The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre) has joined the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the following international partners in releasing cyber security guidance on modern approaches to secure network access:
- Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC)
- New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NZ)
Virtual private network (VPN) solutions have been identified in many high-profile cyber incidents. Due to these incidents, some organizations are considering more modern security network access solutions, such as Secure Service Edge (SSE) and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE). These latest solutions allow organizations to move closer to overall Zero Trust principles.
The joint guidance provides an overview of modern approaches to network security for executive leaders, network defenders of critical infrastructure and government organizations. The guidance is intended for organizations considering a shift from traditional VPN deployment towards more secure solutions, such as SSE and SASE . Best practices for transitioning to cloud-based solutions in pursuit of Zero Trust goals are reviewed.
In addition to the consideration and implementation of more modern network access solutions, all organizations are encouraged to implement a minimum set of practices and protections. These practices and protections include the following:
- Implementing a centralized management solution
- Segmenting networks
- implementing security orchestration, automation and response
- Developing, maintaining, updating, and regularly drilling IT and OT cyber security incident response plans
The guidance provided aims to help organizations prioritize the protection of secure remote computing environments, while operating under the principles of least privilege.
Read the joint guidance advisory Modern approaches to network access security.