Cloud Gateway: Establishing robust foundations for network management in the public sector #techUKDigitalPS

Four main pillars have been established in the latest UK Digital Strategy, targeted towards creating and maintaining solid digital foundations. They are as follows: a robust digital infrastructure, unlocking the power of data, a pro-innovation regulatory framework, and a secure digital environment. These cover the wider landscape of digital, but public sector organisations can use this framework as a tool to aid their network management strategy and transition to cloud.  

Enhancing your network structure is a big task and requires the modification of processes and people, allowing them to adapt to new technologies and harness data driven insights. It is essential that all components are moving along with the network to get the most out of the technology. 

The building blocks 

IT infrastructure is transformative in its ability to increase agility and efficiency. However, with this power, it also needs the appropriate preparation in the form of robust and scalable solutions that can keep up with the plethora of changes. Digital transformation is heavily supported by network flexibility, performance and availability, so investing in network infrastructure is a must. 

Fortunately, the public sector has the resources to promote this flexibility with approaches such as secure access service edge (SASE) that allow organisations to deploy hybrid and multicloud strategies. Giving them the power to pick an application, technology or provider for their unique needs and have this through a single cloud native managed service. Furthermore, this foundation is flexible in its capability to scale up and down alongside the organisation’s needs. 

Securing your digital environment 

For government organisations especially, having as much control as possible over security is paramount. With SASE, organisations gain greater control and visibility of their network and a way to consolidate and strengthen security across their IT systems. 

IT teams in the public sector often find themselves wrapped up in the expensive management of physical assets, eating into their time by maintaining legacy infrastructure and security devices, which also bring vulnerabilities. Time is particularly precious in the public sector, meaning any change which could give significant time back to employees is a welcome one. 

Such network foundations minimise complexity too, reducing workloads for internal IT teams. SASE can introduce a holistic approach to cybersecurity, allowing public sector organisations to monitor activities, enforce security, and manage all aspects. 

Back to basics 

Transforming technology looks like a daunting task for public sector organisations to undergo, with many responsibilities and priorities to consider, as well as the need for the utmost security. 

However, strong processes, such as SASE, have the architecture to support the integration of disconnected technologies into one single cloud-native environment. A SASE approach unites software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) capabilities with numerous network security functions such as Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS) and Secure Web Gateways (SWG) so that employees can securely connect to internal resources wherever they are. This set-up also provides public sector organisations with increased control over the traffic and data that enters and leaves their network.  

Tie down your approach with data 

For the public sector to embark on their digital transformation projects, they will need their networks to be able to bring increased agility and scalability, while also reducing complexity and improving security. When supported with flexible network, IT infrastructures can transition away from their legacy data system, armed with the confidence and security of a new process. 

SASE is as much about the approach to IT and transformation as it is the technology itself. Holistic frameworks and a solid digital foundation provide public sector organisations with the tools to harness the full potential of digital, data, and technology – making sure all is delivered efficiently. 

This article was written by Justin Day, CEO and Co-Founder of Cloud Gateway. Justin Day has over 20 years’ experience in IT working almost exclusively in Networks and Security and has extensive knowledge in both cloud computing and the delivery of complex IT programmes. He has worked in both the private and public sectors, spanning the technology, telecommunications, finance and insurance industries including Vodafone and Aviva. To learn more about this author, please visit their LinkedIn.

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