Managing a network is no easy feat. Growing complexity, an ever-expanding technology stack and constant change management makes networking one of the greatest challenges facing businesses. The use of automations and artificial intelligence (AI) is now a necessity rather than a luxury. With more cyber threats than ever (an estimated 2,200 per day), organizations need to automate as much as possible on their networks to ensure greater protection and free up resources for more strategic goals.
But which automations will make the most impact when change is one of the only constants on a network? Many IT teams are looking for ways to efficiently manage their networks without raises in price or the need for additional team members. Find out why automating your network is a good idea and what you should be doing.
Why You Need Network Automation
What’s wrong with doing things manually, you ask? Twenty years ago, the answer would have easily been, “there’s nothing wrong with that.” Now, networks are comprised of hybrid or multi-cloud environments. Add in various tools from multiple providers and MSP partnerships and suddenly the task of operating without interruption becomes a much bigger ask.
In such a multi-faceted environment, it is nearly impossible to keep track of everything that needs to be updated, configured, monitored and maintained without the help of AI and automations. Additionally, it takes significantly more resource time and effort to continue to manually perform tasks.
There are other efficiencies that you can gain from network automation, including:
- Elimination of human error. One report finds that 40% to 80% of network failures can be traced back to human error. With automation, you remove the probability of a network failure.
- Improved reliability. Create redundancies and automated monitoring to ensure better uptime.
- Enhanced compliance and governance. Automation allows organizations to perform health checks and validations that would otherwise require significant resource time.
- Faster adaptation to change. Networks are growing in their complexity. Automation and AI make it possible for organizations to keep up with changes in the environment.
- Greater network visibility. You can quickly view and discern the current state of operations without hours of investigation.
- Quicker analysis and resolution of problems. Threat detection and resolution is a top priority for businesses to eliminate the cost of a breach.
If that doesn’t convince you, then take a look at the numbers. Juniper Research reports that businesses using network automation outperform their peers. The same report even found that job satisfaction was nearly 20% higher among workers in organizations with network automation because it eliminated the need for large amounts of redundant work.
Automated Threat Detection
Cyber threats are no joke. In fact, IBM reports that data breaches cost $4.35 million in 2022. To help eliminate the risk of a cyberattack, you can enable automations for a threat-aware network which can respond dynamically to certain breaches. AI can be used to quickly identify compromised devices and isolate them from the network. AI tools can consistently monitor your network and identify abnormalities to alert your network team of any possible risks or anomalous traffic more quickly.
Quick Device Identification
Identifying devices on your network is essential for management of cyber threats, but it’s also helpful for addressing network issues. Manual identification, especially on large and decentralized networks, can take a significant amount of time. Network engineers can enable automated device discovery which creates a process of consistent scanning and updates your asset inventory at all times.
Zero Trust Networking
Another way to protect your network involves automating a zero trust framework. Using automated microperimeters allows you to segment particular assets, data and applications to limit access to a defined user set. Additionally, automating strict authentication rules is also helpful for implementing zero trust so that users are required to authenticate their identity every time they access a network. Automated port scanning is also encouraged to prevent access to any inactive ports.
Dynamic Load Balancing
One of the largest issues that plague network administrators outside of cyberattacks involves latency and downtime. Often, latency occurs during peak hours because the network bandwidth is stretched too thin. By automating bandwidth adjustments, networks can dynamically adjust based on network usage to save on data costs and keep operations running smoothly.
Automatic Network Inventory
Keeping an updated inventory of your network is of the utmost importance. This task used to be conducted manually, but with the expanded breadth and constant evolution of today’s networks, it is nearly impossible to cover all your bases. Automating your network inventory helps keep your systems current and limits the potential of a threat that might occur due to outdated equipment.
Application Connection Checks
When access to applications get spotty, it’s logical to question whether the network is the culprit. Especially in a multi-cloud or hybrid environment, it can be difficult to troubleshoot why applications aren’t working. You can automate application connection checks to ensure that your connected tools and services aren’t going down when you need them to work the most.
Want to learn more about a career in networking? Check out these resources to learn more about getting started in networking.
