TTI | Network Security Insights

Optimizing the Edge With Aruba ESP

Written by Craig Badrick | Aug 18, 2020 12:55:04 PM

The future of networking is at the edge. AI-powered platform Aruba ESP can help you optimize edge computing while maintaining enterprise-grade cybersecurity.

Nearly every decade comes with a major transformation in data processing and storage, and this decade that change is the development of edge computing. With edge computing, computing is done at or near the source of the data — even on devices themselves — instead of in the cloud or at a data center. Because the edge allows data to be processed in the same place where it is created, utilizing edge computing can reduce latency, alleviate bandwidth issues, boost reliability, and even reduce costs. However, as with any new development, edge computing is only as good as the tools used to harness it.

That’s where Aruba ESP comes in. Aruba ESP is the industry’s first AI-powered platform built to unify, secure, and optimize the edge. In tandem with Aruba Central, ESP provides a single watchtower from which network administrators can monitor all network operations across wired, wireless, and WAN locations. It is designed to help users maximize the benefits of decentralized edge computing, while also maintaining their cybersecurity and network performance.

 

Securing Edge Computing in the Era of Big Data

The fact that data is sitting at the edge instead of in the cloud does not mean that IT teams can start taking it easy when it comes to data security. It is just as important as ever to make sure bad actors can’t gain access to an organization’s devices or critical information. Every IoT endpoint within a network represents a vulnerability that hackers can exploit if it’s not properly protected. With more data stored in endpoints than before, it is critical that they are secured.

Given that edge computing demands that hardware be dispersed throughout an environment, it can be challenging to ensure an organization isn’t accidentally giving hackers easy entry points into their network. The fact that edge devices often lack built-in redundancies means the damage or breach of any single device can lead to data loss. Maintaining cybersecurity while embracing the benefits of edge computing requires a solution that can unify IT infrastructure while actively working to detect any potential threats.

 

Edge Optimization with Aruba

With an increasing number of industries investing in edge computing solutions to improve performance and reduce costs, companies are stepping up to the plate to manage and secure networks with complex edge deployments. Aruba ESP is here to help address that challenge. A part of Aruba’s network management platform, Aruba Central, ESP is an AI-powered platform that unifies network infrastructure and provides IT teams the visibility into network performance that they need in order to maximize the gains in efficiency and speed offered by the edge.

Aruba ESP consists of three main features that come together to help IT teams manage their use of the edge securely:

  • AIOps: Short for artificial intelligence operations, AIOps combines AI and analytics to identify the precise root causes of issues related to the edge with more than 95% accuracy. It also auto-remediates network issues, proactively monitors the user experience, tunes the network to prevent problems before they occur, and uses peer benchmarking and prescriptive recommendations to continuously optimize and secure the network. That translates into a vastly improved end user and IT experience.
  • Unified Infrastructure: Unified Infrastructure consolidates all of an organization’s network operations for switching, Wi-Fi, and SD-WAN across campus, data center, branch, and remote worker environments under Aruba Central. As part of Aruba Central, ESP users get a cloud-native, single-pane-of-glass console that offers visibility into all devices and correlates cross-domain events to reduce manual errors and issue resolution time.
  • Zero Trust Security: Zero Trust Security is designed to stop attacks in their tracks. It combines built-in role-based access technology, Dynamic Segmentation, and identity-based intrusion detection to authenticate, authorize, and control policies for users and devices connecting to the network. It also simultaneously works to detect, prevent, isolate, and stop attacks before they impact the business.

Make the Most of Edge Computing with an IT Partner

All of Aruba ESP’s features can help businesses optimize their use of the edge while maintaining their cybersecurity. That being said, Aruba ESP is a new platform that requires effort to effectively optimize and rollout in your organization. In order to fully reap the benefits of Aruba ESP, it’s best to team with an implementation partner like Turn-key Technologies, Inc. (TTI) that can help ensure both your edge computing and Aruba ESP solutions are implemented correctly.

With nearly 30 years of experience working at the forefront of IT infrastructure design, implementation, and monitoring, TTI is excited to continue that legacy by offering the industry’s first AI-powered platform built for the edge. Working with TTI can help you make the most of your new network analytics solution to start seeing immediate benefits across the board.

If you are interested in learning more about how TTI can help find the right Aruba solution for you, contact us for a free consultation today.