Making Networking Simple, and the Challenges Associated with it: Dinesh Verma, MD, Juniper Networks

Digital transformation is the latest trend that now almost every industry is up-to-date with. However, when it comes to digital transformation, the key element that several people are oblivious to is ‘Networking’. After all, the data and new age technologies like artificial intelligence are completely reliant on networks, which is like a skeletal framework of all industries. Nonetheless, networking can be a daunting task for several companies as it is generally perceived as complex. Juniper Networks, however, believes in ‘Engineering simplicity’.

Juniper simplifies network operations with secure and automated multicloud-ready solutions. Built on a common operating system, enterprise solutions offered by Juniper lets companies apply consistent, end-to-end policies wherever applications and data reside. “The basic idea is to make complex networks simple, and embedding that entire complexity is what operators find difficult to handle. Engineering the products is complex, but using the same is simple. The stacks that we have built, and the kind of chipsets that we integrate those stacks with, is parallel to none in the industry. Hence, largest of the SPs, financial industries and others are extensively using Juniper gear, and helping us to innovate in relation to their requirement,” said Mr Dinesh Verma, Managing Director, India & SAARC, Juniper Networks.

Also, in this era of digital transformation, making networking simple is a challenge that is harder than it sounds because legacy infrastructure is a task for networking companies as well. “To integrate with legacy equipment is a challenge as the new age technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning are not compatible with old equipment. Nevertheless, it depends on the kind of network architecture that we are building. One can always use the old equipment in other parts of the network, and can keep feeding in the new generation network, thereby protecting the entire investment made on networks,” said Mr Verma.

Another challenge that companies face when it comes to adoption of cloud is cybersecurity. Mr Verma believes that cybersecurity is something that needs to come from ‘within’. “Whether it is private cloud or hybrid cloud, networks have to be protected from within. There is framework, which encompasses the security policies to be applied and enforced across the length and the breadth of the network. To enable this, Juniper Networks has created Software-Defined Secure Network (SDSN) that provides end-to-end network visibility, allowing enterprises to secure their entire network, both physical and virtual. Using threat detection and policy enforcement, an SDSN solution automates and centrally manages security in a multi-vendor environment,” adds Mr Verma.

When talking of cybersecurity, threat prevention is always better than cure, and networks are playing an active role in doing so. “If you are monitoring every port in the switch, and if you are also able to enforce your common policy across, whether it is n the switch, routing or server, then the networks do play an extremely important role. The networks should be able to identify the threats and display where they lie,” says Mr Verma. In order to do the same, Juniper acquired Cyphort, a maker of security analytics software for large and midsize enterprises. The Cyphort technology generally increases the efficiency and performance of Juniper’s Sky ATP platform. It allows Sky ATP to support a wider range of file types and new threat-detection functionality that draws from advanced machine learning and behavioral analytics.

What is in Store for Networks with Increased Adoption of IoT

With Internet of Things (IoT) becoming a reality, networking will play a strong role in future. Mr Verma says that the challenges in terms of network security will be the fact that ingress points will increase as billions of devices will be scattered all across. However, frameworks such as Juniper’s SDSN framework that enables one to identify and reinforce policies from a central location will make recognizing ingress points easier, says Mr Verma, despite the fact that the threat perception may increase with increased adoption of IoT. Also, automation with AI and ML to identify the threats on day zero or pre-day zero will play a huge role in network security when it comes to IoT, says Mr Verma.

Focus Areas Juniper Networks is going After

Multi-cloud, enterprise and service providers are the three key pillars for Juniper Networks, and security is an aspect that cuts across all the three verticals, says Mr Verma in conclusion.