Software Defined Perimeter: An Encrypted Replacement to VPN
By: Merin Suresh
Tags: Cybersecurity, Sdp, Encryption, Covid 19, VPN

Replacements are difficult to find but when they are found, it makes the job much easier. At a time when companies are battling multiple cyber attacks and are at the brink of compromising sensitive information, it is crucial to ensure that suitable measures are taken. Shifting from a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to a Software-Defined Perimeter (SDP) is one way in which security can be ensured.

What is SDP? Software-defined perimeter is a security technique in which access to internet infrastructures such as routers and servers is blocked to external sources, thus blocking out any external intrusion capable of causing damage to company software and system. The specialty of SDP lies in the fact that it prioritizes software over hardware, which means that regardless of the location of the infrastructure, be it on cloud or within the company premises, access is granted only to authorised users. Identifying the user’s identity and assessing the device are two important steps that make SDP a much secure option. Once the user identity and device have been authenticated, the user is provided a separate network that is connected to services that the user has access to. Acting as a secure gateway between the user device and services he/she intends to use is the main security role that SDP is expected to perform. It also makes use of what is known as Transport Layer Security (TLS) which is a protocol that ensures that a server is legitimate. This encryption rule acts as a double security system, that is TLS is performed mutually, one for the client as well as the server.

Owing to work from home conditions caused by COVID-19, many companies prefer to use cloud services to help backup data, a service that may not have been possible in the case of on-premises situations. Disaster Recovery (DR) based cloud services benefit the organisation while also posing a challenge to security. The need for a secure and encrypted solution, thus becomes evident causing companies to look for sustainable solutions such as SDPs. Although VPN may be used in an SDP architecture to create network connections that are safe between the user and the required servers, SDPs prove to be more secure and easily manageable as compared to VPN. Additionally, since SDPs assess both the device and the user, it is difficult for an intruder to hack into the server merely with stolen credentials. In the case of a VPN, employees in different departments will have to be given separate VPNs which makes it a daunting task for the IT department to manage. However, with SDPs, the advantage lies in the fact that each authenticated employee is given an individual network rather than a larger network to work with.

While VPN can be effective for on-premises protection, it stands as an outdated option when it comes to cloud services. In 2019, NordVPN, a popular VPN service provider revealed that it had fallen prey to a hack attack. Gartner, global research and advisory firm, said that deployment of SDP would have prevented Citrix, the American software company that was attacked by an Iranian hacking group called IRIDIUM, from coming under attack.

Secure Blink recommends a safe shift from virtual private network to software-defined perimeter to ensure that cyber threats are reduced to the bare minimum.