Insight and Resources to Help You Navigate I.T.
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It wasn’t long ago that networking equipment was focused on speeds and feeds. It was all about packet delivery. Today, the industry focus is shifting more to software, code and open systems.
While software-defined networking (SDN) is slowly making its way into the public sector, many other networking trends are taking hold of I.T.
According to IDC, more than half of total I.T. spending in 2016 will be on the 3rd platform: cloud, and the migration of old, legacy IP network architectures to new IP networks will accelerate as organizations evolve networks into open, software-driven platforms.
Software is clearly transforming the data center and networks in general as both providers and organizations increasingly leverage Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) to speed, deliver and scale new services.
The coming years are expected to further expand the adoption of innovative, open, automated software networking platforms as organizations also migrate to New IP networks. And as the deployment of the x86 server architecture increases, so will this transformation.
Today’s modern networking environment, coupled with increasing demands for cloud-based apps and mobile device access, means security-related attacks and breaches will continue to impede the delivery of services and overall reliability. For most organizations, New IP networking helps deploy more advanced security that is designed into the network from the ground up rather than being bolted on to the edge of the current infrastructure.
Security services are also more often being virtualized, allowing organizations to deploy security whenever and wherever needed by geo, location, function, application, individual or group.
Although many organizations are moving cautiously to network automation, its promise of more speed, new efficiencies and cost savings are increasing adoption.
Open networking brings more flexibility and efficiency, so even if organizations don’t move to this model, there is much to learn from how web giants like Facebook and Google are leveraging its benefits.
When IPv4 addresses were exhausted in 2014 at a staggering 4.3 billion, organizations began implementing IPv6 while learning how to identify and overcome its security issues. IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses and is capable of 340 undecillion addresses. That is 340 times 10 to the 36th power, or 340 trillion trillion trillion possible IP addresses.
Adoption of and migration to the 802.11ac WiFi standard picked up steam in 2014 as demand for faster and faster wireless access continued increasing. Fortunately 802.11ac is a supercharged upgrade (estimated 12 times faster) to its predecessor, 802.11n. Not only is it faster, 801.11ac works exclusively in the 5GHz band, takes plenty of bandwidth (80 or 160MHz), operates in up to eight spatial streams, and uses a technology called ‘beamforming’ that sends signals directly to client devices.
From user passwords and endpoint protection, to IoT devices (video cameras, etc.) and advanced threat protection across data networks and physical locations – information security, physical asset security and facility security has never been more critical to State and Local Government entities and Higher Education institutions.
Attackers are getting more numerous, better organized and more powerful. And with the number of vulnerable entry points growing to include IoT devices, the threats are growing exponentially too. Organizations need to get up to speed on the latest threats, and look for more holistic, end-to-end security solutions to combat their growing security challenges.
When operations have to run safely and efficiently across campus, around the city or throughout the state, having a comprehensive security plan has never been more critical. cStor helps design an end-to-end security solution so your organization can continue serving around the clock.