Collaborative approach makes Nebula a compelling security proposition
Along with support for Nebula cloud management, Zyxel’s USG FLEX security gateways come with new collaborative detection and response functions, “zero trust” and SecuReporter – and they work in harness with Zyxel’s wireless access points to provide even better protection for the network, says Kevin Drinkall, EMEA Wireless and Cloud Market Development Manager at Zyxel.
Nebula is now available for the USG FLEX series of security appliances. This is a really exciting development. Not only does it mean that you can now monitor and manage these devices remotely, but it has also allowed us to introduce some new features that enable our security and wireless products to work in harness and thus provide customers with enhanced protection.
As both wireless and security products can now be managed through Nebula, we are able to align data from each device and make them work together. These collaborative detection and response functions will enable us to identify and isolate potential threats on the network earlier.
If, for example, someone connects to the WiFi using a laptop that does not have the right security credentials, that device will be denied access until the issue is resolved. We are also providing increased capability to monitor a user’s activity on the network and identify if there may be any suspicious or unusual behaviour.
Enhanced capability & control
In addition to network access control, we are adding two-factor authentication capability to USG FLEX, making it much easier to verify users are who they seem to be when they try to log in. This additional check will usually require the user to enter a code that obtained via the google authenticator and then allows them to enter it into an access portal page. Only then will they be given access to the network.
Two-factor authentication can be applied whether they are connecting through a secure, point-to-point tunnel or VPN, both of which we provide as options on a number of our security gateways. It’s a really strong safeguard against anyone who is unauthorised just picking up someone else’s laptop and going through the automated connection process. It’s a significant added layer of security that really enhances protection for customers.
Zero trust
This “zero trust” approach to network access is becoming more important, not only because threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated, but also because there are more users working at home. It’s also important to be more user-aware – to focus on the actions of individuals rather than simply the device or the connection. If someone is not physically present in the office, after all, we can’t be absolutely sure who they really are.
One further and significant enhancement is that we have now integrated SecuReporter with Nebula, which means you can get detailed reports on threat activity through the platform. This is really useful as no news is, usually, good news. But having no news may also prompt customers to ask what exactly they are paying for? SecuReporter provides the answers. It’s a simple way to view, analyse and report on what activities and threats have been detected and repelled – and that makes it a really useful tool for administrators and managed services providers.
Sign-on and go
These additional capabilities are possible due to Nebula support now being available on the USG FLEX series and they are a really good illustration of just how far-reaching Nebula’s capabilities have now become. All this functionality and is available in one place. All you have to do is sign-on.
With the new collaborative detection and response features, the zero trust capabilities, and the SecuReporter all now available, and Zyxel products being used together to provide added protection, the combination of USG FLEX, Zyxel wireless access points and Nebula is a highly compelling proposition.
