June 19, 2024 at 08:39AM
US, New Zealand, and Canada government agencies release guidance for organizations to adopt modern security solutions like Secure Service Edge (SSE) and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) to enhance network access security. The document advises transitioning beyond VPNs due to recent cyber incidents and advocates for approaches aligned with zero trust principles. It also highlights specific vulnerabilities associated with VPNs and recommends continuous monitoring for a more secure network approach.
From the meeting notes, it is clear that government agencies in the US, New Zealand, and Canada have published new guidance advocating for organizations to adopt more advanced security solutions to enhance visibility into network activity. The document emphasizes the limitations and vulnerabilities of traditional VPN solutions and urges organizations to transition to modern network access security practices.
The guidance outlines specific modern security solutions such as Secure Service Edge (SSE) and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) as viable alternatives to traditional VPNs. These solutions provide granular access controls and are aligned with the principles of zero trust (ZT).
The authoring organizations – CISA, the FBI, New Zealand’s GCSB and CERT, and the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS) – stress the importance of prioritizing the protection of remote computing environments through the fundamental principles of least privilege.
Furthermore, the document highlights the vulnerabilities in VPN systems and provides examples of specific security defects related to VPN compromise, along with the potential impacts of these vulnerabilities if exploited by threat actors.
The guidance recommends implementing zero trust principles and continuous user activity monitoring to achieve a more secure approach to network access. It also suggests that organizations can benefit from implementing Safe Access Service Edge (SASE) and Secure Service Edge (SSE), which offer cloud security capabilities and hardware-enforced network segmentation to replace traditional VPNs and enhance security implementation.
In summary, the meeting notes provide a comprehensive overview of the modern security solutions advocated by the government agencies, stressing the importance of transitioning from traditional VPNs to more robust and secure network access solutions.