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

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

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

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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Ensure Your Enterprise Mobile Workforce Has the Wireless Support it Needs

Is your mobile workforce optimized?

Today, business happens remotely. Whether employees are in the office, remote, hybrid, or on the road, mobile technologies drive the way we work. With the added complexity of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) culture, providing employees with devices and plans is not enough. See how important it is that your mobile workforce be connected at all times.

Mobility management involves making productivity and device security across company and personal devices easy while ensuring an ROI for mobile workforce expenditures.

Mobile spending vs. mobility management

All businesses have costs for mobile services, but few approach their spending from a perspective of comprehensive management. Moving from a mobile spending model to mobility management enables businesses to support their mobile workforces while ensuring they’re spending their wireless budgets wisely.

For most companies, mobile spending is an unavoidable, non-negotiable budget line item—in reality, many are spending more than they should. A mobility management approach is centered on a strategic mobile plan utilizing expense management tools. This includes regular negotiation for better deals with carriers, identifying and eliminating unnecessary features and services, and identifying and removing zero-use devices.

Avoid unexpected no-return costs

Mobility management also includes tools and strategies to monitor and control usage, the ability to set mobile and data usage limits, and generate alerts when usage exceeds a certain threshold.

Mobile carriers know that most businesses don’t scrutinize their mobile usage and spending in-depth. They structure overage charges as a built-in part of their revenue strategy. By putting mechanisms in place to avoid these charges, businesses can find an effective discount on mobile spending.

Data insights into mobile usage offer critical information for spending decisions. A comprehensive mobility management strategy provides insights into how spending is generating productivity for employees and value for the business.

Eliminate unnecessary features, services, and zero-use devices

Another mobile device management tack for eliminating no-return costs is in identifying features, services, and devices that bring no value to the business. By identifying and removing these, you can reduce costs, improve efficiency, and streamline your mobile operations.

This can be done by analyzing usage data, monitoring device inventory, conducting regular audits, and identifying and removing devices that are not being used.

Ensure your mobile workforce has the wireless support it needs

Eliminating costs is only the first half of the equation. With the money saved in eliminating waste, businesses with a mobility management strategy have resources to invest in new technologies that enhance productivity and drive value.

By implementing a comprehensive mobile strategy and utilizing inventory management tools, you can ensure that your employees have the devices, accessories, and support they need to stay connected and productive. This includes providing employees with the right devices, accessories, and applications, as well as providing support to get the most out of your mobile devices.

Mobility management is an effective way to support your mobile workforce while keeping costs under control, avoiding unexpected overages and large bills from excess usage, eliminating unnecessary wireless features, services, and zero-use devices, and ensuring your mobile workforce has the wireless support it needs.

Protect your wireless devices from cyberattacks

Increased threat exposure from mobile endpoints combined with an uptick in cybercrime have made it clear that organizations must do more to effectively manage risk. With access to a range of mobile security solutions, Bluewave can keep you ahead of the curve when it comes to wireless security across your network.

How Bluewave can help

Developing and executing a true mobility management strategy from scratch is a big investment in time. When done independently, it’s sometimes not worth it—or it becomes sidelined in favor of higher priority initiatives. At Bluewave, we believe that all opportunities for cost savings deserve to be put into practice. Our assessment teams have extensive experience helping companies deploy and manage mobile solutions that enhance the effectiveness of their sales force, retail efforts, operational processes, and supply chain.

What we can help with

Wireless solutions we can help with include:

  • Wireless Assessment & Planning
  • Wireless Device Sourcing
  • Mobile Plan Comparisons
  • Usage Reporting
  • BYOD Planning
  • Mobile Device Security
  • Wireless Policy, Users, and Inventory Management
  • Internet of Things (IoT)

But we don’t just provide tools, we also provide expertise. We can help you implement a mobile strategy that aligns with your goals to ensure employees are getting the most out of their devices.

At Bluewave, we understand that mobility is about more than just devices and plans. It’s about keeping your business connected and productive, and we’re here to help you do just that. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help support your business.

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Gartner: CIOs Need to Accelerate Time to Value from Digital Investments

Strategic Planning and Advisory Services, the solution to The CIOs Pressure-packed Initiatives

Gartner: CIOs Need to Accelerate Time to Value from Digital Investments

“A triple squeeze of economic pressure, scarce and expensive talent and ongoing supply challenges is heightening the desire and urgency to realize time to value.” -Daniel Sanchez-Reina, VP Analyst at Gartner

The most recent edition of Gartner’s massive annual survey of CIOs and technology executives confirms that how many CIOs are feeling—under pressure to quickly realize value-generating and measurable digital transformations—is indeed an industry trend. Gartner also identifies one of the key contributing factors: a disconnect between the expected pace of digital transformation and that of information technology and its ability to keep up with it—a problem which is itself driven by a tight labor market and supply chains that remain off-kilter. As this scenario evolves, the gap between the perception of business value and reality will continue to widen as technology investments struggle to deliver on expectations.

Highlights of the survey include:

  • The growing pressure on CIOs to accelerate time to value from digital investments
  • The need to drive top- and bottom-line enterprise growth from digital investments
  • The need to deliver business outcomes that are measurably superior to those of their competitors

“The pressure on CIOs to deliver digital dividends from their business processes and operating model is higher than ever. CEOs and boards anticipated that investments in digital assets, channels and digital business capabilities would accelerate growth beyond what was previously possible. Now, business leadership expects to see these digital-driven improvements reflected in enterprise financials. CIOs expect IT budgets to increase 5.1% on average in 2023 – lower than the projected 6.5% global inflation rate.” -Daniel Sanchez-Reina, VP Analyst at Gartner

While CIOs are feeling pressure to accelerate their digital transformations with limited resources, Gartner has found that the direction those digital transformations are going in is often unclear. According to the survey, 95% of enterprises struggle with a vision for their digital strategy.

To navigate this complex set of challenges, CIOs will need to be at the top of their game. So how will you find and build consensus to successfully drive digital strategy success? Through prioritization, metrics, and consensus.

Fortunately, Gartner goes beyond illustrating how tough things are for CIOs and offers some practical, research-driven advice:

1. Prioritize the Right Digital Initiatives – The survey revealed that CIOs’ future technology plans remain focused on optimization rather than growth. CIOs’ top areas of increased investment for 2023 include cyber and information security (66%), business intelligence/data analytics (55%) and cloud platforms (50%). However, just 32% are increasing investment in the growth-oriented areas of artificial intelligence (AI) and 24% in automation and hyperautomation.

Whether a growth or optimization orientation is right for a particular firm will require careful consideration. Ensure that that consideration is happening and plan with an understanding of where competitors are making their bets.

2. Create a Metrics Hierarchy – CIOs should connect with functional leaders for each digital initiative to understand what ‘improvement’ means and how it can be measured. Creating a picture that reflects the hierarchy of technical and business outcome metrics for each initiative will help identify the chain of accountability that will collectively deliver the dividend in focus.

3. Contribute IT Talent to a Business-Led Fusion Team – 77% of CIOs said that IT employees are primarily providing innovation and collaboration tools, compared with 18% who said non-IT personnel are providing these tools. Consider loaning IT staff to fusion teams/cross functional teams that combine business experts, business technologists, and IT staff. Catalyze a team that is focused on achieving digital business outcomes, while also opening the way for reciprocity, such as integrating subject-matter experts from the business into an IT-led fusion team.

4. Reduce the Talent Gap with Unconventional Resources – For example, only 12% of enterprises use students (through internships and relationships with schools) to help develop technological capabilities and only 23% use gig workers.

Prep for your corporate strategy, business strategy, and digital investments

  • Among the C-level and board conversations, what comes up over and over? What are the most-mentioned topics? Any urgency indicators and commentary? Risks? Financial performance?
  • What is the market saying? What will be your competitive differentiation?
  • And finally, what are customers saying? What outcomes are they asking for? Time vs. effort. Growth vs. status quo. Do they have a digital-first mindset?

Successful CIOs in the current environment and ecosystem will be the ones who orchestrate their C-level colleagues around a strategy aligned with priorities, metrics, and consensus—then deliver.

Technology strategy – How Bluewave can help

Are your digital transformations and programs delivering the outcomes, scale, and speed that you hoped for? If not, Gartner’s survey at least reveals that you’re not alone. It also charts a challenging course to success that will undoubtedly reward those who can navigate it.

At Bluewave, we’re digital strategy and technology lifecycle specialists equipped to help you optimize your plan and execution. Bluewave has an advanced approach and process that can help decrease wasted spend and free up existing budget allocation so that mid-cycle reductions can be absorbed without impacting projects:

  • Single point of contact for new technology purchasing
  • Outsourcing and access to leading technology service providers
  • Reduce contract process time by 75%
  • 22% average telecom expense savings
  • 9X average ROI on TEM investment
  • Trusted extension of your team

IT consulting and managed services

If you’d like to hear in-depth about our IT strategy consulting, methodologies, benchmarking, and how Bluewave Technology Group can help you refine how you execute and manage your business goals, digital investments strategy, IT infrastructure and technology lifecycle, we’d love to hear from you.

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Don’t Go Hungry: Avoid “No Decision” Sales Outcomes

My family and I usually spend Thanksgiving at the New Jersey shore with extended family and friends. This time of the year is always a nice break, but it can also be stressful. Why is that? There are undoubtedly multiple reasons why people find family holiday breaks a little trying, but I believe one overlooked reason is decision paralysis. Don’t go hungry! Let’s talk about how to avoid No Decision Sales Outcomes in IT and Telecom.

Rather than spending our time off just as we’d like, we’re required to negotiate with others around what activities will fill our days, what time we eat our meals, whether it’s worth watching the game or not, and so on. The result is decision by committee which can result in some people spending time doing things they’d rather not be doing and maybe some touchy folks.

What happened to Grandma?

As we enter the last quarter of 2022 and the holiday season, this dynamic has got me thinking about how decision paralysis has crept into the sales cycle for IT services, and the disastrous impacts No Decision outcome will have on 2023 programs. Historically, salespeople have been trained to find the buck-stops-here decision-maker for a good reason—it works. (If Grandma says dinner’s at 4:30, dinner will be at 4:30).

For better and for worse, the sole decision-maker with the power to unilaterally approve a deal has become rare in companies. The requirement to get buy-in from a diverse set of stakeholders does help ensure that resources get spent in ways that will best benefit the company overall, but it also creates the kind of complexity that makes a No Decision outcome when buying IT services much more likely. Unfortunately, No Decision outcomes are quite routine. Estimates range from 40-60% of all deals end with the customer making no decision at all.

To end up at the end of the process staring the pain and stress of not changing squarely in the face with nothing to show for all the effort is truly a waste of resources. It’s like not being able to agree on a dinner time, so no one eats at all.

Naturally, this is also a bad outcome for vendors. Not only do they fail to make the sale but also failed their customer by not proving the value of the purchase and implementation.

The mandate for advice

Bluewave exists to provide tools to help customers avoid the No Decision trap. We understand that there’s no longer a single buck-stops-here decision-maker and instead, we are here to help stakeholders see their collective shared interest and find common ground. Bluewave works with our clients to take a step back and collectively see how the solution will impact the company as a whole. We take our clients from a risk-negative perspective to a reward-positive perspective by showing the ROI of IT transformation projects.

We can help

At Bluewave we have an in-depth understanding of the entire IT and telecom services market, enabling us to design a solution to fulfill the business need to inform the buying process. This helps reduce the risk of a No Decision outcome from the start, but it also reduces friction, frustration, and time.

I’m confident I’ll be eating my turkey in Q4—are you at risk of going hungry? Bluewave will help you avoid no decision sales outcomes.

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