You hit the complete button for your online order – and we all know the next step, tracking the shipment to see where your package is. Today, this is not only because we are excited for it to arrive, but with the increasing incidents of porch pirates stealing packages we know it is not safe until it is inside of our home. Theft plus other security concerns are driving the need for more video surveillance at the home, but the technology has been difficult for homeowners to get up and running in the past.

Fortunately, the technology in this space has dramatically improved in recent years. Cameras no longer require cables to connect them to a storage device. They can connect directly to the home Wi-Fi network, offering setup and connectivity in minutes.  Power cables can be eliminated through use of rechargeable battery packs, offering the ability to mount a camera in almost any location you can reach with a ladder.  In short, what was once a complex process that required careful planning and consideration is now a simple activity.  There’s really no reason not to update your home security plan with surveillance cameras that can be easily installed in just a few hours. 

What was once a complex process that required careful planning and consideration is now a simple activity.

Security conversations aren’t stopping at the dinner table – they are also happening in boardrooms around the world. Due to recent large-scale security breaches involving thousands of records hitting the news, public concern for data security in online communications also continues to grow.  With the potential for 1 in 4 organizations to experience a large-scale data breach within the next 24 months, the need for a comprehensive security strategy is paramount.  Business are finding out that data breaches can result in legal and regulatory fees, costs associated with identifying and notifying the victims, plus lost revenue and a tarnished brand – all of which can add up to millions of dollars. 

Security between data centers should not be overlooked

Most security frameworks start by securing the host and the connection between users and applications. The problems and solutions here are generally well understood, but once application data leaves the safe confines to traverse the network between data centers, it may be left unsecure.  The communications link between applications, or between applications and databases in different locations, is often overlooked because fiber networks that interconnect data centers have generally been viewed as impenetrable.  However, data often travels across third party or multiple service provider networks, so it is not under a single organization’s full control.  A simple, scalable way to secure data traveling across the network must be adopted to ensure data confidentiality.

To secure communications between data centers, organizations often rely on the network infrastructure to provide encryption, but this can bring several challenges depending on the layer used.  The solution may be difficult to design and engineer, costly to implement and inefficient to scale as traffic demands grow.  Some solutions may introduce increased latency and reduced throughput under high traffic demand, adding to the scalability problem.

Simplifying security between data centers with Layer 1 encryption

Fortunately, much like the home surveillance market, advances have been made in network infrastructure that enable the optical layer to provide a simple solution for protecting all in-flight data. Layer 1 encryption provides full throughput and negligible latency to eliminate bottlenecks and network induced latency, under any traffic load.  It is simple to design, build and operate, and since it is built into the same transport systems that are used to send wavelengths across metro or long-haul networks, no additional costly encryption appliances are required.

Encryption at Layer 1, such as Ciena’s WaveLogic Encryption solution, provides bulk encryption for all in-flight data passing across the encrypted link, so it can be a simple first step for organizations implementing a security policy between data centers or in the Cloud.

Encryption at Layer 1, such as Ciena’s WaveLogic Encryption solution, provides bulk encryption for all in-flight data passing across the encrypted link, so it can be a simple first step for organizations implementing a security policy between data centers or in the Cloud. The optical layer can ensure all application to application communications between data centers are secured.  Bulk encryption at Layer 1 even secures communications between legacy apps that may not fit into other security frameworks.  Or it can be used as an additional layer of defense, in case an upper level security compromise occurs.  Organizations have the flexibility and choice to use Layer 1 encryption as a catch-all at the bottom layer or use it as a part of a more comprehensive security plan.

Home video surveillance now has many simple, easy-to-implement solutions enabling widespread adoption.  Similarly, securing the Cloud between data centers has never been simpler.  The time is right to add Layer 1 encryption to your global security framework.

Want to learn more? Click here to watch our “Securing the Cloud” webinar and hear how Layer 1 encryption can be a simple, scalable solution for securing communications between data centers or in the Cloud.