Next-Gen Security Solution Puts New Spin On Cloud's Role
By Gennifer Biggs, security, storage, and managed services editor
In light of the release of Websense TRITON Security Gateway Anywhere, Dave Meizlik, director of marketing at Websense, shared with me his thoughts on why legacy security solutions — including the vendor's own — simply no longer meet the needs of the channel or customers. Among the issues challenging security vendors are increasingly sophisticated threats delivered via Web applications — well beyond the traditional methods such as spam and malware. "With cloud, there is so much information in the cloud, and there is use of that information every day from all kinds of environments, which creates an entirely different threat landscape," he explains. "The question has become: How do we secure what is now this open enterprise? Because the content and the data that is the life blood of our business is what we need to secure, and the access to that information has completely evolved."
Traditional solutions have been coming under fire for the last year plus because, while they work extremely well when faced with legacy threats, the solutions were not built for today's flow of data through the Internet and mobile devices. "We all knew we needed a new approach, one that isn't myopic, isn't point based, isn't static," says Meizlik. New solutions must be about the content rather than locking down endpoints. And, just as we've seen hybrid solutions for backup and disaster recovery, Meizlik says he expects hybrid security solutions to gain traction during the next 18 months. For example, the Websense TRITON product combines on-premises email and Web security on an appliance with Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) components that deliver the efficiency and effectiveness of the cloud.
One need driving that combined solution set is the increased focus on data loss prevention (DLP) that must go beyond checking outgoing email for Social Security numbers or credit card information, and integration of that service with other standard security solutions. "I believe we'll see more unification," says Meizlik. "With no network perimeter or standard endpoint to secure, the focus has turned to securing the content itself. This year is going to mark the beginning of content security." Don't expect the solutions to pop up overnight, however. Websense has spent three years and more than $500 million in R&D to create its new Triton solution.
Who does content security appeal to? SaaS versions will probably appeal to midtier businesses, while the hybrid fits larger enterprise organizations. Websense expects early adoption in healthcare, retail, energy, and manufacturing, especially those with dispersed locations or highly mobile workforces. The opportunity for solutions providers is twofold: 1) this new solution approach offers an integrated resolution to the increasingly high-profile issue of content protection, and 2) the hybrid model opens the door for remote monitoring, full management, and integration. "We believe there is great value and great opportunity in this new solution approach," says Meizlik.