As this massive snowstorm descends upon Washington, D.C., there are several things no one is sure of – yet.
The wide range of snow totals aside, uncertainty in forecasting means that not even the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is in a position to decide now how long the weather will affect the region’s operating status.
But it’s a pretty safe bet that thousands of federal employees will telecommute in the very near future.
Are federal Internet cybersecurity solutions up to the task? With employees using their government-issued devices from homes, neighborhood coffee shops and other open access points, how can we be sure those Internet connections aren’t opening up sensitive networks to cyber threats?
It’s that kind of scenario that Zscaler’s Internet security solution is designed to handle.
Zscaler offers a cloud-based Security-as-a-Service platform that sits in-line between an agency user and the Internet, protecting those users from cyber threats and stopping intellectual property leakage.
In simple terms, here’s how it works. Businesses and government agencies have employees logging into their networks from diverse and remote locations. Oftentimes, employees are connecting directly to the Internet from a local WIFI connection, or they are using their own devices (BYOD) to access an employer’s network over the Internet. Those devices are often vulnerable to attack.
The Zscaler solution routes all Internet traffic, regardless of device, regardless of location, through Zscaler’s cloud-based security platform. Zscaler will then inspect all bytes of traffic, including SSL, instantly blocking threats and preventing data loss. Think of it as a security check post. Zscaler puts a perimeter around the Internet to ensure nothing bad comes in, and nothing good leaks out.
Zscaler also provides a better delivery model than other solutions. Being cloud-based, the perimeter of security is extended beyond the four walls of the data center. No need to backhaul traffic to an Internet gateway. No costly equipment to purchase or maintain. Delivering security from the cloud enables agility, provides for better economics, better performance and better productivity, without limiting your options.
With the proliferation of mobile devices, and the adoption of cloud computing, the network perimeter is disappearing. Traditional security appliances worked well when all we had to do was build a layer of security around the datacenter. Today, the IT landscape requires that we build a layer of security around the Internet itself.
Don’t wait until the snow starts – and stops – falling. I’m available to answer your questions now. Give me a call or send me a message, let’s protect your network from the threat of any winter storm.
Contributed by:
James Kohler
Director of Public Sector, Zscaler
