Five Proven Use Cases For SD-WAN In The Financial Services Industry
The financial services sector is dealing with new challenges as they race to digitize for a better customer experience and high-performing branch operations. Unfortunately, cyber criminals are capitalizing on the increased complexity.
To address these concerns, financial institutions are turning to SD-WAN for a more efficient and secure network setup. This accelerates digital transformation and paves the way for the implementation of Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) architecture. In this article, I explore how combining a?thorough SD-WAN?solution with a robust security strategy can address the current challenges in this sector.
Modern Challenges Of The Financial Industry
The financial industry encounters a multifaceted set of challenges that hinder digital transformation, thus affecting both operational efficiency and security. These challenges include:
1.?Infrastructure And Technological Challenges
Most banks still rely on outdated multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) networks that connect their branches to the main office. As a result, many are experiencing network problems, especially during mergers, restructuring, and acquisitions. This puts the banking industry at a?higher risk of cyber threats. Expanding to additional branch locations also introduces the following complications:
These obstacles, along with slow and unreliable data center connections and infrastructure, hamstring the migration of crucial business applications to the cloud.
2. Cybersecurity Threats Amid Digital Adoption
Rapid technological advancements require financial institutions to?enhance their digital services?and improve the overall customer experience through:
Additionally, with rising transaction volumes and migration to the cloud, the financial services industry has become a prime target for cybercrime, including theft of funds and personal information, DDoS attacks, and ransomware.
3. Regulatory Compliance
The financial services industry operates under?strict PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) regulations?designed to protect consumers from fraud and maintain transparency. Organizations must comply with these standards, even in the face of resource limitations and potential threats.
Five Benefits Of SD-WAN To Financial Organizations
To overcome these challenges, it is essential to execute a comprehensive enterprise initiative. Implementing an advanced SD-WAN platform such as?Aruba EdgeConnect?empowers the financial services sector to step fully into the next generation of cloud technology. I’ve summarized five proven benefits of SD-WAN below.
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1. Simplified And Cost-Efficient Network Infrastructure
Legacy MPLS services limit the migration of cloud-hosted applications, and requires IT teams to backhaul traffic to main data centers for security. This results in added latency and operational difficulties for remote branches. The?Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN?edge platform streamlines operations by:
Aruba EdgeConnect enables financial institutions to transition from complex architectures to cost-effective network infrastructure, with real-time performance monitoring.
2. Quick Expansion And Roll-Out
Traditional MPLS services are not equipped to handle the added bandwidth used to expand branches and upgrade ATMs. However, Aruba EdgeConnect delivers private line-like performance through:
Even without previous IT knowledge, anyone from the IT team can easily set up the EdgeConnect SD-WAN appliance from any remote site.
3. Optimized Backup And Disaster Recovery
Disaster recovery plans commonly involve storing remote data backups at a considerable distance from the primary site, which can result in potential latency issues. To address this, organizations can opt for additional software like?Aruba Boost WAN Optimization?to improve backup and disaster recovery performance. This enhancement is achieved through the acceleration of the TCP protocol and the incorporation of data deduplication and compression algorithms.
The platform proves effective even with substantial data sets, significantly reducing backup time, while simultaneously expediting recovery processes and optimizing bandwidth.
4. Secured Access And Customer Data
To guarantee compliance, financial institutions must secure customer data in cloud applications. This entails shifting from the conventional practice of backhauling cloud traffic to embracing a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) architecture.?Aruba EdgeConnect, as a fundamental element of SASE, provides unified branch security, zero-trust segmentation, and automated orchestration with third-party cloud security providers. These functionalities work cohesively to streamline network infrastructure, enhance security measures, and optimize overall operational efficiency.
5. PCI DSS Compliance
Incidents of card transaction fraud losses for merchants and ATM cardholders continue to increase over the years. In response to this escalating threat, PCI DSS outlines?12 security requirements?to mitigate credit card fraud, which is now a mandatory for any organization handling cardholder data. The Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN platform supports?compliance with nine of these requirements. This kind of compliance provide a secure environment with robust data protection for financial institutions in the cloud.
My Final Thoughts
In the changing world of digital finance, the increasing threat of cybersecurity demands financial institutions to prioritize secure and reliable network connections. Unfortunately, various challenges and conflicting priorities often lead to neglecting network infrastructure, especially during cloud migration.
To tackle these challenges, financial institutions need to adopt a flexible SASE approach – using Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN as a foundation for cloud-hosted security solutions. By?partnering with experts like WEI (Worldcom Exchange, Inc.) , this strategic approach enables organizations to smoothly undergo digital transformation, cut costs, and manage cybersecurity risks effectively. If you're ready to explore these possibilities,?reach out to our team?to get started.