Unifying Security and Networking for Resilient, Adaptive Infrastructures

While the Internet of Things (IoT) and increased connectivity enhance operations across industries, they also expand a business’s cyber attack surface. A single compromised device can provide access to widespread attacks - if it has an IP address, it is a potential entry point. Additionally, the interconnection of different vendor systems with different security standards - for example in a supply chain, may further enable lateral movement, exposing multiple systems and companies across a wider network.

These growing threats have made the convergence of networking and security essential as organisations strive to protect their expanding digital ecosystems.

Achieving security through unified visibility 

As data grows and the methods of access and storage spread, more opportunities emerge for threat actors to exploit vulnerabilities, which means that wide-reaching security solutions are sorely needed. Yet, many organisations still rely on isolated point security solutions, leading to high costs, IT management challenges and critical security gaps. When organisations adopt multiple function-specific solutions, overlaps and integration gaps can create blind spots, weakening security and exposing networks to potential attacks.

Likewise, many businesses continue to strive for a unified view of IT and OT systems - the long-envisioned 'single pane of glass'. A unified view enables IT and security teams to monitor and respond to potential threats much more efficiently, reducing areas of vulnerability and ensuring business continuity. By consolidating data, alerts and analytics from both IT and OT into a single interface, businesses can enhance incident response and improve overall operational resilience.

Enhancing efficiency with SOAR

Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) tools are designed to do just that - streamline and improve security operations. Despite the name, SOAR extends beyond basic security automation. These tools often incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to unify disparate workflows, automate repetitive tasks and integrate real-time threat intelligence feeds.

When combined with effective scenario playbooks, SOAR solutions significantly reduce manual workloads for security teams by automating routine tasks and centralising threat data. This enhances efficiency and strengthens an organisation's security posture. SOAR can unify networking and security management into a single interface, automatically correlating security alerts from multiple sources and generating IT service management (ITSM) tickets. In a phishing attempt, SOAR can block the sender, trigger an investigation and notify security personnel - mitigating threats before they spread. This not only improves IT efficiency but enhances the overall end-user experience.

Beyond cybersecurity, SOAR’s benefits extend into networking and IT operations, where automation is equally critical. With infrastructure complexity and a shortage of skilled IT professionals, unifying processes across networking and security teams bridges operational gaps, ensuring that IT environments remain secure and resilient. Network administrators can automate routine maintenance tasks like patch management and performance monitoring, reducing downtime but minimising human error.

Likewise, by automating incident responses, SOAR enhances operational efficiency, allowing IT teams to focus on high-value initiatives that drive business growth. It also improves the customer experience by accelerating responses, delivering smoother, automated processes, enabling IT to deliver greater value to the organisation.

Building safe and adaptive networks

Networking and cybersecurity are now inseparable as organisations face expanding attack surfaces and increasingly sophisticated threats. Solutions like SOAR are making this vision a reality by bridging the gap between network and security management and automation into a holistic solution. For MSPs, SOAR is a key differentiator, positioning them as clear, efficiency-focused technology partners. Its ability to integrate external feeds across security, networking and IT makes it essential for modern environments that require simplification to meet ever-evolving customer demands.

As adaptive networks become crucial, intelligent automation will predict failures, optimise resources and minimise human intervention. The future of IT lies in a seamless integration of security and networking, creating resilient, future-ready infrastructures.