As cloud usage expands and the pace of application deployments and updates accelerates, many security teams are increasing their focus on application segmentation. There are multiple approaches to application segmentation, which can lead to confusion as security teams compare traditional application segmentation techniques with newer approaches like microsegmentation.
Application segmentation often includes a blend of intra-application segmentation and isolation of application clusters from the rest of the IT infrastructure. Both techniques provide security value in different ways. However, traditional application segmentation approaches rely primarily on Layer 4 controls, which are becoming less effective and more difficult to manage as environments and application deployment processes become more dynamic.
Microsegmentation technologies (https://www.akamai.com/products/akamai-segmentation) offer security teams a more effective approach to application segmentation by providing a detailed visual representation of the environment, along with a more granular set of policy controls. The most effective microsegmentation technologies take an application-centric approach that extends to Layer 7. Visibility and control at the individual process level make application segmentation more effective and easier to manage. Sanctioned activity can be governed with highly specific policies that are not affected by IP address spoofing or attempts to execute attacks over allowed ports.
As hybrid-cloud environments and fast-moving DevOps processes become the norm, application segmentation is more important — and more challenging — than ever. Using application-centric microsegmentation to perform application segmentation ensures that security visibility and policy controls keep pace with rapid changes to both the environment and the applications running in it.