A recent report from Kordia, a New Zealand communications and cybersecurity services provider, has revealed that approximately 24% of businesses report that their major challenge is maintaining adequate cybersecurity measures during digital transition phases.

Kordia's report, which surveyed more than 200 business leaders from some of New Zealand's largest organisations, also revealed that 40% of businesses encountered a cybersecurity episode connected with the cloud within the past year. This data underscores the adverse impacts that can affect businesses which do not prioritise security during their digital transition processes.

Murray Goodman, Head of Product at Kordia, emphasised that both the workplace structure and corresponding network technology needs have been evolving rapidly. However, he mentioned, "Hybrid working and cloud-first models are great from a productivity standpoint, but it brings some unique security challenges, particularly when it comes to networking."

Goodman pointed out that the previous network security structures often become outdated. Instead of upgrading, businesses "try and cover security with a patchwork of different security vendors and technologies, and that creates risk." He observed that there was no consistent or centralised approach to security across the full network.

The Kordia executive identified a growing trend of Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and Zero Trust frameworks as measures to address these contemporary challenges. These approaches give organisations control over their networking environment and enhanced visibility which would altogether bolster security. "SASE and Zero Trust are growing in popularity because they offer a better paradigm for managing security, but before you can take that journey, you need to ensure that your network is fit for purpose," Goodman said.

Goodman further explained that Kordia offers businesses an SD-WAN model, referred to as 'Intelligent WAN', optimised for hybrid work setups to help simplify security management. "If the business is shifting to a cloud-first model, having a network that integrates SD-WAN with LAN and WLAN, so they adopt a common security policy that is centrally managed from a single management platform, is a good approach. This extends the security layer and policy to all devices connected to the network, so even BYOD are protected," Goodman emphasized.

According to Goodman, Kordia's Intelligent WAN addresses the key front of security, without compromising on other connectivity aspects. Noting further, he said, "Security is important, but that needs to be delivered with a solution that enables the business, your people need to be able to access the network anytime, anywhere, without losing connectivity." He stressed that Kordia's solution is "a flexible, secure solution that ensures your business has the best possible availability and performance of business-critical applications, whether that's connecting to public or private cloud."