Silver Peak expands security technology alliance ecosystem

Standards-based IPsec WAN connectivity

Today’s expansion of the Silver Peak alliance ecosystem is propelled by increasing enterprise adoption of cloud-based security services. With recently announced support for standards-based IPsec WAN connectivity, the EdgeConnect SD-WAN solution has successfully demonstrated interoperability with the cloud security services of Forcepoint, McAfee, OPAQ, Palo Alto, Symantec and Zscaler, representing the industry’s broadest compatibility with cloud-based security services.

Centralised security policy management expands to cloud security services

Silver Peak Unity Orchestrator™ provides an intuitive drag-and-drop GUI that enables network operators to centrally define and orchestrate granular zone-based security policies that automate traffic steering to cloud security services in accordance with business intent. This serves to augment the company’s existing support for service chaining to next generation security infrastructure and adjacent security VNFs.  By using standards-based IPsec as the transport tunnel, Silver Peak can extend this interoperability to virtually any cloud-based service, thereby eliminating the decades-long requirement to deploy conventional routers at each branch site for tunnel termination.

Adaptive internet breakout for cloud-first enterprises

As geographically distributed enterprises embrace the cloud and deploy SD-WAN solutions, they are re-evaluating their WAN requirements and rapidly incorporating cost-effective broadband connectivity. This tectonic shift provides the ideal opportunity to move beyond router-centric WAN architectures to leverage cloud connectivity for network functions like security, which previously required dedicated routers to be deployed and managed at every site. With an application-driven WAN architecture based on the Silver Peak EdgeConnect SD-WAN solution, enterprises can centrally define and orchestrate granular security policies and fully automate application traffic steering to cloud security services. Utilising First-packet iQ™, network operators can identify and classify applications and web traffic based on the first packet of each flow and automatically direct traffic in compliance with security policies. For example, network administrators can direct:

• Known and trusted SaaS and web applications traffic directly to the internet
• Known applications requiring further inspection to cloud security services
• Unknown traffic to NGFWs located in regional hubs or corporate data centres

“Migration to cloud-hosted applications is only going to accelerate over time, and enterprise IT organisations must stay ahead of that by re-evaluating wide area networking requirements, including broadband connectivity options,” said Elie Bitton, senior director of Product Management at Palo Alto Networks. ”We’re proud to work with Silver Peak to protect branch offices from successful cyberattacks.”

“A human-aware approach to cloud and network security driven by visibility and automation are key for protecting enterprises from the most sophisticated threats,” said Joakim Lialias, senior director of product marketing for cloud security at Forcepoint. "Organisations want to migrate more workloads to the cloud but the inherent networking and security complexities have created barriers. The Silver Peak security alliance ecosystem provides cloud-enabled enterprises yet another layer of confidence as they implement a secure SD-WAN interoperable with their most business-critical cloud services, protected by Forcepoint NGFW and Secure Web Gateway.”

“Through our partnership with Silver Peak, we are collectively enabling enterprises to embrace the cloud and move beyond the constraints of on-network web security by connecting users from any location directly and securely to the SaaS and web applications that underpin business agility,” said Shel Sharma, director of product management at McAfee. “With the ability to automatically steer cloud-destined traffic from branch sites using EdgeConnect to our Web Gateway Cloud Service, enterprises can go beyond basic protection, dramatically lower TCO and secure users outside the network, effectively expanding web security to encompass users and remote sites through the cloud.”

“With the advent of cloud-delivered services, there is no longer a line between security and networking,” said Ken Ammon, Chief Strategy Officer for OPAQ. “Through our partnership with Silver Peak, our customers are receiving security-as-a-service over the WAN with granular policy enforcement and the highest levels of network and application performance and availability.”  

“Through our technology partnership with Silver Peak, we can enable our joint customers to quickly move to a modern, cloud-first architecture,” said Peter Doggart, vice president business development for Symantec. “The combination of the EdgeConnect SD-WAN solution and our Web Security Service offers customers direct-to-net protection while helping to ensure company-compliant cloud application use – all delivered from Symantec’s resilient, high performance global cloud service.”

“An increasing number of applications are leaving the data centre for the cloud, increasing the amount of enterprise traffic destined for the internet,” said Punit Minocha, Zscaler senior vice president of business and corporate development.  “Zscaler’s Cloud Security Platform with the Silver Peak Unity EdgeConnect SD-WAN solution enables enterprises to provide secure direct internet connections from branch and remote offices. The integrated service delivers an enhanced and flexible solution to provide comprehensive security, visibility, control and seamless connectivity for internet breakout.”

“Silver Peak welcomes Forcepoint, McAfee and Symantec as the latest members to join our security technology alliance ecosystem,” said Fraser Street, vice president of technical alliances for Silver Peak. “With the industry’s broadest ecosystem of security alliances and demonstrated interoperability with the leading cloud security services, Silver Peak is enabling customers to confidently embrace cloud initiatives, seamlessly integrate broadband services into their WAN edge and securely connect branch workers directly to the cloud.”