In the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, “location independence” and “Anywhere operations” will be a significant trend which will continue as more and more companies start finding remote working model more feasible and cost-effective. [1] With companies having assets existing outside of the traditional security perimeter, the security approach adopted by companies must evolve to cater to the current needs. p>

Figure 1: Cybersecurity [2]

Cybersecurity mesh as a concept follows a distributed approach to network and infrastructure security, allowing for the security perimeter to be defined around the identities of persons and machines on the network. Such a security design creates smaller and individual perimeters around each access point. The cybersecurity is shown in figure 1.

With cybersecurity mesh, companies can ensure that the security of each access point is effectively managed from a centralized point of authority, thereby enabling centralized security policies and distributed enforcement. Such an approach is aptly suited for enterprises operating from “anywhere”. This also means that cybersecurity mesh is a building block of a Zero Trust security strategy where devices, services, data, and applications are accessed securely from anywhere by humans or machines with strict identity verification and authorization.

Organizations are adopting many different solutions to individually secure each device and endpoint in their environment, [3] including:

1. Multi-factor authentication to verify user identity
2. Disc and data encryption to secure all company information
3. Remote wipe tools in case an endpoint is lost or stolen
4. Virtual private networks to safeguard communications
5. Limited remote access gateways that enforce least privilege user access
6. Modern monitoring and correlation tools for threat detection

Cybersecurity mesh architecture (CSMA) advocates interoperability and coordination between individual security products, resulting in a more integrated security policy. This bolsters the security of an organization by protecting individual endpoints, instead of attempting to protect all assets with a singular technology. [4] CSMA is designed to help an organization move away from obsolete standalone systems and toward an integrated approach. How is this accomplished? According to Gartner:

Cybersecurity mesh architecture (CSMA) advocates interoperability and coordination between individual security products, resulting in a more integrated security policy. This bolsters the security of an organization by protecting individual endpoints, instead of attempting to protect all assets with a singular technology. [4] CSMA is designed to help an organization move away from obsolete standalone systems and toward an integrated approach. How is this accomplished? According to Gartner:

1. CSMA creates a means for individual security services to communicate and integrate, creating a more dynamic environment for security across the network.
2. CSMA makes your organization’s security posture more agile. As increased digitization takes place, CSMA solutions offer a more scalable and flexible security response.
3. CSMA improves your defensive posture by facilitating collaboration between analytical and integrated security tools. This greatly enhances your response to attacks and breaches.
4. CSMA creates an environment in which cybersecurity technology can be rapidly deployed and conveniently maintained. It minimizes investments in situation-specific security solutions for which you may only have a temporary need, freeing up your assets, whether financial, technological, or personnel-related, for more critical operations.

References:

1. https://10xds.com/blog/what-is-cybersecurity-mesh/
2. https://www.itproportal.com/features/developing-a-cybersecurity-mesh/
3. https://www.insight.com/en_US/glossary/c/cybersecurity-mesh.html
4. https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/what-is-cybersecurity-mesh

Cite this article:

Vinotha D (2022), The Technology of Cybersecurity Mesh, AnaTechMaz, pp.71