Arraya Insights

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If Gartner’s researchers are correct, over the next two years, scores of IT pros are going to be adding a new phrase to their vocabulary – and to their corporate networks. That phrase is intent-based networking and Gartner’s team predicts it’s about to go mainstream. They believe that, by 2020, more than 1,000 large enterprises will be leveraging intent-based networking, compared to the dozen or so doing so today. In order to understand the reason behind that spike, we first need to look into the concept itself.

Intent-based networking differs significantly from prescriptive (customary) approaches to networking. It’s free of the granular concerns that plague more traditional methodologies. In a way, the difference between overseeing the two is almost like the difference between saying: “I want to bake a cake” versus “I need eggs, flour, sugar …” and so on.

That cake analogy is one way to think of intent-based networking. According to Gartner, another is to consider its four defining characteristics. It’s important to keep in mind that, while these capabilities can all be present on Day One, it’s not essential, or even recommended. Instead, they can be implemented over time, allowing the business to gradually adjust to the power and ability of intent-based networking.

  • It can translate then validate
    Intent-based networks are able to take high-level policy demands from IT and turn them into a proper network configuration. Then, the system will generate and test its configuration to ensure accuracy.
  • It can automate implementation
    After validation, intent-based networks are able to roll out their devised configurations across a preexisting IT environment, by way of either network automation or orchestration solutions.
  • It is aware of network state
    Intent-based networks remain cognizant of the status of the systems under their control, relaying that information back to IT.
  • It is capable of self-optimization and issue remediation
    In real time, intent-based networks can confirm they are helping the business achieve its networking goals, and if not, it can initiate the necessary corrective actions.

Intent-based networking has a certain futuristic air to it – even without Gartner’s references to the year 2020. However, there are solutions bringing these capabilities to today’s businesses. Here’s a closer look at how one in particular is impacting companies in the here and now.

Reimagining the ‘DNA’ of networking

Cisco has heralded the arrival of its Digital Network Architecture (DNA) solution since last spring’s Partner Summit. Then, at this summer’s Cisco Live, the tarp was finally stripped away and it made an impression. In fact, our own Dan Clarke, who attended Cisco Live, began his blog post recapping the event with a single telling line: “The evolution of networking is all about the DNA.”

Cisco DNA is an open, malleable network architecture designed to actualize the benefits of intent-based networking. It does this while taking into account the realities of the modern technology landscape, including ever-present security threats, sprawling connectivity and a workforce that won’t sit still. Let’s drill down further into several ways DNA addresses these ideas.

  • Security – Cisco DNA is a holistic security solution, touching the entire network from edge to core. That posture leverages Cisco solutions such as ISE to provide IT with greater insight into network traffic, spotting threats wherever they may lurk, encrypted or not. As DNA is exposed to attacks, it learns what to expect and how to respond, powering faster, more comprehensive, and more hands-free threat response.
  • Mobility – Many organizations struggle to find the balance between the freedom of enterprise mobility and the necessity of cyber security. Cisco’s Software-Defined Access lets devices and users be easily and safely welcomed onto the network while tools like Umbrella and AMP for Endpoints keep data and devices safe wherever employees roam.
  • Internet of Things – Businesses stand to gain plenty of insight and efficiency through the Internet of Things (IoT). Before they can, they must first reconcile issues regarding architecture, cost, and security. Through its edge-to-core security, routine task (configuration, provisioning, etc.) automation, and a centralized management dashboard, DNA makes it easier and safer to embrace IoT.
  • Cloud – The cloud has become an increasingly important part of today’s business model, forcing a change in the way organizations think about their network traffic and workloads. Cisco DNA provides support for cloud strategies, including hybrid and its underlying infrastructure. This allows employees to connect to the cloud without fear while experiencing the greater quality and consistency it offers.

Want more information on Cisco DNA, intent-based networking, and what they can do for your business? Arraya Solutions’ Cisco and IoT team is ready to help you analyze your network and your needs to help connect you to the right solutions. Start a conversation now by visiting: https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/.

Leave us a comment on this blog by way of our social media accounts. Arraya can be found on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. While you’re there, be sure to follow us to stay on top of our industry insights and unique learning opportunities.

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Conversations about enterprise mobility have long been plagued by sudden bursts of verbalized alphabet soup. What began with BYOD has evolved into MDM and then EMM, with each subsequent incarnation layering on additional freedoms and securities as well as a new acronym to remember. More recently, a new string of letters has made its debut in the mobility space and, if businesses fail to address it, they risk having their enterprise mobility initiatives fall short in terms of a different abbreviation – ROI.    

Unified Endpoint Management (or UEM) is IT’s response to the increasingly diverse ways in which modern workers seek to perform their jobs. This includes leveraging a complex web of devices, featuring traditional options (laptops and desktop computers), advanced choices (smartphones and tablets), and more recent developments (Internet of Things endpoints and wearables). UEM backs that heterogeneous blend of devices and operating systems, granting users a consistent experience with minimal ramp-up while securing against cyber crooks in search of a quick payday … or worse.  

Organizations interested in pursuing the modern, secure approach to enterprise mobility outlined in UEM would do well to consider VMware’s Workspace ONE offering.  

Putting UEM principles into practice

Workspace ONE bills itself as a consumer-friendly solution backed by enterprise-grade security. With its roots in AirWatch Unified Endpoint Management, Workspace ONE also integrates with the virtual application delivery capabilities of VMware Horizon. The result is a productivity-boosting platform that enables workers to use safely the devices and apps with which they feel most comfortable.      

Let’s take a closer look at how Workspace ONE can become a driving force behind mobilization and digital transformation efforts: 

  • More intelligent employee access – Great pains must be taken to ensure those logging in to the network are who they claim. Yet, at the same time, this process must be user-friendly enough for employees to accept it. Workspace One juggles both of those forces, supporting single sign-on and multifactor authentication capabilities.   
  • Forward-thinking device flexibility – Employees have plenty of choices regarding the devices they use, and Workspace ONE is ready to support them regardless of platform, including Windows 10. It allows for user-friendly-yet-secure endpoint onboarding, with out-of-the-box access to the everyday applications employees require.   
  • Open yet secure collaboration – Workspace ONE includes basic applications (email, calendar) and tools that have become intrinsic to modern collaboration (chat, social, etc.). Workspace ONE creates an open, yet secure, collaborative environment by allowing employees to engage with each other in real time with the backing of security measures governing how data can be edited and shared.   
  • Greater risk calls for greater protection – Workspace ONE understands risk is a fluid concept. As such, the platform distills a wide range of data points, including network type, location, device, and more, to keep data secure wherever or however an employee accesses it.    
  • Hands-free application and update delivery – By way of its AirWatch foundation, Workspace ONE lets administrators automate the process of provisioning new applications and pushing out critical updates. This ensures employees have consistent, secure access to their applications.     

Next steps: Empower a secure, mobile workforce

Want to learn more about VMware’s Workspace ONE platform or discuss what unified endpoint management means for the future of enterprise mobility? Reach out to us today by visiting: https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/. Our engineers have decades of experience supporting virtualization and mobilization initiatives in organizations of all shapes and disciplines and are waiting to share that expertise with you! 

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Changes are coming to Dell EMC’s midrange storage portfolio. With the unveiling of a pair of new solutions, performance upgrades, and an opportunity for investment protection, Dell EMC has made sure organizations whose storage needs fit that bill will have a lot to consider regarding the future of their data centers. For some organizations, that future got a little bit closer in light of a different piece of recent news from the tech giant.

Last month, Dell EMC released a list of data management technologies set to go end of life on January 31, 2018. This includes a variety of Unity solutions, as well as offerings from the VNX and SC Series lines. Once end of life occurs, those solutions will officially be on the road to retirement. While that road is lengthy – the final milestone, end of service life, won’t arrive until January 31, 2023 – it’s never too early for organizations to start looking ahead. Any business whose data center includes a solution for whom the clock has begun to tick will want to make sure they’re paying close attention to the other moves Dell EMC is making in the mid-tier storage space.

Let’s take a closer look at some of these changes and determine what opportunities they may represent for businesses.

What’s next for the SC Series

As mentioned above, the SC Series turned up on Dell EMC’s list of solutions hitting end of life come the New Year, represented by a lone model: the SC4020. The same press release announcing the SC4020’s end of life also suggested where businesses could look for a minimally disruptive and use case appropriate replacement: the SC5020.

Dell EMC also just announced the release of a new, all-flash version of SC5020, or as it has been dubbed, the SC5020F. Businesses upgrading their existing SC4020 solutions, but looking to stay in family, will be presented with a choice. They’ll have the option to stick with a hybrid configuration of the SC5020 or begin embracing all-flash. Should they make the decision to go all-flash, they may even want to go beyond the SC5020F, instead upgrading to the new SC7020F model.

Here are three use cases for the SC5020F and SC7020F deployments:

  • Businesses with enterprise-class performance needs.
    The arrays may be midrange, but the performance is not. Businesses will experience performance boosts of up to 399,000 IOPS per array or 3.9M IOPS per multi-array federated cluster.
  • Businesses eager to balance scalability and availability.
    Right out-of-the-box, the SC5020F and SC7020F can link with existing multi-array clusters, taking the hassle out of provisioning for workload migrations and load-balancing. Also, they feature auto-failover to keep the business humming despite a potentially disruptive event.
  • Businesses in search of a (mostly) hands-off solution.
    The SC5020F and SC7020F aren’t entirely hands-free, however they are self-optimizing. These solutions can conduct intelligent data deduplication and compression to ensure they operate at the highest level, ensuring a positive ROI.

Unity receives an efficiency boost

Also going end of life this January? No fewer than four Unity models, as the clock will start ticking on the 300F, 400F, 500F and 600F. Once again, Dell EMC has suggested a path for businesses in search of an upgrade to follow. The company recommends the 350F, 450F, 550F, and 650F respectively as the appropriate upgrades.

Moving from one model to the next has gotten much easier thanks to a recent refresh of Unity’s OS. The latest version, v4.3 enables non-disruptive system upgrades as well as other improvements, including:

  • Inline deduplication to boost the efficiency of the array’s all-flash nodes.
  • Synchronous file replication to prevent data loss and keep businesses performance seamless.

Confidently invest in the data center

Customers purchasing new Dell EMC Unity and SC Series solutions will be eligible for a whole new level of peace-of-mind thanks to Dell EMC’s new Future-Proof Storage Loyalty Program. This unique pledge offers customers:

  • A three-year satisfaction guarantee on new purchases from either product family.
  • A pre-assessment and restriction-free 4:1 all-flash efficiency guarantee.
  • Everything needed to store, manage, and protect data delivered in-box, meaning no additional licenses will be required for a solution to perform as expected.
  • Flexible credits toward select hardware upgrades or the purchase of new Dell EMC solutions.

Next Steps: Start planning the future of your data center now

Want to learn more about potential data center upgrade paths or latest offerings available from Dell EMC? Arraya Solutions’ Data Management team can help guide your business through the technology vetting process, ensuring you have access to the expert knowledge and support your business needs. Start a conversation with us today by visiting: https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/.

Also, check us out on social media – LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook – where you can leave us a comment or question about this blog or follow us to stay on top of all our industry insights, special events and company news.

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While we were in Ohio earlier this year, my colleague Ryan Benner (Arraya’s Vice President, Enterprise Infrastructure) and I found time to take in a football game between our alma maters – Penn State and Ohio State. It was a great, back and forth matchup in which my team, the squad from THE Ohio State University, staged a thrilling rally to emerge victorious. Now, I don’t bring this up to gloat about the victory one last time, at least, not entirely. Instead, I want to use that win to introduce a subject that is critical to what we do every day here at Arraya: teamwork.

That day at Ohio Stadium was a great example of what it really means to work together as a team. It’s about so much more than wearing the same jersey. Instead, it’s about coming together to accomplish something bigger than what an individual could do on his or her own, like overcoming a fourth quarter deficit to win a key game against a conference rival.

Now, things don’t translate exactly one-to-one from the football field to the business world. For example, I usually don’t wear a jersey to work and I often go up against multiple teams of competitors instead of one. Still, my team – the people who I know I can count on – is just as complex as a championship-caliber football team. It’s a group defined by far more than simply dressing alike, doing similar jobs, or, in the case of a business, even having paychecks come from the same source.

As Arraya’s Director of Sales, my most obvious teammates are my group of extremely talented and knowledgeable Account Executives. However, the job we do as a Sales unit wouldn’t be possible without all of the other parts of Arraya’s organizational structure. We rely on Marketing to promote events as well as our organization’s thought leadership. Without our Presales team, we wouldn’t be able to address the needs of our customers nearly as effectively. I haven’t even gotten to our Delivery teams, our Project Managers, or our Executive Leadership – and more! Even though all of us are doing different things, our care-about is essentially the same – to create an environment that puts our customers first and helps them achieve their IT goals. Of course, we’re all Arraya employees and, as I mentioned above, teams aren’t always limited by paycheck provider.

Another crucial part of my team are Arraya’s ecosystem partners, Cisco, Dell EMC, Microsoft, and VMware, among others. These vendors are true leaders in their fields. When myself or one of my Account Executives walk into a meeting with a customer, we do so knowing that the solution we’re proposing is something that will prove to be a legitimate difference-maker. Furthermore, without the unique insights offered by vendor reps, we couldn’t advise our customers with the same level of insight as we do now.

Like any good team, we know we can’t stand still. The second we stop improving as a group, we’re going to find ourselves looking up at our competitors. This quest to improve inspired us to expand what we can do with our Managed Services as we launched new services around Application Development, Integration, Analytics, Automation, and more. These services don’t just address here and now problems. They will provide our customers with an innovative way to get an edge on their own competitors for years to come. Also in the spirit of improving, we’re extremely excited about our new Staffing Services Practice. This addition will allow us to provide onsite support for our customers, functioning as a temporary extension of their technical team whenever they need us. In both cases, the personnel hired to lead these initiatives are bringing first-rate, on-the-field experience and knowledge to the role.

Technology environments are growing even more complex and the same goes for the threats targeting them. It takes a complete team effort, incorporating every facet of the Arraya organization as well as the might of our industry partners, to overcome that complexity and guide customers toward meaningful solutions to their technology challenges. Only with that level of teamwork can our customers, our OEM partners, and ourselves all come out on top when the final whistle blows.

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Dell EMC recently announced several of its leading legacy data management technologies are set to go end of life (EOL) early next year. With support for these solutions beginning to  wind down, it’s time for businesses to start having the conversation about what comes next for their corporate data centers. Those who fail to get out ahead of these impending changes could find themselves in a tight spot when Dell EMC’s support fully runs out.

What solutions were impacted by this announcement? Let’s take a look at the list as well as Dell EMC’s suggestions on the technologies customers can turn to in order to modernize their data center environments:

  • Unity
    • EOL Model: Unity 600F – Suggested Replacement: Unity 650F
    • EOL Model: Unity 500F – Suggested Replacement: Unity 550F
    • EOL Model: Unity 400F – Suggested Replacement: Unity 450F
    • EOL Model: Unity 300F – Suggested Replacement: Unity 350F
  • VNX
    • EOL Model: VNX8000 – Suggested Replacement: Unity 650F, Unity 600, SC9000, VMAX 250F or XtremIO
    • EOL Model: VNX7600 – Suggested Replacements: Unity 650F, Unity 600 or SC9000
    • EOL Model: VNX5800 – Suggested Replacement: Unity 650F or Unity 600
    • EOL Model: VNX5600 – Suggested Replacement: Unity 550F or Unity 500
    • EOL Model: VNX5400 – Suggested Replacement: Unity 450F or Unity 400
    • EOL Model: VNX5200 – Suggested Replacement: Unity 350F or Unity 300
  • VNXe
    • EOL Model: VNXe3200 – Suggested Replacement: SCv20X0, Unity 300 or Unity 350F
    • EOL Model: VNXe1600 – Suggested Replacement: SCv20X0 or MD3
  • VSS
    • EOL Model: VSS1600 – Suggested Replacement: SCv20X0 or MD3
  • SC Series
    • EOL Model: SC4020 – Suggested Replacement: SC5020

What happens after ‘End of Life?’

Once January 31 hits, the above solutions will no longer be available for new sales. However, a variety of upgrades – including capacity, IO modules, and software – will remain available to customers until January 31, 2020, should they need them. Following that, the next big date organizations will want circled on their calendars is January 31, 2023. That’s the date on which those solutions will all reach end of primary support (EOPS) and all maintenance contracts with Dell EMC regarding them will terminate – unless alternative arrangements are made.

Luckily for customers looking to keep out in front of these dates, the upgrade path can be minimally intrusive, particularly for those upgrading a member of the Dell EMC Unity family. Customers leveraging any solutions from the Unity 300F to 600F product lines have the option to execute a data-in-place upgrade. Any data management systems modernized using this method will be bound to the end of life dates of the newer system moving forward. As mentioned, this option is currently only available for the Unity solutions listed above, but there are plans to expand it next year to cover upgrades from SC4020 to SC5020.

Next steps: Start planning your data center modernization

Want to learn more about the upgrade paths available for these or any Dell EMC solutions? Arraya Solutions’ Data Management team stands ready to help guide you through the upgrade process, connecting your business with the right technology to meet its unique needs. You can start a conversation with our team today by visiting: https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/.

Leave us a comment on this blog by way of our social media accounts. Arraya can be found on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. While you’re there, be sure to follow us to stay on top of all our industry insights and special events.

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We’re living in an on-demand era. Need a ride? There’s Uber. How about fresh groceries and a roasting pan for the holidays? Amazon will have it all at your doorstep in 24-48 hours. It’s amazing how our expectations as consumers have evolved over the last 10 years. Even now, we’re changing the economic landscape of how goods and services are consumed, which will continue to change how businesses operate. Really, we’ve still only scratched the surface of what can be done with this new flexibility.

As I scanned through my inbox earlier this month, I came across some interesting figures showing how businesses are embracing another aspect of on-demand culture. For many organizations, on-demand resources are becoming an essential piece of their business strategy. The proof of this is in the latest numbers compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The agency found temporary jobs increased by 18,300 last month from the total recorded in September. All told, the overall number of temporary jobs, adjusted for season, has increased every month since December 2016. Just as impressive? The penetration rate of temporary workers hit a record high of 2.09% last year and the overall unemployment rate dipped to 4.1%.

How are businesses making use of all of these on-demand consultants? During my career, I’ve seen two primary methods:

  • Short-term project work – IT leaders’ heads must be spinning with all of the products available on the market today. Even tougher? Understanding how to leverage those products in the most secure and effective manner. This is where it helps to bring in a temporary, specialized on-demand consultant – someone with expertise in a given product or area – to drive innovation and efficiency. Once the product initiatives and goals are met, the consultant will move on to the next gig while IT can check off a key to-do list item without investing energy or long term budget.
  • Long-term bandwidth extension – IT like so many other business units, has been operating under the directive of doing more with less for a while now. However, the abundance of projects and ever-tightening deadlines often make that seem an impossible target to hit. Sometimes this challenge isn’t due to a lack of a specific skill set but rather a lack of resources. In this case, IT may simply need a staffer (or two) to address an operational overload or project for a set period. These initiatives can run for a few months or even a couple of years. Again, temporary resources can step in and fill a role immediately, with minimal training and onboarding, in order to hit project deadlines or keep the business operations stable during any type of disruption.

Next steps: Where to turn for on-demand support

I’ve spent more than half of my career in technology staffing services. I’ve seen the benefits that this route holds for businesses that choose to explore it. Leveraging temporary resources gives IT the no-risk flexibility to foster stability where it needs it most, allowing it to pursue innovative new paths without adding complexity to org charts. That’s why growth trends like those reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics don’t surprise me. I’m also not surprised when I see figures like this one reported in a recent white paper from Accenture: 85% of business and IT executives said they plan to increase their use of independent consultants over the next year. The strategic benefits of this approach are just too great for organizations to overlook.

Arraya also believes in the benefits of on-demand IT resources. That led us to launch our new Staffing Services Practice. Our goal is to rapidly connect businesses with the technical expertise and experience they need to achieve their organization-wide goals. This mission really is a natural extension of what we’ve already been doing with our Managed and Professional service offerings. We see these three pieces coming together to provide our customers with an even higher level of responsiveness and service quality.

Want to talk more about how your organization can leverage Arraya Staffing Services? Reach out to me today at: https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/.

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Arraya Insights Radio

Episode 3: Security & the Shop Floor: An Xs and Os Look at Manufacturing’s Digital Defenses

Host: Thomas York (Director, Quality and Operational Excellence & Dallas Cowboys Fan)

Guests: Tom Clerici (Director, Cyber Security Practice & NY Giants Fan) and Doug Guth (Director, Cisco and IoT Practice & Philadelphia Eagles Fan)

As the Department of Homeland Security’s annual Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month comes to a close, the Arraya Insights Radio crew discusses the challenges facing modern manufacturers as they work to keep their data and their processes safe from cyber criminals looking to make a quick buck – or worse. Later, the conversation stays with cyber security, however, some longstanding NFC East rivalries begin to bubble to the surface.

Theme Music: “I Don’t Remember (Yesterday)” by Hygh Risque

Further Reading:

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We’ve talked previously in this blog about how stock photos always depict cyber security threats the same way. The setting is typically a dark room occupied by a hoodie-wearing, faceless figure with some undoubtedly Matrix-inspired grids of code artistically placed somewhere in the frame. However, with the help of a recent survey, we’ve compiled an image that, while lacking in drama, more accurately depicts who security professionals seem worried about. Our picture is of a person wearing unassuming professional attire, in a well-lit room, maybe waiting quietly for a cup of coffee to brew. In short, it’s the average employee.

At our recent Open House and Technology Day, Arraya conducted a survey to gauge what attendees saw as their biggest security challenge. Rather than hand out print surveys, we decided to make this one more visually engaging. All attendees received a ping-pong ball at registration and were asked to drop it in a jar marked with the security issue they struggle with most.

Let’s take a look at the results:

  • “Protecting my employees from themselves while maintaining productivity and innovation” – 46%
  • “Gaining granular insight into my network to detect malicious behavior” – 21%
  • “Securing sensitive data that has been moved to the cloud” – 18%
  • “Keeping costs low while providing adequate security” – 14%

Building a security-first corporate culture

The “end users” response collected more votes than any other two options combined. If our Open House had gone on any longer, we would have needed a bigger jar. Despite the overwhelming response, end users mostly aren’t acting as malicious insiders and knowingly damaging their employers. They’re regular people trying to do their jobs, only, for them, security takes a backseat to efficiency. The question then becomes, what can IT do to build a corporate culture that accurately reflects security’s ever-increasing importance without, as the above response acknowledges, handcuffing employees’ productivity and innovative spirit? Here are eight ideas:

  • Define the Goals of the Security Program – Blanket directives such as “We need to be more secure” do little to help crystalize the importance of security in the minds of end users or staff. Instead, the objectives behind an initiative must be made obvious to everyone impacted. Whether it’s safeguarding sensitive data or achieving compliance with a new regulation, everyone should have a clear understanding of the direction they should be pulling in and why.
  • Establish “Top Down” Accountability – People are going to make mistakes. The key in security, just like everything else, is that they learn from those mistakes and grow into more security-aware employees. Should individuals fail to demonstrate that growth and make the same mistakes over and over, the only option is to part ways with them. This should be the case for all employees, regardless of position or standing, to enforce the notion that everyone is accountable.
  • Know Where Data is and Who Can Access it – Modern organizations are not hurting for data. In many cases, they’re so inundated with it, it’s hard to keep track of what’s stored where and who is accessing it. Steps must be taken to bring data back under the control of IT, in terms of location and access permissions. Otherwise, sensitive data could be inadvertently left out for the wrong audience to see.
  • Identify Risks and Threats – IT and end users alike must be aware of the threats facing the organization. They must be ready to contend with the hazards posed by ransomware, phishing, social engineering, and more, specific to their particular industry. As the threat landscape is regularly changing, much like everything else in IT, frequent updates and refreshers are a must.
  • Develop Sensible Controls Based on Risk – Securing against every theoretical hazard is a noble goal, but ultimately, it’s also impractical. Resources are limited, as is end user patience for restrictive security controls. As such, businesses must develop controls that take into consideration everything from the likelihood of an attack to the impact it could cause. Doing so enables IT to lay out security protocols that are both effective and sensible.
  • Outline Responsibilities and Train – The word “cyber” in cyber security has mislead many an end user to believe that the topic is only an IT concern. However, every single person within an organization, regardless of department or level, has a role to play in preventing data breaches and malware attacks. Time must be invested in training users on what to expect, how to avoid risks, and what to do if they encounter a suspected threat. This way, they’ll be ready to do their part to keep the organization safe.
  • Monitor and Report Program Effectiveness – Once a cyber security program is in place, the work doesn’t stop. The initiatives and processes within that program must be closely monitored for what’s working and what isn’t. IT should collect device logs, end user feedback, and more to determine the status of efforts and then adjust as needed.
  • Prepare for and Respond to Incidents – In the event something does go wrong, who does what? Prepare for the worst by putting together an Incident Response Team representing all parts of the organization. Should an attack happen, the members of the team must know exactly what is expected of them and get to work identifying, mediating, and solving the problem.

Next steps: Where to turn for security initiative support

Whatever your security challenge, Arraya’s Cyber Security Practice can help. Our team has the technical knowledge and the real world experience to assist organizations with planning, protecting, and prevailing against today’s toughest threats. Get the conversation started with our team today by visiting: https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/.

Do the results of our study match your own findings? Let us know! Check in with us on social media, on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook, and leave us a comment on this or any of our blog posts. Be sure to follow us to keep up with our latest industry insights, special events, and company news.

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I spend a lot of time with customers talking about network security, endpoint security, monitoring, and a whole host of other security solutions that are highly technical and point to specific risks. We get so caught up in the technologies that process the data, that we rarely look at the data itself. Specifically, I’m talking about how our users are accessing email, managing shared drives, or leveraging cloud services like Office 365, Dropbox, or Google Docs.

Most organizations don’t think of these as business driving entities, but anyone who’s been in a supporting IT role knows that if email or file shares fail, there’s chaos and panic across the organization. Most companies take these systems for granted because everyone has them but, in many cases, the security around them is a train wreck. Using a tool like Varonis DataAdvantage allows you to get the power back from systems that may have grown out of control over time.

Take Back Shared Drives and Email

We’ve all seen them before – giant corporate shared drives that everyone has access to and nobody is monitoring. Everyone talks about how critical they are but nobody is willing to take ownership for determining what’s still needed and what’s outdated. They’re expensive and time consuming to back up and they get bigger every day, with duplicate files all over the place. Is anyone actually using these files? How often are they accessed? Can anyone get to them? Do they contain sensitive data and where is that data going? These are the questions IT departments often find themselves ignoring because it’s just too difficult to figure out and nobody wants to peel back the onion.

As bad as it may be, it’s possible to get control over this data. Varonis DataAdvantage gives IT teams the ability to know all the metadata around individual files on shared drives that traditional Windows logging doesn’t capture. The software crawls file shares to identify sensitive data, and maintains a database of transactions so you can quickly and easily see exactly who accessed a file, moved it, deleted it, added it and the number of times these transactions occurred. In a single pane, DataAdvantage lets you look at the nested active directory groups that are providing access to users you never thought would be able to see sensitive data.

Then there’s email, which falls into its own category. Who’s watching the email administrators managing corporate messaging? Have they ever accessed the CEO’s email without permission? Are they looking at HR emails with salary data or other sensitive personal information? Do you have a way to prove exactly which file they opened and when? Can you alert key individuals as soon as this does happen? The answer to all of these is typically no.

DataAdvantage takes email monitoring to the next level. Leveraging real time alerts, you can see not only when an administrator gave themselves access to a sensitive email account but also identify exactly what email they read and when they did it.

Incident Response and Forensics

It’s the first question HR asks when salary data gets out … who saw that file? Most IT teams know who had access to it but can never definitively tell you if it was opened, copied, or moved. Varonis DataAdvantage provides a detailed log of those actions significantly simplifying the recovery process for security administrators. Instead of making a “best guess,” now you can know for sure exactly who saw sensitive data and what they did with it. By leveraging Varonis’ user behavioral analytics capabilities, security teams can also baseline typical behavior and identify anomalies. Is a member of the sales team thinking of leaving and all of a sudden they’re viewing or moving files they haven’t accessed in years? Varonis lets you detect and alert on these kinds of unusual behaviors. Going a step further, Varonis can detect a ransomware attack and shut it down before it’s too late. It can detect anomalous files rapidly changing and trigger immediate alerts.

Partnering with Arraya and Varonis

For companies that want more control over their data and to get into the weeds on exactly what’s happening, Arraya and Varonis can help. Our team understands the complexities of unstructured data and the importance of securing it.

Want to learn more about data security? Reach out to our Cyber Security Practice today: https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/. You can also reach us through social media: LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

 

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Value-wise, digital transformation is often discussed using somewhat nebulous concepts, such as agility, modernization, etc. While certainly intriguing, those terms provide little tangible insight into what organizations can expect should they pursue this trend more fully. That doesn’t mean, however, there aren’t plenty of examples of that more concrete vision of what life can look like with digital transformation.

One such example is a white paper commissioned by Dell EMC and executed by ESG entitled How IT Transformation Maturity Drives IT Agility, Innovation, and Improved Business Outcomes. This reports showcases multiple inside examples of what it means to be “digitally-transformed.”

Let’s take a closer look at some of the paper’s findings regarding the differing experiences had by those who’ve embraced digital transformation and those who remain committed to legacy solutions and processes.

Finding #1: Project Efficiency

Transformed companies are more likely to complete their IT project within or ahead of a desired timeframe than their legacy rivals. Transformed companies are more than 3x more likely to complete a project ahead of schedule than a legacy business (34% of projects completed early versus just 11.3%). Another notable gap exists in terms of the percentage of projects completed behind schedule. Here, just 21% of projects completed by transformed businesses wrapped up late compared to 35% of those undertaken by legacy businesses.

Time is critical when it comes to technology projects. Project delays don’t just cost the business financially, they can also do considerable damage to IT’s reputation. Should those on the business side lose faith in IT’s ability to efficiently get the job done, it may give rise to potentially dangerous Shadow IT initiatives.

Finding #2: Cost Effectiveness

The advantage wielded by transformed organizations isn’t limited to better adherence to timeframes, it extends into budgeting, as well. Transformed organizations completed a quarter of their projects under budget, compared to 15% of legacy businesses who can claim the same.

Organizations who are consistently bringing projects to completion under budget – without sacrificing quality – will be positioned to reinvest those savings into other improvement projects. This could enable them to continue to compound their technological edge over non-transformed competitors.

Finding #3: Application Spend

IT budgets seems to go further for transformed companies than they do for those located on any other level of digital transformation (legacy, as well as middle stages emerging and evolving). Researchers discovered this by comparing IT budgets with the number of mission critical apps contained in an environment, with the latter meant to represent operational complexity. The results showed that, on average, transformed companies spend 14% less per mission critical app supported than other businesses.

This statistic, coupled with the one regarding budget efficiency, should go a long way to prove that digital transformation investments aren’t a frivolous expense. Rather, they’re an investment in an organization’s future financial health.

Finding #4: Innovation vs. Maintenance

Transformed organizations are more likely to have an eye on the future, according to the report. They spend just over half (54%) of their IT budgets on maintaining the services and infrastructure they already have in place. In legacy businesses, that number is closer to two-thirds (66%). On the flip side of both of those figures, transformed businesses are able to invest 46% of their budgets into new projects and initiatives while legacy groups are left with just 34% to devote toward innovation.

Staying competitive necessitates organizations be ready to explore new options and technologies. Those who stand still and simply focus on keeping legacy systems running will likely find themselves falling behind their more forward-thinking competitors in terms of what they can offer customers.

Finding #5: Perception of IT

For too long IT spend was viewed as something of a necessary evil. In transformed organizations, opinions of IT couldn’t be more different. In the study, 21% of respondents from transformed businesses said they see IT as a competitive differentiator while 49% described it as a valued service provider. The view in legacy organizations is far more dated, namely that just 3% see IT as a competitive differentiator while 28% view it as a valued service provider. The vast majority (61%) of legacy organizations believe IT is a stable service provider, but ultimately a cost center.

More and more businesses at the forefront of their industry are beginning to see themselves as technology companies who also provide some other product or service. The IT team must have a seat at the table with business leaders and it must be viewed as more than a cost center in order for that objective to be realized.

Finding #6: Long-term Competitive Edge

Optimism appears to be running high at transformed organizations. Roughly 85% of survey respondents from these businesses believe their organization is in a strong or very strong position to compete and succeed in their industry for years to come. Meanwhile, in legacy businesses, that number is less than half (43%).

The consensus is clear: the IT leaders polled for this survey see digital transformation as a pathway to success. Those who fail to embrace it seem wary about what the future holds while those who have transformed themselves feel ready to take on whatever comes next.

Next Steps: Bringing digital transformation to your business

Ready to explore the impact digital transformation could have on your business?  Our team of IT experts can help you chart and execute a course toward becoming – and remaining – a digitally transformed organization, regardless of where you reside on that journey. Schedule a Data Center Modernization Assessment now by visiting: www.arrayasolutions.com/contact-us/.

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