and presented a thorough comparison. The client was able to choose a new vendor that met their IT operations needs and addressed cybersecurity gaps, reducing the risk of potential data breaches and financial loss.

The implementation included:

  • Complete migration from a legacy premise system to a pure cloud hosted model
  • Full adoption of their Microsoft 0365 investment
  • Moved to a 24×7 fully insourced organization that raised the level of accountability and responsiveness
  • Took ownership and accelerated their cybersecurity awareness and practices

“You took a significant amount of information, complex and technical content, and packaged it for us in a concise way that we could trust, analyze, and act on. Your process was very smart, encouraged us to broaden our view of our organizational needs, and helped us in ways we did not even anticipate.” – President

The Results

  • $1 million annual savings switching to new MSP
  • Fully insourced 24×7 support organization
  • Established robust cybersecurity practices

Bluewave understands your concerns around control, security, and compliance. Every day, we work with CISOs and organizations of all sizes to design security solutions that address their business and regulatory needs, while leveraging the power of the cloud for a competitive edge. Now’s the time to adjust your security strategy — don’t wait until your perimeter defenses are no longer effective against cyberattacks. Let Bluewave and our managed service partners identify threats and vulnerabilities, minimize risk, and best support your data and business needs.

When you’re ready to get the right security solutions for your organization, you’re ready for Bluewave.

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Benefits of Optimizing Your Mobility Solutions

Posted on by Bluewave

Mobilizing your business is about more than just giving people great devices and plans. It’s about making everything easy to manage and keeping costs under control while helping everyone stay connected and productive. Our top mobility partners have a suite of mobility solutions that include sourcing and procurement of devices and accessories across all carriers, online portals for usage control and custom ordering, plus expense optimization, aggregation, and management.

At Bluewave, whenever we’re talking about mobility, we’re always thinking in terms of optimization and efficiency. That’s because your mobility platform has the potential to introduce more hidden management and cost challenges than any other communication solution. Fortunately, our experts make it easy to achieve visibility while aligning ongoing strategies with managed mobility services.

Bluewave has over two decades of experience delivering the optimal enterprise mobility strategy for our clients. We provide solutions to facilitate ordering and managing mobile devices, services, expenses, endpoint security, and rate plan optimization from all the major carriers. Our approach to enterprise mobility will reduce your overhead, allow you to stay ahead of the technology curve, provide more choice and freedom, and decrease security threats.

Benefits of partnering with Bluewave for mobility aggregation and optimization:

  • Savings: 20-30% average savings on your mobility costs.
  • Visibility: Understand how your employees are using their devices and identify areas of improvement.
  • Choices: Support for BYOD devices and a wide variety of the top new devices.
  • Flexibility: Work with one vendor who can provide multiple technical and carrier solutions.
  • Convenience: One platform to manage your entire deployment; all devices, all plans, all carriers.
  • Support: One company to support your entire deployment 24/7/365, including device replacement.

 

See How Bluewave Helped a Global Steel Manufacturer and Supplier Save on Mobility Costs

The Client

A leading steel supplier and manufacturer, with a global presence, employing over 10,000 people across more than 50 locations. They specialize in providing commercial building components and operate their own steel manufacturing plants.

The Challenge

The client was facing several challenges related to their mobility services. At the time, their mobile and wireless services were spread across three different providers: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. This fragmented approach limited their buying power, leading to increased costs and complexity in managing their mobile services. The client had to dedicate significant resources to managing day-to-day activities, and the existing setup required them to hire an additional full-time employee (FTE) to handle the workload effectively. Moreover, the lack of visibility and automation in the portals provided by the previous providers added to the inefficiencies and created additional administrative overhead.

Our Approach

To address the challenges, the client sought the assistance of Bluewave, an advisory and sourcing partner. Bluewave took a comprehensive approach to find the most suitable solution by obtaining and reviewing the client’s mobility usage reports to gain a deeper understanding of their requirements. After analyzing the data, Bluewave explored three new potential providers. Bluewave presented the thorough analysis and the client decided to consolidate their mobile services with MetTel. This move enabled them to streamline their services, resulting in a unified approach with a single provider, offering numerous benefits.

Results

The implementation of MetTel’s services brought about several notable improvements for the client:

  • 25% MONTHLY SAVINGS: By consolidating services with MetTel and leveraging their competitive wholesale rates, the client achieved a remarkable 25% reduction in their monthly mobile expenses, leading to significant cost savings.
  • IMPROVED CUSTOMER PORTAL: MetTel’s advanced portal provided the client with enhanced visibility, control, and automation, leading to more efficient management of their mobility services.
  • FREE ADVANCED REPLACEMENT FOR DEVICES: MetTel’s offering of free advanced replacements for lost, damaged, or stolen devices helped the client mitigate downtime and improve overall productivity, on top of cost savings.
  • ACCESS TO APPLE BUSINESS MANAGER: MetTel’s integration with Apple Business Manager provided the client with seamless management of their Apple devices, simplifying device deployment and management processes.
  • PRE-BUILT INTEGRATION TO SERVICENOW: MetTel’s integration with ServiceNow, a leading IT service management platform, streamlined workflows and created operational efficiencies for the client.

When you’re ready to optimize and save on your mobility solutions, you’re ready for Bluewave.

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The Technology Lifecycle

Posted on by Bluewave

Our Approach to Technology Lifecycle Management

On the surface, technology and telecom seem simple enough. Your business selects the ideal carrier, signs on the dotted line, and deploys the technology assets and infrastructure your team needs to stay connected. But below the surface, provisioning, inventory, invoices, and interoperability lead to confusion and frustration.

In our experience, our clients’ most significant challenges are:

  • Deciphering bills
  • Technology implementation takes longer and more resources than budgeted
  • Tracking technology assets
  • Unplanned interoperability barriers

These challenges lead to delayed timelines and budgeting overruns into the thousands of dollars—and even millions for large enterprises.

challenges lead

Lifecycle Management Services

It’s our mission to help you optimize your information technology and telecommunications assets. Our team helps your business foresee and sidestep as many obstacles as possible – barriers that stand in the way of successfully adopting the right solutions.

By managing your technology lifecycle, your business saves money and trouble while maximizing productivity across your business processes. Here’s what that looks like at each stage of the technology lifecycle:

The Eight Stages of Lifecycle Management

Stage 1: Identification

Technology-Lifecycle-Management-Identification alt As your business begins planning your next technology or transformation initiative, you may naturally start by researching and identifying the entire IT environment you need. However, if you can’t clarify why you need it, you’ll never establish specific project goals during the planning phase. On top of that, you also have to research and leverage hundreds of global providers to get a clear idea of which provider(s) offer the technology you’re interested in deploying. As technology converges, it is becoming even more complicated and confusing. Ultimately, the process is research-intensive, time-consuming, and requires resources.

What We Do:

Bluewave has the industry expertise to act as a force multiplier of your team to identify the technology you need and help you understand why you need it. Since we have working relationships with a global network of technology vendors and telecom carriers, our experts already have deep insight into the market and experience with previous implementation projects, significantly speeding up the identification phase while providing a solid foundation for success.

Stage 2: Sourcing

Technology Lifecycle Management Sourcing alt Even after you’ve identified the providers that offer the technology you’re interested in, you still need to pinpoint which of those check all your boxes. Sure, they may offer SD-WAN, but do they have the service levels and capabilities to integrate UCaaS or Security into your network architecture? If you don’t ask questions like this, you risk misinterpreting a provider’s offerings.

What We Do:

The experts at Bluewave determine which providers offer services that align with your broader project goals and existing architecture without missing any of the more minor details your business goals require. We know the questions and how to ask them, so you gain more clarity and insight from your options.

Stage 3: Contracting

Technology Lifecycle Management Sourcing alt Great—you’ve finally found the providers that best match your project goals, but now you have to understand how their pricing models work to select the right one for your budget. There are a lot of confusing fees and pricing structures in telecom and software—deciphering, usage, taxes, fees, rates, renewals, terms, and conditions. Lack of understanding means you will pay for more than you should.

What We Do:

As a robust technology partner, one of the languages Bluewave speaks is carriers and vendors. With decades of collective experience in the industry, we know how to decipher the contractual language, interpret pricing models, and leverage multiple vendors to ensure you get the best contract terms while providing realistic cost projections.

Stage 4: Procurement

Technology Lifecycle Management Sourcing alt By now, you think you must have gotten over the hump, and the rest of the project will be a downhill run. All you have left to do is buy and deploy the devices. Not entirely—this is often where the real work begins. During the procurement phase, the carrier will require documentation and information on existing services, locations, and more to figure out what you need before placing orders.

If you don’t provide the correct information at the right time, you risk costly project delays that can go on for months or more until you secure the proper documentation. Yet if you make the mistake of trying to simplify the process by “copying and pasting” your existing services from one provider to another, you’re at risk of overspending by 12% or more.

What We Do:

While providing vendors and carriers with hundreds or thousands of pieces of information may seem like a daunting task; it’s not for the experts at Bluewave. We help you locate and deliver the right documents to the right people at the right time. That way, you get the solution you need without overspending, and project timelines remain on track.

Stage 5: Implementation

Technology Lifecycle Management Implementation alt During the implementation phase, you have to hand your project off to your project management team while coordinating vendors, staying ahead of timelines, and managing all the documentation. You’ve been working primarily with the service provider sales team until this stage, and now you have been handed off to the implementation team, which can have different project goals and expectations. When that happens, you have to project manage the implementation process yourself.

What We Do:

Many of our clients turn to us when they realize they don’t have the time, energy, or knowledge to project manage all the way through to implementation. Fortunately, that’s one of our specialties. If mistakes have been made during the previous four phases, we must take several steps back to get on the right path again. If we have been your partner the whole way through, we are by your side, ensuring the implementation goes smoothly.

Stage 6: Billing

Technology-Lifecycle-Management-Sourcing alt We’ve already discussed one of the core pain points of billing— SaaS, telecom, and cloud bills can be confusing and sometimes misleading. We often encounter invoices that are written to protect the carrier or are not intuitive and make it difficult for you to identify billing errors. That makes it nearly impossible to understand what you’re truly paying for unless you know what you’re reading.

What We Do:

Bluewave draws on decades of hard-earned experience to help you understand and analyze invoices, thereby highlighting billing errors and clarifying precisely what you’re paying for and why your business genuinely needs it. We have a Technology Expense Management practice specializing in managing expenses and bill pay for many clients.

Stage 7: Change Management

Technology-Lifecycle-Management-Sourcing alt After you’ve migrated services, your old carrier has no responsibility to disconnect services. That falls on you and your business. However, ending services generally requires a 30- or 60-day notification period, so if you don’t plan accordingly, you may end up double-paying for services you’ll never use. At the same time, if you don’t coordinate the transition, your business may absorb the cost of phantom services that could remain hidden for months or even years before anyone notices them.

What We Do:

Bluewave has the foresight to simplify the telecom transition period, so you only pay for what you need when you need it. Plus, we perform a detailed audit of your existing services and any new ones to eliminate the dead weight of phantom services.

Stage 8: Reporting

Technology Lifecycle ManagemenT Reporting alt Bills aren’t the only difficult-to-decipher aspect of the telecom and communications world. Carriers’ and vendors’ reporting may not be easy to access or understand. Even when available, those reports don’t enable telecom inventory management, and they make it impossible to track services across multiple locations, multiple providers, multiple contracts, or bridge the gap between finance and IT.

What We Do:

We don’t leave reporting to the carriers—we take care of it ourselves. With our intuitive, real-time reporting tools, understanding where finance and IT intersect is easier than ever before. Our inventory management portal provides a real-time inventory and contract management platform that delivers telecom visibility and simplifies reporting across your organization, no matter how many locations you have.

Save Time, Money, and Energy at Every Stage of the Technology Lifecycle

Without network visibility, how can you decide on the best course for your organization’s technology roadmap? A Technology Assessment from Bluewave delivers network transparency to save money today while aligning your broader network strategies with your goals for tomorrow.

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Cybersecurity Mesh and Defense in Depth: A Unified Approach to Reinforcing Your Security Posture

Posted on by Bluewave

Introduction

Where cyber threats are evolving at an unprecedented pace and complexity, the need for robust and adaptive security solutions has never been more critical. The traditional perimeter-centric security models are no longer sufficient to thwart sophisticated adversaries.

This article aims to provide IT leaders and cybersecurity practitioners with an insight into the Cybersecurity Mesh Architecture (CSMA) and Defense in Depth, and how their confluence can fortify an organization’s security posture.

What is Cybersecurity Mesh?

Cybersecurity Mesh is a relatively new term that refers to a modular and scalable approach to security. Instead of a monolithic security perimeter, Cybersecurity Mesh divides the network into smaller, isolated segments, each with its security policies and governance.

The Cybersecurity Mesh approach evolved as an answer to the limitations of traditional security models, which were primarily designed for static, on-premises environments. With the proliferation of cloud services, remote working, endpoints, the traditional perimeter has dissolved, giving rise to the need for a more flexible and scalable approach.

Key components of Cybersecurity Mesh include:

  • Policy enforcement: Ensures that security policies are consistently applied across all network segments.
  • Identity management: Manages and verifies user identities to ensure that only authorized users can access the network resources.
  • Micro-segmentation: Breaks down the network into smaller segments, each with its security controls, thereby reducing the attack surface.
  • Security orchestration and automation: Facilitates the automatic coordination and management of security tasks across various tools and systems.

Benefits of Cybersecurity Mesh are flexibility and scalability, improved security posture, and reduced complexity.

Understanding Defense in Depth

Defense in Depth, a concept initially used in military strategies, involves implementing multiple layers of security controls to protect valuable assets. The idea is that if one layer of defense fails, others are in place to prevent or mitigate the attack.

In cybersecurity, Defense in Depth entails the use of layered security measures and diverse controls, including antivirus programs, firewalls, encryption, and user training.

The benefits of Defense in Depth include redundancy in security mechanisms, providing comprehensive protection, and the ability to mitigate varied attack vectors.

Cybersecurity Mesh as a Component of Defense in Depth

Cybersecurity Mesh seamlessly integrates into the Defense in Depth model by providing adaptive, scalable, and resilient security layers. The micro-segmentation of Cybersecurity Mesh ensures that security is maintained at various levels, aligning well with the multi-layered approach of Defense in Depth.

Synergies between Cybersecurity Mesh and Defense in Depth include:

  • Enhanced security through micro-segmentation: Cybersecurity Mesh’s micro-segmentation ensures each segment has its security controls, enhancing the layered security approach of Defense in Depth.
  • Dynamic policy enforcement: Cybersecurity Mesh allows for dynamic policy enforcement, which can be tuned to address emerging threats, reinforcing the Defense in Depth strategy.
  • Comprehensive visibility: Cybersecurity Mesh provides in-depth visibility into network activity across all segments, allowing for better threat detection and response.

Prevalent Security Solutions in Cybersecurity Mesh

While Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) products such as Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS), Secure Web Gateway (SWG), and Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN) are integral to the security ecosystem, Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) has emerged as a prevalent solution in Cybersecurity Mesh outside of SASE products.

EDR focuses on endpoint and user behavior, providing real-time monitoring, detection, and automated response to security incidents. It complements Cybersecurity Mesh and Defense in Depth by adding an additional layer of protection, especially focusing on detecting lateral movement within the network.

Integration of EDR into Cybersecurity Mesh enhances threat detection capabilities and provides more granular control over network segments, ultimately fortifying the Defense in Depth strategy.

Differences between EDR, MDR, and XDR, and their Integration with Cybersecurity Mesh

You may have heard the acronyms of MDR and XDR used interchangeably with EDR, but that’s misleading and an oversimplification. As we delve deeper into the Cybersecurity Mesh architecture, it’s essential to understand the nuances between different detect and respond security solutions. Namely Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Managed Detection and Response (MDR), and Extended Detection and Response (XDR). These solutions play a vital role in fortifying the Cybersecurity Mesh architecture.

EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response)

EDR primarily focuses on endpoints such as computers and mobile devices. Its purpose is to monitor endpoint activities, detect suspicious patterns, and automatically respond to mitigate threats.

  • Focus: Endpoints
  • Functionality: Real-time monitoring, detection, and automated response on endpoints
  • Integration with Cybersecurity Mesh: Enhances endpoint security within segmented networks, ensuring that threats are contained and do not spread across the mesh.

MDR (Managed Detection and Response)

Managed Detection and Response is essentially EDR but with the added benefit of outsourced security experts who actively manage and monitor the security solutions for you. It services generally include 24/7 threat monitoring, incident response, and customized threat reporting.

  • Focus: Endpoints with an added layer of managed services
  • Functionality: Combines EDR capabilities with outsourced threat monitoring, analysis, and response
  • Integration with Cybersecurity Mesh: MDR can offer specialized expertise in securing micro-segments and can quickly respond to threats targeting various components of the mesh, enhancing the overall security posture.

XDR (Extended Detection and Response)

XDR is an evolved version of EDR, extending beyond endpoints to incorporate data from multiple security layers such as network traffic, cloud environments, and email. This holistic approach provides a more comprehensive view of the threat landscape.

  • Focus: Multiple sources beyond endpoints
  • Functionality: Collects and correlates data from various security components for improved detection and response
  • Integration with Cybersecurity Mesh: XDR can be integrated into Cybersecurity Mesh to provide a more holistic view of security events across all segments. By correlating data from different sources within the mesh, XDR can detect threats that might not be visible at individual segments.

In the context of Cybersecurity Mesh, integrating these solutions can further enhance the Defense in Depth strategy:

  • EDR strengthens endpoint security within each segment.
  • MDR adds expert analysis and response capabilities, especially beneficial for organizations that may not have in-house expertise.
  • XDR extends visibility across various sources within the mesh, enhancing threat detection and response capabilities through a holistic approach.

By understanding the distinctions between EDR, MDR, and XDR and integrating them effectively, organizations can ensure that their Cybersecurity Mesh architecture is well-equipped to safeguard against a complex and evolving threat landscape.

Enhancing Cybersecurity Mesh Architecture with Additional Point Solutions and Technologies

Cybersecurity Mesh architecture benefits from the integration of various point solutions and technologies, each designed to secure different aspects of the IT infrastructure.

Let’s explore how integrating Identity Providers (IdP), Privileged Access Management (PAM), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), Data Classification and Data Loss Prevention (DLP) platforms, Secure Email Gateways, and Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) can fortify the Cybersecurity Mesh.

Identity Providers (IdP), Privileged Access Management (PAM), and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for User Security:

  • Identity Providers (IdP): IdP is a system that creates, maintains, and manages identity information and provides authentication services. Within Cybersecurity Mesh architecture, IdPs ensure that users are properly authenticated before accessing resources within specific network segments.
  • Privileged Access Management (PAM): PAM solutions help in managing and securing privileged account access, which is critical for maintaining the security posture. Within Cybersecurity Mesh architecture, PAM can be used to manage privileged access to sensitive network segments, enforcing least privilege principles.
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): MFA requires users to provide multiple credentials for authentication, such as something they know (password), something they have (token), or something they are (biometric data). Integrating MFA into Cybersecurity Mesh architecture adds an additional layer of security, especially for access to sensitive segments.
  • Risk Exposure: Without IdP, PAM, and MFA, unauthorized access to network segments can lead to data breaches, privilege escalation, and lateral movement within the mesh.

Data Classification and Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Platforms for Data Security:

  • Data Classification: It involves tagging and categorizing data based on its sensitivity and importance. Within Cybersecurity Mesh, data classification helps in applying appropriate security policies to different network segments based on the data they contain.
  • Data Loss Prevention (DLP): DLP platforms monitor and control data movement to prevent data loss or unauthorized exposure. They are especially vital within Cybersecurity Mesh to monitor data transfer between segments and enforce policies to prevent data leakage.
  • Risk Exposure: Without data classification and DLP, sensitive data may be inadequately protected or inadvertently exposed, leading to compliance violations and data breaches.

Secure Email Gateways for Email Security:

  • Secure Email Gateways: These are solutions that protect email inboxes from threats such as spam, phishing, and malware. In a Cybersecurity Mesh, Secure Email Gateways can be implemented to protect communication channels within and across networks.
  • Risk Exposure: Without Secure Email Gateways, malicious emails can compromise endpoints and can be a vector for attacks to propagate through the mesh.

Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) for Cloud Security:

  • Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP): CNAPP solutions provide security for cloud-native applications through workload protection, compliance enforcement, and vulnerability management. Within Cybersecurity Mesh, CNAPP can be used to secure cloud-based segments, ensuring consistent security policies regardless of the underlying infrastructure.
  • Risk Exposure: Without CNAPP, cloud resources within the Cybersecurity Mesh might be vulnerable to misconfigurations, unauthorized access, or exploits. Security within the cloud, especially public cloud, is a completely different challenge and can’t be met with the same tools or talent that protect legacy on-premise compute environments.

Overall, a robust Cybersecurity Mesh architecture integrates a diverse set of solutions tailored to different aspects of the IT infrastructure. Combining these technologies ensures that the Cybersecurity Mesh not only isolates network segments but also provides specialized security controls to protect data, users, communication channels, and cloud resources.

This layered approach reduces your attack surface, minimizes risk exposure, and equips organizations to be proactive.

Where to Start with Cybersecurity Mesh?

Embarking on the journey to implement a Cybersecurity Mesh can be daunting. However, a structured approach can streamline the process and ensure that your organization’s unique security requirements are addressed effectively. Here’s a step-by-step guide on where to start:

Security Controls Audit and Gap Assessment

Before implementing any technology, it is essential to know where you currently stand. Conduct a security controls audit against a standard framework such as NIST, ISO 27001, or CIS Controls. This audit will help in understanding the current security controls in place. Along with this, perform a gap assessment to identify areas where your current security posture is lacking. It’s best to leverage third parties to perform both the audit and assessment. Don’t succumb to confirmation bias on your own security work. These combined analyses will provide a clear picture of your strengths and areas requiring improvement.

Establishing a Risk and Governance Model

Once you have a grasp of your current state, it’s important to define your organization’s risk and governance model. This includes establishing risk tolerance levels and defining governance policies that align with business objectives. Understanding your risk tolerance helps in prioritizing security initiatives and allocating resources where they matter most.

Implementing SASE Technologies

With a firm understanding of your security needs and risk tolerance, begin by implementing core SASE as a foundation for your Cybersecurity Mesh. SASE combines network security and WAN capabilities in a single cloud-based service. This is ideal for the distributed nature of Cybersecurity Mesh. At this stage, focus on the essential components such as Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS), Secure Web Gateway (SWG), and SD-WAN.

Expanding into Additional Point Solutions

After the core SASE technologies are in place, it’s time to expand and ‘flush out’ the broader mesh with additional point solutions. This includes integrating specialized solutions such as Identity Providers (IdP), Privileged Access Management (PAM), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Data Loss Prevention (DLP), depending on your needs and the insights gained from the initial security controls audit.

Continuous Monitoring and Improvement

Lastly, Cybersecurity Mesh is not a set-and-forget solution. It is critical to continuously monitor the security environment, through an analyst staffed Security Operations Center, and make improvements as needed. This includes keeping abreast of emerging threats, evaluating new security technologies, and ensuring that your Cybersecurity Mesh adapts to changes in your structure and objectives.

By following these steps, you can systematically implement a Cybersecurity Mesh that not only fortifies your security posture but also aligns with your business goals and risk tolerance.

Leveraging Managed Security Service Providers for Cybersecurity Mesh Implementation

In many instances, organizations find that entrusting the implementation of a Cybersecurity Mesh model to Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) proves to be more successful than  a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) model. This is primarily due to the specialized expertise and resources that MSSPs bring to the table.

Firstly, MSSPs have extensive experience in managing security architectures across various industries. This equips them with the knowledge to avoid common pitfalls and implement best practices. Their teams are skilled in multiple security domains, and they can provide dedicated support and monitoring services that might be impractical for an organization to sustain internally.

Secondly, the MSSPs’ familiarity with the evolving threat landscape allows them to provide more proactive and adaptive security. They often have access to threat intelligence feeds and can integrate the latest information into the Cybersecurity Mesh to better protect against emerging threats.

Furthermore, MSSPs typically have scalable solutions that can adapt to the changing needs of an organization. An MSSP can adjust the Cybersecurity Mesh implementation accordingly without the need to go through expensive and time-consuming reconfigurations.

And of course, the financial aspect cannot be ignored. With MSSPs, you can achieve cost savings through reduced capital and by converting unpredictable capital expenses into more manageable opex.

Partnering with an MSSP can provide organizations with the expertise, adaptability, scalability, and cost-effectiveness rather than a DIY model in-house. This collaboration empowers organizations to maintain a robust security posture while focusing on their core business objectives.

Summary

The synergy between Cybersecurity Mesh and Defense in Depth presents an adaptable and resilient security model. Through micro-segmentation, dynamic policy enforcement, and EDR solutions, organizations can enhance their security posture.

As IT leaders and cybersecurity practitioners, embracing this unified approach is paramount.

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Single Vendor SASE: Why it’s a Myth, at Least for Now

Posted on by Bluewave

Introduction

Enterprises are constantly seeking innovative solutions to meet their growing network and security needs while driving operational agility. Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) is one such solution that has been gaining popularity. However, a common misconception has started to emerge: the idea that a single vendor can deliver a comprehensive SASE solution. This article will debunk that myth and shed light on why outcome-based services from Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) are often the better choice.

So, what is in the SASE Framework?

The SASE solution stack comprises a blend of conceptual IT management principles and tangible technologies, coming together to create a comprehensive and secure environment.

Here’s a breakdown:

Core Principles

  • Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA): The foundation of ZTNA is a “never trust, always verify” approach. Every user and device must be authenticated and authorized before they gain access to the network, minimizing the risk of inside threats and data breaches.
  • Identity-Driven: In a SASE architecture, access and security policies are tied to user and device identities, not their physical locations. This tenet ensures that policies remain consistent and are enforced, irrespective of where the user or device is connecting from.
  • Globally Distributed: SASE solutions are designed to be cloud-native and globally distributed, providing optimized access, secure, and with a consistent experience to all users, regardless of their location.

Technologies

  • Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN): The networking backbone of SASE is SD-WAN. It connects disparate enterprise networks – including data centers, remote offices, and mobile users – to provide reliable and efficient orchestration of network connectivity.
  • Secure Web Gateway (SWG): SWG provides real-time web content filtering and malware detection. It ensures secure internet access by blocking malicious content and websites down to users through network and cloud-based enforcement points.
  • Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS): Delivering inbound firewall capabilities via the cloud, FWaaS provides comprehensive threat protection and enforces security policies across all inbound network traffic; depending on the capabilities, these can also be called Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) and are used to inspect inbound traffic from the internet to servers.
  • Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB): CASB allows organizations to extend their security policies to SaaS applications, providing visibility, threat protection, and data security. They provide more than just binary access control and can be used to restrict functional access based on conditions.
  • Data Loss Prevention (DLP): DLP tools monitor and control data movements across the network, datastores, and endpoints, ensuring the protection of sensitive information.

Together, these conceptual tenets and technologies create a unified SASE framework that ties together network infrastructure and security services. This integration results in improved user experience, heightened security, and enhanced operational efficiency.

Understanding SASE and How It Differs from Just “SD-WAN + Security”

In simple terms, SASE is a comprehensive model that integrates network security and wide area networking (WAN) capabilities with cloud-based orchestration. However, SASE is more than just SD-WAN coupled in parallel with security tools. While SD-WAN focuses on connecting diverse networks, and standalone security services aim to protect specific systems, functions, or endpoints, SASE merges these functionalities, providing seamless and secure network access regardless of user location.

While integrating SD-WAN into a security solution might seem like a straightforward way to combine network management and security, it’s crucial not to treat these as two separate functions. It’s vital that your SD-WAN solution governance is seamlessly integrated with security in a unified policy framework; this integration is more important than technological or platform integration a single vendor solution seeks to achieve.

Without this governance integration, there is a risk of creating an environment where the network and security components operate in silos. This will lead to inconsistent policy enforcement, gaps in security, and complexities in management. The key is to ensure that SD-WAN and security elements within SASE are inherently interwoven enabling coherent policies and streamlined management, thus truly unlocking the potential of SASE as a consolidated networking and security platform.

Network Transformation: Where to Start

SASE and Security Frameworks: A Complementary Relationship

While SASE provides a technology framework to support the secure transmission of data and secure access to applications and resources, it should not be viewed as a replacement for established security frameworks such as NIST, CIS, or ISO27001. These frameworks provide comprehensive guidelines on how to secure information and establish strong cybersecurity controls. They cover a range of elements, from risk assessment and identity management to incident response and recovery procedures.

SASE complements these security frameworks by providing the technological means to implement their principles. For instance, the Zero Trust principle of SASE aligns with the access control and identity verification requirements emphasized in these security frameworks. The cloud-native and globally distributed architecture of SASE also resonates with these frameworks’ emphasis on resilience and recovery.

Moreover, SASE can aid in regulatory compliance for industries bound by strict regulations and where maintaining data security and privacy is paramount, such as healthcare (under HIPAA) or finance (under GDPR). Here, the unified visibility and control offered by the SASE technology framework is critical.

The Overpromise of Single Vendor SASE Solutions

The allure of single vendor solutions is understandable. They promise simplicity, integration, and a single point of contact for support. However, in practice, finding a single vendor that excels in all the areas encompassed by SASE can be a daunting, if not impossible, task, and that’s before layering in the unique requirements of your business.

Network solutions and security are complex fields, each comprising multiple sub-disciplines. It’s rare to find a single vendor with top-tier expertise in all these areas. Besides, sticking with a single vendor can lead to vendor lock-in, reducing flexibility and potentially leading to higher costs in the long run.

The Right Solution (for most): Outcome-Based Services from MSPs or MSSPs

This is where MSPs and MSSPs come into the picture. They provide businesses with access to a pool of experts in various fields, offering customized solutions based on each company’s unique needs. MSPs and MSSPs monitor, manage, and secure your network infrastructure, providing outcome-based services that ensure your IT operations are effective and efficient. They can leverage best-in-class vendors for each part of the SASE tech stack but reduce the friction that can be caused by having multiple solutions.

Secondly, staffing your own company with experts is often a Herculean task. According to (ISC)2, at the end of 2022, there was a global cybersecurity worker gap of 3.4 million skilled individuals. This is a staggering figure that highlights the critical shortage of cybersecurity professionals. Moreover, when it comes to hiring highly qualified cybersecurity experts, the cost can be prohibitive for many businesses. Entry-level analysts can easily cost upwards of $100k with benefits, while seasoned leaders and architects can be $250k+.

By partnering with an MSSP, businesses can gain access to a team of seasoned cybersecurity experts at a fraction of the cost of hiring in-house. This not only alleviates the pressure of finding and retaining top talent but also ensures that your security posture is continuously updated and fortified by professionals who live and breathe cybersecurity. Choosing MSPs and MSSPs over a DIY solution allows IT teams to focus on their core competencies and aligning strategic initiatives to the needs of the business, while leaving their management of network and security needs in the hands of trusted experts. This approach drives enhanced security, access to the latest technology, cost savings, and most importantly, peace of mind through risk abatement.

SASE? Sign Me Up! But how do I get Started?

As your business prepares to adopt a SASE solution stack, there are four critical steps to kickstart your evaluation process:

  1. Define Your Business Requirements: Start by identifying your unique business needs and objectives. What challenges are you trying to solve? How do you envision SASE addressing these issues? Consider your business’s size, nature, the geographical spread of offices, remote work policies, and specific industry regulations you must comply with.
  2. Assess Your Current Infrastructure: Examine your current network and security infrastructure. Determine what’s working and what isn’t. This assessment will help you understand what needs to change and where SASE can fill the gaps.
  3. Identify Potential Vendors and Partners: Research potential vendors, focusing on their ability to meet your specific needs. Look into their expertise, track record, the comprehensiveness of their SASE solution, customer support, and cost.
  4. Benchmark Solutions: Create a requirements rubric that allows you to standardize, normalize, and compare vendors and partners that you are considering. You will need to consider both quantitative data like price, licensing model, and term, as well as qualitative assessments from your stakeholder about ability to deliver, internal technical acumen, and integration into your operations.

As you undertake this evaluation process, here are key questions to consider:

  • What are our main business objectives that a SASE solution should support?
  • How do your users access data and tools today and how might that change in the future?
  • What are the security and networking challenges you are currently facing?
  • How will adopting a SASE solution improve our current infrastructure?
  • What kind of network traffic and security policies do you need to enforce?
  • How capable are you in managing a SASE solution in-house?
  • What is your budget for implementing and maintaining a SASE solution?
  • What is your timeline for SASE adoption?
  • What level of customer support will you require from the SASE vendor or MSSP?
  • What are the business impacts of a security event?

Additionally, quantitative data plays a crucial role in your SASE evaluation, allowing you to assess your needs and evaluate potential solutions more accurately. Here are some key data points you should gather:

  • Number of Network Users: This includes full-time employees, part-time staff, contractors, partners, and customers who access your network.
  • User Locations: Determine how many of your network users are in-office, remote, or mobile. This should include geographical data on distributed offices or remote employees.
  • Device Count and Types: Count the total number of devices accessing your network, including laptops, smartphones, tablets, IoT devices, etc. Knowing the types of devices will help ensure the SASE solution can handle all device requirements.
  • Application Usage: Identify the applications your business uses, the data they handle, and the network resources they consume. This data can help you understand your bandwidth needs and security requirements.
  • Current Network Performance Metrics: This includes latency, packet loss, and jitter, which can indicate the quality of your current network and identify areas for improvement.
  • Security Incidents: Gather data on the number, type, and severity of past security incidents. This can guide your focus on specific security features in a SASE solution.
  • Cost Data: Calculate the total cost of your current network and security infrastructure, including hardware, software, maintenance, and personnel costs. This will provide a benchmark for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of a SASE solution.
  • Compliance Requirements: Quantify the number of regulations your business needs to comply with, which could affect your SASE requirements. Also consider any specific requirements from your cybersecurity insurance or client agreements.
  • Network Traffic Data: Understand your average and peak network traffic levels. This can help ensure your SASE solution can scale to meet your needs.

These steps, questions, and datapoints will guide your preliminary evaluation process, setting the stage for a deeper dive into potential solutions and vendors. Remember, adopting a SASE solution is a strategic decision that should align with your overall business strategy and IT roadmap.

Why use an Advisory Firm for SASE Transformation?

In the complex world of network and security transformation, the guidance of a seasoned advisory partner is an invaluable asset. These companies bring a wealth of industry knowledge and experience, guiding you through the process of SASE solution evaluation with expert advice and personalized service.

Advisory firms, like Bluewave, specialize in understanding your unique business needs, current infrastructure, and future goals. They evaluate potential vendors on your behalf, considering factors such as scalability, reliability, support, and cost-effectiveness. This allows you to navigate the numerous SASE solutions available, saving you time and resources while ensuring that the chosen solution fits your business like a glove.

Moreover, these firms continue to provide support and advice after the implementation, helping you realize value from your investment. With their guidance, your business can smoothly transition to a SASE framework, enhancing your network performance and security, and ultimately driving your business growth without putting undue strain or stress on your IT team. Leveraging an advisory company’s expertise is not just a wise choice—it’s a strategic move towards a successful transformation.

Conclusion

Achieving a successful SASE implementation goes beyond the single vendor solution myth. It requires the collective efforts of specialized vendors brought together by MSPs and MSSPs to create a tailor-made, outcome-based solution. Businesses must adapt and make strategic decisions that align with their specific needs.

As a premier advisory firm, Bluewave guides businesses through this process, providing expert advice and services to ensure your company achieves the desired outcome and expected value from your technology investments, including SASE.

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The Future of Customer Experience is CCaaS

Posted on by Bluewave

Why is everyone talking about Customer Experience these days?

Why, because the interactions your customers or potential customers have with your company can make or break the relationship. In today’s fast-paced world, customers demand seamless and efficient communication channels for their buying journey and customer care experience, ranging from web chat and email to SMS and phone. With always-on availability, customers expect prompt service that caters to their preferences and with constant access to smartphones, social media, and apps, a single negative experience can quickly turn a loyal customer into a detractor.

For years, catering to different communication channels required disparate platforms or even a separate team. Regardless of whether your employees are working in a traditional office environment or remotely, equipping them with the right tools is critical to delivering exceptional customer experiences. Cloud-based contact center as a service (CCaaS) solutions enable omnichannel options for customers while allowing companies to gain a 360-degree view of their customers, and give agents access to information seamlessly across all communication channels to deliver a personalized and satisfying experience. By leveraging CCaaS, organizations can exceed customer expectations and build lasting relationships that drive business growth.

“90% of American consumers use customer service as a factor in deciding whether or not to do business with a company and 58% will switch companies because of poor customer service.”
Microsoft, Global State of Customer Service, 2020

Why deploy CCaaS?

Your contact center is the face and voice of your company, which means every interaction is critical. If you’re looking to improve your agent and customer experience, consider moving your contact center to the cloud. Deploying CCaaS can offer several benefits to companies that are looking to improve their customer experience and agent efficiency. Here are some reasons why companies should consider deploying a cloud contact center:

#1 Flexibility & Scalability

You’ll have the flexibility and scalability to adapt to changing operational needs. Say goodbye to the limitations of on-premises contact center designs and embrace the freedom of cloud-based solutions. CCaaS makes it easy to deploy solutions for any number of seats, whether you need 5 or 5,000, experiencing rapid growth, or working with virtual teams. With CCaaS, you can ensure conformity and uniformity across multiple locations and blended environments, such as centers, at-home agents, and inbound/outbound channels.

#2 Easy to Integrate

It is easy to integrate with existing CRM and SaaS platforms. You can seamlessly integrate CCaaS into your existing data and CRM infrastructure for consistent, easy, and automated access to client history and account data.

“Companies in the top 25% of managing data relative to other similar companies see 36% faster resolutions and a 79% reduction in wait times. They also solve four times the number of customer requests.” –Zendesk Customer Experience Trends Report 2020

#3 Operational Efficiency & Agility

Drive operational efficiency and agility with CCaaS by improving processes, faster deployment, scalable solutions, end-to-end network visibility, and robust security. A cloud-based Contact Center is a customer experience solution that is maintained and upgraded by the service provider, so you don’t have to. Other benefits of CCaaS include:

  • Scale quickly based on market, seasonal, or objective changes
  • No large capital investments
  • Test new functionality without the expense
  • Built-in redundancy to avoid downtime, human error, or natural disasters
  • Real-time data and analytics
  • Seamless integration with CRM, WFM, quality monitoring, UCaaS, API, VoIP apps
  • Omnichannel – engage through a variety of channels including self-service

#4 Boost ROI

Boost ROI, especially with AI aspects of CCaaS, by streamlining and optimizing various aspects of customer service. Here are some specific examples:

  • AI-powered call routing can intelligently route calls to the most appropriate agent based on various factors such as customer history, language, and location.
  • AI-powered chatbots and voice assistants can provide intelligent self-service to customers, allowing them to quickly get answers to their questions and resolve their issues without having to speak to an agent.
  • AI-powered sentiment analysis can analyze customer interactions and identify positive or negative sentiments. This can help agents understand customer needs and feelings better and respond more effectively, leading to higher customer satisfaction and retention.
  • AI-powered predictive analytics can analyze customer behavior and data to identify trends and patterns to help businesses anticipate customer needs and preferences and provide targeted solutions and personalized experiences.
Read More about the Impacts of AI on CX & EX

Why should you be focused on CX?

An excellent customer experience positions you to get ahead of the competition. In the realm of cloud contact centers, providing exceptional customer service is paramount as dissatisfied customers are likely to switch to competitors. Companies that have not adapted to the changing CX landscape risk losing customers and revenue.

The Bluewave CX team will assess your current state and identify the best CX solutions to meet your unique business requirements and exceed your goals. Our consulting team will conduct an in-depth analysis and engage innovative CX and CCaaS providers that our team has already qualified to design solutions. Bluewave is with you before, during, and after customer experience transformation implementation.

Deploying a powerful CCaaS solution can exponentially improve customer satisfaction, customer experience, and Net Promoter Score, all while reducing overall costs.

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