Empowering Digital Transformation: Part 4 – Secure Your Future With A Sound Cloud and Edge Data Protection Strategy

As enterprises increasingly adopt cloud and edge computing to enhance application performance, operational efficiency, scalability and data sovereignty, they face a whole new set of security challenges. Investing in robust security solutions as part of an overall network transformation strategy is crucial for enterprises to safeguard their data across cloud and edge locations.

The fourth and final post in our series highlighting IDC research on the current state of digital transformation explores the motivations and benefits of network security investment, focusing on key security concerns like security threats, data protection and application security.

Enhancing Trust, Reputation and Compliance

Investing in security solutions to protect data across cloud and edge locations is essential for enterprises navigating the complexities of modern digital environments. The cyberthreat landscape is continuously evolving, with sophisticated attacks becoming more frequent and damaging. Enterprises face threats such as ransomware, phishing and advanced persistent threats (APTs) that can compromise sensitive data and disrupt operations. Real-time threat detection and response capabilities can help them stay ahead of these risks.

An IDC survey on the advancement in technology deployment and the advantages of scalable, cloud-based and consumption-driven solutions found that over 55% of organizations say enhanced security is driving their organization’s investment in digital infrastructure.¹

Two primary drivers behind this trend are the need to protect customer data and comply with various data protection regulations. Protecting customer data is paramount for maintaining trust and reputation. Data breaches can lead to significant financial losses, legal liabilities and damage to brand reputation. By investing in comprehensive security solutions, enterprises can safeguard customer data, thereby enhancing trust and loyalty.

Additionally, compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR, CCPA and HIPAA is a significant driver for enterprises to invest in security solutions. These regulations mandate stringent data protection measures and often impose heavy penalties for non-compliance. Implementing robust security solutions enables enterprises to meet regulatory requirements and avoid legal and financial repercussions.

As enterprises undergo digital transformation, they increasingly rely on cloud and edge computing to drive innovation and efficiency. However, this transformation also expands the attack surface, making it essential to implement security solutions that protect data across diverse environments. It is not surprising that 30% of organizations surveyed by IDC say security threats, along with data and application protection, are key challenges to digitally transforming their network.¹

Top Enterprise Network Security Concerns

Digital enterprises face a myriad of security challenges that require constant vigilance and proactive measures, including:

• Continuous monitoring and defense against security threats: Enterprises must continuously monitor and defend against a wide range of security threats. Advanced threat intelligence and analytics tools help identify and mitigate threats in real-time, reducing the risk of successful attacks.
• Protecting sensitive data: Security solutions that offer encryption, data loss prevention (DLP) technologies, and access controls help keep data secure, even in the event of a breach.
• Maintaining application security: Regular security assessments, secure coding practices and the use of web application firewalls (WAFs) help safeguard apps from vulnerabilities and attacks.

By understanding and mitigating these challenges, you can unlock a multitude of benefits that come with investing in advanced security solutions.

Key Benefits of Investing in Robust Network Security

As the threat landscape continues to evolve, proactive security investments will remain a cornerstone of successful network transformation strategies because of their ability to provide:

• Real-time threat detection and response: Modern security solutions leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to detect and respond to threats in real-time. These technologies analyze vast amounts of data to identify anomalies and potential threats, enabling enterprises to respond swiftly and mitigate risks before they escalate.
• End-to-end data protection: Today’s security solutions help ensure data is secure at rest, in transit and in use. Technologies like encryption, access controls and DLP protect sensitive information from unauthorized access and breaches regardless of where it resides.
• Protection for mission-critical applications: Cybercriminals often seek to exploit vulnerabilities in your vital business applications. Security solutions such as WAFs, secure coding practices and regular security assessments help protect apps from attacks and maintain their integrity and availability.
• Scalability and flexibility: Cloud and edge environments require security solutions that can scale with enterprise needs. Modern security solutions are designed to be flexible and scalable, allowing enterprises to adapt to changing requirements and protect data across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
• Greater visibility into network and data activities: Visibility into network and data activities is crucial for enterprises to identify potential threats, monitor compliance and confirm security policies are effectively enforced.

To experience these benefits across your organization, it’s essential to explore innovative platforms designed to streamline and simplify network security.

Lumen Digital: A New Way to Network

Your organization is constantly facing new challenges and opportunities. When you need to maximize application performance and availability, optimize IT investments and secure applications and data, you need infrastructure as dynamic as your business. You need Lumen Digital — your new one‑stop shop for innovative solutions designed to help you:

• Compose network, edge and security services to meet specific needs with integrated and customizable solutions
• Experience a cloud-like environment with self-service capabilities, automation and consumption-based pricing, simplifying the entire process of ordering, provisioning, managing, and billing for digital services
• Take advantage of our world-class fiber network, distributed edge compute and advanced security expertise to provide reliable, low-latency and secure connectivity and compute for mission-critical applications and data
• Accelerate digital transformation and innovation by harnessing the power of data, delivering seamless customer experiences and creating new revenue streams

Lumen Digital is designed for the digital economy, where speed, agility and security are paramount. Whether you are a large enterprise, a mid-market business or a public sector organization, we have the technology and expertise to help you overcome your challenges and achieve your desired outcomes.

Make Lumen Your Digital Transformation Partner

Improved security was cited by 54% of organizations in the IDC survey as a key advantage of choosing integrated connectivity and technology services from a single communication service provider (CSP). Additional top business benefits include easier deployment and management (37%), along with operational cost savings and greater end-to-end reliability (35%).¹

 You can experience these benefits and more with Lumen, your single source for integrated cloud-based security solutions and services. We enable you to effortlessly connect apps, data and people through our fast, secure and reliable services for network and cloud connectivity, edge computing and security.

What’s next?

We encourage you to apply the insights gained from this blog series to your own digital transformation efforts. Contact us to discuss your unique challenges and requirements and stay tuned for more content designed to support you throughout your journey.

Ready to invest in enhanced security for cloud and edge data protection? Find the right solution for your organization with Lumen Digital.

¹IDC, InfoBrief: Empowering Digital Transformation, July 2024.

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