Chief information officers (CIOs) and chief information security officers (CISOs) are at the forefront of a critical juncture in IT infrastructure. Businesses are undergoing a fundamental shift, driven by the need to improve remote workforces, embrace agility and leverage the potential of cloud and edge computing.
Of course, as is often the case, challenges arise.
Namely, the rise of remote work has necessitated secure and reliable network connectivity for geographically dispersed employees. Operating in a dynamic environment requires IT to be adaptable and responsive. Cloud and edge environments introduce distributed data storage and processing, which require robust security measures to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches. Also, the sophistication of cyberattacks is constantly evolving.
And to top it off, many large businesses have historically adopted a piecemeal approach to IT, relying on a patchwork of disparate point solutions to address specific needs. This creates a complex environment that is difficult to manage and maintain.
Phew, those are a few of the challenges, summarized for readability purposes. But they likely produced many more questions, one of the top ones being this:
How do CIOs and CISOs overcome emerging challenges?
The answer is Windstream Enterprise’s recently launched Secure Flex Premium, a suite powered by Fortinet that offers customizable cybersecurity infrastructure for large enterprises.
Secure Flex Premium aims to address unique customer needs by building upon existing on-premise, hybrid or cloud environments. It provides a single solution, managed by WE's team, to control and optimize IT ecosystems.
“Creating and managing a fully integrated network and security solution is more challenging than ever,” said Art Nichols, Chief Technology Officer, Windstream Enterprise. “By joining forces with Fortinet, we’re helping to mitigate the risks, resource drain and headaches that come with those responsibilities by giving them a single, best-in-breed network and security solution that creates a stronger security layer than ever before.”
Secure Flex Premium leverages Fortinet's Security Fabric platform, which offers a scalable approach, protecting users, devices, applications and endpoints. It provides automated and synchronized protection for improved detection, response, policy enforcement and access control.
The solution simplifies IT management through a dedicated, single-tenant architecture built on Fortinet's cybersecurity and networking technologies. Hardware, storage, and networks are dedicated to a single client, ensuring alignment with specific security needs. This allows for easy implementation on existing infrastructure.
Secure Flex Premium integrates with existing infrastructure to build a multi-dimensional security solution. This includes components like SASE, ZTNA, EPP, SD-Branch and SD-WAN, along with Fortinet's portfolio. WE manages these solutions to eliminate the need for clients to manage disjointed solutions from multiple vendors.
“Businesses in industries with particularly strong security requirements, such as financial services and healthcare, need assurance that they’re getting not just best-in-class network and security technologies, but support for those technologies from an experienced, knowledgeable and accessible managed services team,” said John Maddison, Chief Marketing Officer, Fortinet. “With Fortinet and Windstream Enterprise, that’s exactly what they will get.”
Edited by
Alex Passett