What are the Different SD-WAN Security Issues?

Introduction

Since the regular use of digital solutions has become more and more characteristic for enterprises due to digitalization, SD-WAN technology can be considered the next necessary step to achieve better control over networks. Traditional WAN was characterized by complications that detained businesses from deploying and managing the applications, services, and policies of their networks. However, similar to every other technology that has been developed, security issues have not spared SD-WAN. While the usage of SD-WAN is still on the rise, so are the security threats that come with its usage.

In this blog, we will be taking a look into SD-WAN security issues and threats that an organization should watch out for. We will also look at measures that enterprises can take to guard against these security issues, hence making their SD-WAN implementation reliable and secure. To learn more about SD-WAN Security, consider Cisco SD-WAN Training.

Before going deep into the problems and challenges of SD-WAN security issues, let us shed light on what SD-WAN is.

What is SD-WAN?

SD-WAN is a flexible and efficient technology that can help control and secure a company’s networks more effectively than traditional WAN models. It obeys the tenets of software-defined networking (SDN) to develop or simulate a wide area network (WAN), hence having control over the network from a central point. This, in turn, helps businesses manage network traffic effectively, enhance application performance and efficiency, and hence, helps reduce costs.

Now that you have a basic knowledge of SD-WAN, let us now move on to the next section where we will discuss the main SD-WAN Security Issues.

What are the main SD-WAN Security Issues?

While SD-WAN offers numerous benefits, it also presents several security challenges and concerns. Here are some of the main SD-WAN Security Issues:

1. Network Security Risks: It relies on internet connectivity, which makes it vulnerable to network security threats such as hacking, malware attacks, and denial-of-service (DoS) threats. If not secured, it can create a backdoor for cyber threats to penetrate the network.
2. Data Encryption: It transmits sensitive data across public networks, making data encryption a critical concern. If not properly secured, sensitive data can be intercepted by unauthorized parties.
3. Compliance and Governance: Compliance and governance issues may also arise due to several restrictions present in fields like finance or healthcare. A business needs to ensure that its network not only survived this disaster but is now positively growing.

Let us now focus on different types of SD-WAN security threats.

Types of SD-WAN Security Threats

Below, we have explained different types of security threats in SD-WAN.

• Malware and Ransomware: SD-WAN networks are also at risk since malware and ransomware attacks could pose a threat to the data residing on the network and interrupt the network’s functioning.
• Denial-of-Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attacks: L switches and SD-WAN networks may be affected by DoS and DDoS attacks in which several participants flood networks and their resources with requests, thus causing disruptions.
• Phishing and Social Engineering Attacks: Security challenges associated with SD-WAN networks are mainly phishing and social engineering attacks whereby the attacker targets the user credentials and gains unauthorized access to the SD-WAN network resources.
• Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs): SD-WAN networks are exposed to APTs, which are heinous attacks that can degrade Network Resources and steal information.
• Zero-Day Exploits: Newer SD-WAN networks are not immune to zero-day exploits, which are attacks on previously undiscovered programs or system flaws.

Common SD-WAN Security Concerns

Here is the list of some most common SD-WAN security issues that are multifaceted and can have a significant impact on businesses:

• Weak Authentication and Authorization
• Insecure Configuration
• Lack of Encryption
• IoT (Internet of Things) and the security of the IoT devices
• Third-Party Vendor Risks
• Inadequate Incident Response
• Multi-Tenant Security
• Cloud Security
• Network Segmentation
• Lack of Secure Protocols
• Insufficient Logging and Auditing

Mitigating SD-WAN Security Concerns

Mitigating some of the most important SD-WAN security issues requires a proactive and multi-tiered strategy. Here are some best practices to follow:

• Implement robust security protocols, like encryption, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems.
• Conduct regular security audits.
• Develop an incident response plan.
• Implement access controls to ensure that only authorized users and devices are used.
• Monitor network traffic to detect and respond to security threats.
• Third-party vendor risk management.
• Incident response planning.
• Secure configuration and change management.
• Secure protocols.
• Encryption of traffic.

Even though SD-WAN presents benefits, there are some of the challenges that affect SD-WAN network security; hence, outlining the challenges will enable organizations to take preventive measures towards the challenges, hence enhancing the integrity of the network. SD-WAN security issues must not be allowed to affect the further advancement of digital transformation programs; this is where strong security measures should be put in place to achieve the optimum result.

Al’s Role in Enhancing the SD-WAN Security Concerns

The importance of AI and ML in handling SD-WAN security concerns has emerged as the solution to the challenges by incorporating AI and ML. Here are some ways that AI can improve SD-WAN security issues:

• Predictive analytics: By analyzing the network traffic patterns to predict and prevent security threats.
• Automated incident response: It can automate incident response, reducing the time it takes to respond to security incidents.
• Network optimization: By optimizing network traffic, the related risks of SD-WAN security issues are reduced.

The Future of SD-WAN Security

As it continues to evolve, so do the SD-WAN security concerns regarding network safety continue to grow. Here are some future trends that will shape and tackle SD-WAN security concerns:

• Artificial Intelligence: AI technology will play an increasingly important role in SD-WAN security, providing predictive analytics and automated incident response.
• Greater cloud security: As more businesses move to the cloud, cloud security will become an increasingly important part of SD-WAN security issues.
• User experience: SD-WAN security solutions must prioritize user experience, providing seamless and secure access to applications and data.

Now, we have discussed every aspect in respect to SD-WAN Security Issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1 – What are the Security Challenges of  SD-WAN?

Direct internet access and the complexities of SD-WAN deployments introduce huge risks, underscoring the need to deploy comprehensive security features.

Q2 – What are the two major weaknesses of SD-WAN?

These are the Two Major Weaknesses of SD-WAN –

• There is no on-site security functionality.
• There is no end-to-end QoS (Quality of Service).

Q3 – How is SD-WAN more secure than MPLS?

SD-WAN creates encrypted tunnels over the internet, while MPLS doesn’t directly support encryption but is partitioned from the internet. Hence, comparing SD-WAN and MPLS, SD-WAN is more secure.

Q4 – What are the Limitations of SD-WAN?

One of the most significant limitations of SD-WAN is that it only supports point-to-point connections, which means that you cannot connect two separate sites.

Conclusion

The security of SD-WAN is a topic with multiple layers and different aspects that can be discussed. Nevertheless, by being aware of common SD-WAN security issues and attributes, employing proper strategies, as well as adopting Artificial intelligence and Machine learning, threats to business networks’ security can be effectively managed. The More organizations adopt SD-WAN technology, the bigger issue of security becomes, and this should not be looked at as a passive event.