What Is Cybersecurity Mesh and How Can It Boost Your Cybersecurity?

As we plummet further into the 21st century, more and more technical advancements flood the cybersecurity landscape. Along with this flood of technical advancements comes a barrage of cyberattackers trying to discover new ways to conduct attacks. Sure, you might have some cybersecurity tools helping you out — but exactly how well are they really helping you? This is where cybersecurity mesh comes in. 

Simply put, it takes multiple existing tools and makes them work flexibly with each other instead of relying on one cybersecurity solution to respond to threats. In this article, you’ll discover more information on what cybersecurity mesh is all about and how it can help any business in today’s cybersecurity landscape. Let’s get started!

What Is Cybersecurity Mesh?

Cybersecurity mesh refers to a distributed and decentralized cybersecurity approach that leverages a network’s collective intelligence, resources, and capabilities. By network, we mean everything: interconnected devices, systems, and people. Cybersecurity mesh enables businesses to dynamically and adaptively respond to threats and vulnerabilities in real time rather than relying on a centralized security infrastructure.

It’s different from traditional cybersecurity — it’s much more flexible, resilient, and scalable. Unlike its traditional counterpart, cybersecurity mesh enables you to better defend against constantly evolving threats and vulnerabilities. By allowing individual tools to communicate and integrate, you’ll have an easier time tackling any cyberthreat.

For SMBs, implementing cybersecurity mesh is a highly effective and efficient way to improve their cybersecurity strategy. It also makes it easier to scale their security capabilities as their business grows.

But how exactly does it work? Let’s find out.

How Does Cybersecurity Mesh Work?

To understand how cybersecurity mesh works, we need to look at 4 layers involved in the cybersecurity mesh architecture (CSMA).

1. Security Analytics and Intelligence Layer

The security analytics and intelligence layer is a key component in CSMA. It’s primarily responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating data and information related to security threats and vulnerabilities. It collects data from several sources, including network traffic, logs, and alerts. Overall, this layer enables you to make more informed and strategic decisions about your cybersecurity posture.

2. Distributed Identity Fabric Layer

The distributed identity fabric layer is responsible for managing and protecting device and user identity in a company. It does this using a range of tools and technologies designed to authenticate, authorize, and secure access to network resources and data.

These tools and technologies include identity and access management (IAM) systems, single sign-on (SSO) solutions, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) tools. The layer can also include other tools and technologies for managing and securing user and device identities, such as active directory, identity governance, and identity analytics.

Overall, this layer helps you prevent unauthorized access and ensure that only authorized users can access your sensitive information.

3. Consolidated Posture and Policy Management Layer

This layer is primarily responsible for managing your security posture. It does this by centralizing one policy across all of your security tools. In turn, this can help boost your compliance and negate misconfiguration errors.

4. Consolidated Dashboards Layer

This layer contains useful dashboards to display and monitor your network’s security posture in real-time. The dashboards typically pull data and information from a range of tools such as firewalls, antivirus software, and intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS). Then, they present this information in a simple and unified view.

Consolidated dashboards help your security analysts and other stakeholders quickly and easily understand your security posture. These dashboards also have other features, such as real-time alerts, trend analysis, historical data, and more. These features can help you identify patterns and trends in security data. In turn, you can have more informed decision-making.

Alright, so far, we’ve talked about what cybersecurity mesh is and how it works. Let’s look at its benefits now, shall we?

4 Cybersecurity Mesh Benefits

Having cybersecurity mesh provides your business with many benefits. Let’s look at 4 of them.

1. Handles IAM Requests

As mentioned earlier, IAM is a key component of CSMA (specifically in the distributed identity fabric layer). In short, IAM refers to the processes and technologies used to manage and secure access to network resources and data.

Having cybersecurity mesh in place allows you to streamline and automate many IAM tasks, such as user provisioning and de-provisioning. In turn, this helps you be more efficient and effective in managing and securing access to your network resources and data.

2. Implements Zero Trust Network Access

Zero trust is a cybersecurity model with a simple premise, and that’s to automatically not trust any user, device, or network. This is regardless of whether they’re inside or outside your business’s perimeter. Instead, you should carefully authenticate and authorize access requests before granting them.

Zero trust is a benefit of cybersecurity mesh because it leads to improved security against potential cyberattackers. By implementing zero trust principles, you can better control access to your resources and data. You can implement it using IAM systems, SSO solutions, and MFA tools.

3. Enhances Compliance 

Cybersecurity mesh can also help you meet regulatory and compliance requirements. This is because it provides a more comprehensive view of your network and security. This demonstrates your compliance with regulatory bodies and stakeholders, which can improve reputation and trust.

4. Increases Efficiency and Productivity

Cybersecurity mesh can help you streamline your security processes and automate many routine tasks. It can also enable more effective collaboration between your security tools and technologies. In turn, this can reduce the burden on your security team. In the long run, you can be more efficient at detecting and responding to threats this way.

All that’s left now is to go over some applications!

3 Cybersecurity Mesh Applications

Cybersecurity mesh has several key applications that can help you prepare for the future, close gaps in your security posture, and make the most of various CSMA layers. Let’s look at some examples.

1. Preparing for the Future

Cybersecurity mesh can help you anticipate and prepare for future threats and vulnerabilities. Specifically, the security analytics and intelligence layer help you collect information from various sources. You can use this information to proactively detect and respond to potential threats. In turn, you’ll always stay ahead of cyberattackers.

2. Closing Security Gaps

By providing a more comprehensive and dynamic view of your security posture, cybersecurity mesh can help you easily close security gaps. Remember that it leverages the power of several devices and tools in your network. This combined cybersecurity force can help you shut down any loopholes in your network.

3. Making the Most of CSMA Layers

By leveraging the various layers of a cybersecurity mesh architecture, you can effectively protect and secure your network, data, and systems. For instance, the security analytics and intelligence layer help you proactively detect and respond to threats. Likewise, the distributed identity fabric layer helps you secure access to network resources and data. Using these layers and making the most of them is sure to give you an edge against any bad actor out there.

And there you have it! That was a simple explanation of what cybersecurity mesh is all about. Let’s wrap up now!

Final Words

Cybersecurity mesh is amazing, to say the least. It takes network intelligence, resources, and capabilities and provides a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. Overall, it allows you to easily respond to threats in real-time in a proactive manner.

Remember that it works through four layers, as discussed above. Also, remember that each layer has its unique security-based specialization.

Implementing cybersecurity mesh is a wise decision in today’s dynamic environment, so keep that in mind! As always, feel free to save this article as a point of reference should you need it. Until next time, stay safe in cyberspace!

Do you have more questions about cybersecurity mesh and other related topics? Check out the FAQ and Resources sections below!

FAQ

What is cybersecurity mesh?

Cybersecurity mesh is a unique cybersecurity approach. It’s very useful for businesses of all sizes since you can deploy it and extend security where you need it the most. Simply put, it’s a network of interconnected tools all operating together to provide comprehensive security.

How does cybersecurity mesh work?

Cybersecurity mesh works through four layers. These layers are the security analytics and intelligence, distributed identity fabric, consolidated posture and policy management, and consolidated dashboards layers. Each layer specializes in a security-based process. For instance, the distributed identity fabric layer is responsible for managing and protecting device and user identity in a company. Each layer also has unique tools, such as firewalls, IDS/IPS, antivirus software, etc.

What are the benefits of cybersecurity mesh?

Some of the key benefits of cybersecurity mesh include improved security posture, enhanced scalability and flexibility, increased efficiency, and enhanced compliance. It can also help businesses proactively detect and respond to threats and vulnerabilities, which leads to better security in the long run.

How can I implement cybersecurity mesh in my business?

You can implement it through several steps. These include identifying key assets and vulnerabilities, implementing security controls and technologies, and establishing processes for collecting and analyzing security data. You should also consider working with a cybersecurity expert or vendor so that they can help you implement and maintain a cybersecurity mesh architecture (CSMA).

How does cybersecurity mesh differ from traditional cybersecurity approaches?

Cybersecurity mesh is much more flexible, resilient, and scalable when compared to traditional cybersecurity. This allows companies with cybersecurity mesh architecture to better defend against constantly evolving threats. Furthermore, cybersecurity mesh is more decentralized and distributed, relying on collective intelligence rather than a centralized security infrastructure.

Resources

TechGenix: Article on Extended Detection and Response (XDR)

Explore what XDR can do for your cybersecurity. 

TechGenix: Article on Patch Management Policies

Find out how you can easily create a patch management policy for your business.

TechGenix: Article on Vulnerability Assessments

Learn how to check your company’s IT weaknesses by conducting a vulnerability assessment.

TechGenix: Guide on IKEv2

Dive into one of the latest and greatest VPN protocols and how it can benefit your business. 

TechGenix: Article on Email Archives

Check out a cool alternative to a traditional backup method for your emails. 

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