In multi-tier, multi-layer, and multi-agent scenarios, high-performing distributed systems necessitate the optimal processing of massive amounts of data across various network infrastructures, requiring data protection at all stages of interaction.
You must be present where your customers are as your company expands and enters new markets. Expanding your business, whether through the opening of a branch office to meet the needs of your current market or the opening of a franchise location to expand into a new market, can put a strain on your already limited resources and introduce new security risks.
The distributed enterprise of today is constantly fighting to adequately secure disparate locations without adding more complexity than its limited staff can handle. At headquarters, you must also ensure that security policies are consistently implemented and managed effectively.
What Is Distributed Enterprises?
A distributed business, such as a retailer, bank, or hospital, has multiple locations or branches that are frequently spread out across the globe. Many of these organizations’ headquarters are secure from cyberattacks, but their branches are not, allowing cybercriminals to access sensitive data through back doors. A distributed enterprise with a significant remote hybrid office or workforce typically replicates the central office’s platform stack on a much smaller scale. It is critical for businesses to establish a presence where customers are as they grow, prosper, and expand into new markets. In distributed enterprise strategies, cost and complexity are weighed against potential growth.
Strategy: distributed enterprises
- SD-WAN: SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network) is a wide-area software system that uses network technology to securely communicate between multiple locations via the internet.
- Generalized Management System: A GMS (Generalized Management System) is a manual that shows how to plan, implement, and monitor service delivery processes.
- Enterprise-Grade Security: The process by which a company protects its information assets from cyberattacks, data integrity breaches, and availability issues is known as enterprise-grade security. Data, servers, storage, and workstations are all part of the package.
- Cloud Deployment: Businesses can use cloud deployment to deploy applications using various hosting models and SaaS (Software As A Service) or IaaS (Infrastructure As A Service) platforms.
How To Secure Distributed Enterprises?
Multiple branches in various locations around the world are possible for distributed enterprises. Distributed enterprises include hospitals, banks, and retailers, to name a few. Individual branches are vulnerable to cyberattacks, even if the headquarters and base of operations are often protected. Cybercriminals can easily gain access to sensitive data through back doors and cause significant harm.
Across multiple locations, businesses of all sizes are now investing in the highest levels of security. The following are the five security essentials for distributed enterprises to consider:
- Next-generation Firewall: Firewalls are common in businesses, but they are ineffective and cannot provide ‘true’ security. Traditional firewalls benefit from the addition of next-generation firewalls (NGFW). Malware detection, mitigation, and reporting are all included.
- Unlimited Scalability: As new locations are explored, it’s critical to add scalability. Security software that can be recognized automatically by firewalls and self-configured is run more efficiently using wide area network (WAN) acceleration.
- High-performance DPI SSL Inspection: Google and Facebook, two Internet behemoths, now encrypt all data traffic between their data centers and end-users. SSL encrypts 29.1% of Internet traffic, with year-over-year increases expected. This necessitates the addition of additional capabilities to firewalls in order to inspect and decrypt enterprise traffic.
- Centralized Management: Core administrators can control the entire security system from a single location when they use centralized management to manage firewalls. As a result, multiple branch security policies can be managed without the need for on-site security tools.
- Application Control: Priorities for applications are critical for centralized security management solutions. Ensuring that priorities are set ensures that the network has unrestricted bandwidth.
Benefits
- Enhanced Real-time Visibility: The team gets a clear and complete picture of overall operations when distribution enterprise systems are integrated throughout the enterprise. Integrating the systems that run critical functions allows for optimal inventory levels, quick movement of goods, strong front-office functionality for customer service representatives, and real-time, flexible reporting.
- Improved Customer Services: Customers today expect and demand immediate order status updates, which are best delivered through Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems. CRM software is the bedrock of excellent customer service. CRM also provides added-value services that set it apart from the competition. CRM keeps track of customer returns, complaints, and service requests, as well as facilitates good communication with a prospect or customer beyond basic order entry. CRM can also be used to build customer-focused value-add services that boost customer retention and help businesses stand out in the marketplace.
- Detailed Reporting: Distributors who use modern enterprise technology can view their data in any way they want, including by warehouse, product line, location, business unit, and other dimensions. Reporting is a lot easier with automation. Systems can automatically populate data, generate conditional alerts that trigger reports based on trends or thresholds, and then distribute reports to inventory managers, finance, production, and other departments.
Conclusion
Businesses all over the world are adopting distributed enterprise as a fast-growing strategy to modernize their approach to the modern working structure. It’s a way for companies to expand their physical footprint by implementing a set of solid systems and processes that enable them to employ and utilize culture, innovation, and vision.
In the digital age, hybrid workforces are becoming increasingly popular, and the demand for an independent workforce is increasing significantly. Having the power to use skills, qualities, and skills from all walks of life enables businesses to explore and leverage multifaceted growth potential, launching themselves into the digital future.