Encryption, Security Dilemmas For Enterprise Networks
Enterprises are increasingly encrypting their network traffic, which will allow them to maintain data privacy, says Ravi Namboori, a Cisco evangelist, citing an analyst from Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG).
It, however, also poses a veiled threat directed back towards the organizations themselves. In an attempt to resolve this issue, around 87% of the enterprises decrypt and then monitor Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) traffic in a bid to identify scouring activity of hackers, malvertisements, and Command and control (C2) communications, reveals a study by ESG.
The last five years have seen a lot of enterprises steadily using more of SSL and TLS in in-house web applications and embracing cloud-based SaaS applications equipped with Layer 5/6 encryption. Following this, network and security staff began deploying a range of decryption and inspection tools of SSL and TLS on multiple network segments at various locations in worldwide enterprise networks. The outcome was a quite disorganized approach of SSL and TLS decryption and inspection conducted by using a variety of technologies and operational practices, adds Ravi Namboori.
Decryption of SSL and TLS traffic has, in turn, caused numerous challenges for security and networking analysts. About 26% of security professionals feel that it is not an easy task to integrate encryption and decryption technologies of SSL and TLS with disparate network security packet filtering technologies, while 24% aver that the networking staff does not trust any technology that may influence the network, and about 22% cite conflict of interest during collaboration of the networking and security teams at their enterprises.
Many companies might be facing a lot of issues because of decrypting and monitoring encrypted network traffic inconsistently, causing problems at the organizational and operational level – a point substantiated by ESG, adds Ravi Namboori, a former employee with Cisco.
Around 14% of firms admitted to inspection of encrypted SSL and TLS traffic strategically by deploying technologies on the network in an unplanned manner. Another 21% of organizations said that they monitor encrypted SSL/TLS traffic similarly, but with an intent of coming up with a wholesome enterprise strategy in the future. The same was stated by 24% of organizations, whose process of implementation of enterprise strategy has begun.
Only 20% of organizations stated that they have already come up with a broad enterprise strategy for the inspection of encrypted SSL and TLS traffic.
The upshot is that although most enterprises decrypt and monitor network traffic in a strategic manner now, it indicates a tendency toward an upgraded tactical approach in the future, concludes Ravi Namboori, a holder of seven Cisco certifications.
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