As organizations continue to navigate the complexities of an increasingly digital world, network and security priorities are shifting to address new challenges and leverage emerging technologies. The image highlights the top priorities for both network and security teams in 2024, with a particular emphasis on Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN), Data Loss Prevention (DLP), bandwidth, and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). Let’s explore these priorities in detail.
Security Priorities
- Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) - 45%
- Why It’s Important: ZTNA is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of modern cybersecurity strategies. Unlike traditional security models that rely on perimeter defenses, ZTNA assumes that threats can exist both inside and outside the network. It mandates that no entity—whether inside or outside the network—should be trusted by default.
- Focus for 2024: Organizations are prioritizing ZTNA to ensure that access to resources is strictly controlled based on identity, context, and continuous verification. This approach significantly reduces the attack surface and mitigates risks associated with unauthorized access.
- Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN) - 35%
- Why It’s Important: SD-WAN offers a flexible, scalable, and cost-effective solution for managing wide area networks. It enables organizations to optimize the use of multiple connectivity options, such as MPLS, broadband, and LTE, while ensuring robust security and performance.
- Focus for 2024: The integration of SD-WAN with security frameworks, such as Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), is a top priority. This ensures that as organizations adopt SD-WAN, they are also enhancing their overall security posture.
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP) - 18%
- Why It’s Important: DLP technologies are crucial for protecting sensitive data from unauthorized access, leaks, and breaches. With the increasing volume of data being processed and stored, organizations need to ensure that sensitive information is protected at all times.
- Focus for 2024: Organizations are investing in DLP solutions that offer advanced data discovery, classification, and protection capabilities. This includes integrating DLP with cloud services and endpoint security to provide comprehensive coverage across all data channels.
Network Priorities
- Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN) - 46%
- Why It’s Important: SD-WAN continues to be a top network priority due to its ability to simplify network management, improve application performance, and reduce costs. As businesses become more distributed, the need for efficient and reliable network connectivity becomes paramount.
- Focus for 2024: In addition to deploying SD-WAN, organizations are focusing on its integration with cloud services and ensuring that it supports secure and high-performance connections for remote and branch offices.
- Bandwidth - 32%
- Why It’s Important: The demand for higher bandwidth is driven by the growing use of cloud applications, video conferencing, and data-intensive workloads. Ensuring that networks have sufficient bandwidth to support these activities is crucial for maintaining productivity and user satisfaction.
- Focus for 2024: Organizations are investing in bandwidth upgrades and optimizing their network infrastructure to handle increased traffic. This includes adopting technologies that prioritize critical applications and manage bandwidth usage more efficiently.
- Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) - 22%
- Why It’s Important: VPNs remain a critical component of network security, especially for organizations with remote or mobile workforces. VPNs provide secure access to corporate resources by encrypting traffic and masking IP addresses.
- Focus for 2024: While VPNs continue to be important, there is a growing shift towards adopting ZTNA and SASE frameworks, which offer more granular access controls and better integration with modern cloud environments.
The priorities highlighted for 2024 reflect the growing need for organizations to adopt flexible, scalable, and secure network and security solutions. ZTNA and SD-WAN are at the forefront of these efforts, offering the tools needed to navigate the challenges of a distributed workforce and an evolving threat landscape. As organizations continue to adapt to the demands of digital transformation, these priorities will play a critical role in shaping their success.
