In the last few years, the proliferation of devices and new generations coming into the workforce has forced companies to change the way they allow their employees to work. Though the overall business objective hasn't changed, the tools and strategies that employees leverage to achieve this objective are more powerful and more effective. The increasing number of remote employees combined with new technology to stay connected has changed the way we work forever.
As idyllic as this sounds for regular employees, it is a nightmare for the IT department. Users want to have their apps running at all times and with so many users, ensuring secure connections can be a pain. The solution for many years was to use virtual private network (VPN) connections to allow users to connect and have access to all their information while working remote.
The issue? Cloud-based applications give users the option to work remotely without using a VPN, which can expose a network without the IT department even noticing. One of the most comprehensive solutions for solving this issue and extending security beyond the VPN is Cisco Umbrella.
How does it work exactly? Here are three main highlights about Umbrella that you'll certainly want to have in your cybersecurity plan:
1. Umbrella is the first Secure-Internet-Gateway in the cloud.
Umbrella acts as your secure onramp directly to the internet and provides you with the first-line of defense and inspection. Regardless of user location, device, or application, traffic will always go first through the SIG. Umbrella is then able to decrypt and analyze traffic to search for malicious behavior before it even reaches your computer or device.
2. Analytics like you've never seen before
Using a combination of AV engines and Cisco Advanced Malware Protection, Umbrella is able to inspect files that are likely to be downloaded from risky domains and prevent unsafe connections. It develops statistical models to prevent attacks where it predicts malicious domains that will be used in future malware campaigns and automates responses to future requests where those domains are involved.
3. Simple and Open
The Umbrella Dashboard is designed to be intuitive, clear, and customizable. This will allow you to set policies, find infected devices, and identify security trends in your organization before they become a threat to your network integrity.
When creating new policies, the tool will walk you through all the steps of policy configuration, allowing you to test each policy before you implement it and ensure it will be applied as you intended. In the reporting section, you'll find all the key information you need to build fast and easy-to-share security reports.
Are you ready to see it for yourself? Download the free trial of Umbrella and get familiarized with a product that will completely change your first-line security.
