CATO Networks

DECEMBER 29, 2024

The WAN landscape is evolving at a rapid pace, driven by demands of cloud, mobility, and globalization. However, the rise of SaaS applications, hybrid work, and global operations has created new challenges for MPLS-based networks, as their once-reliable architecture now fails to meet the demands of modern, cloud-centric environments.

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CATO Networks

MARCH 9, 2022

SD-WAN networks provide multiple benefits to organizations, especially when compared to MPLS. SD-WAN improves cloud application performance, reduces WAN costs and increases business agility. This blog post lists the top considerations for enterprises that are evaluating and deploying SD-WAN.

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CATO Networks

DECEMBER 17, 2019

Edge computing and the distributed cloud both cracked Gartners Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2020 , reminding me of a recent discussion on the challenges enterprises face when securing the modern WAN. Traditional firewall security simply cant keep up with the challenges created by these new network paradigms. Lets find out.

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CATO Networks

MAY 3, 2021

Cracks are forming at the base of the cloud firewall. The shift to multicloud strategies and the rapid evolution of network-based threats are uncovering weaknesses in cloud firewalls. Instead, many companies are adopting Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS) solutions. What is a Cloud Firewall Used For? Enter cloud firewalls.

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CATO Networks

APRIL 23, 2018

Every organization eventually needs to re-evaluate their existing firewall vendors. In these situations, network managers need to evaluate the state of their vendors firewall and the future viability of their security software and hardware. UTM appliances are no exception, with rules for each appliance requiring diligent maintenance.

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CATO Networks

JUNE 19, 2018

WAN optimization has been with us for a long time. Born alongside the expensive MPLS data service, WAN optimization appliances allowed organizations to squeeze more bandwidth out of thin pipes through compression and deduplication, as well as prioritizing traffic of loss-sensitive applications such as remote desktops.

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CATO Networks

AUGUST 23, 2016

We recently held a webinar focused on educating network professionals about Firewall as a Service (FWaaS). The Challenge of Appliance-Based Network Security Network security was simpler in the past: there was a clear perimeter (or perimeters for multi-site companies) with networks, users, and applications firmly inside organizations.

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CATO Networks

MAY 14, 2018

SD-WAN is all the rage in enterprise networking these days. IT teams are excited about the opportunities SD-WAN creates to transform their networks. Below are some of the use cases that can launch your SD-WAN project. Improved WAN resiliency, availability and capacity The network is the core of our digital business.

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CATO Networks

APRIL 15, 2018

Since the beginning of networks, the lynchpin of network security has been the firewall. The first network firewalls appeared in the late 1980s, and gained almost universal acceptance by the early 1990s. So what is a Firewall as a Service and why do you need it? FWaaS is a new type of a Next Generation Firewall.

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CATO Networks

APRIL 25, 2018

SD-WAN is one of the hottest technologies in the networking space. Being hot, though, doesn’t mean that SD-WAN has a solid business case to support it. Historically, MPLS was the default WAN choice to maximize uptime and ensure predictable network behavior. How can IT executives justify the investment in this technology?

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CATO Networks

MAY 16, 2018

SD-WAN adoption is seeing rapid growth as companies look to streamline their WAN infrastructure and move toward more cloud-based applications. Streamlining the network security infrastructure and providing secure Internet access from any location were the top 2 reasons for moving to SD-WAN in 2018.

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CATO Networks

JULY 19, 2023

I read with some surprise the interview with Zscalers CEO, Jay Chaudry, in CRN where he stated that the network firewalls will go the way of the mainframe, that the network is just plumbing and that Zscaler proxy overlay architecture will replace it with its application switchboard. The proxy firewalls faded. This is my take.

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CATO Networks

JULY 7, 2016

About 10 years ago, a small startup, Palo Alto Networks, innovated the Next Generation Firewall (NGFW). Existing enterprise firewalls relied on the use of specific ports to apply application security rules. By application, I dont mean salesforce.com. Firewalls are complex entities.

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CATO Networks

APRIL 12, 2018

The widespread adoption of Software-Defined Wide-Area-Network ( SD-WAN ) in recent years has caused many to wonder whether WAN optimization is still necessary. More specifically, t he rise of WAN optimization began around 2004 and addressed the limitations of the limited capacity of costly MPLS and leased line connections.

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CATO Networks

SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

The market for SD-WAN has been driven in part by its ability to reduce bandwidth costs and improve the performance of cloud access. Traditionally, Wide Area Networks (WANs) and network security were loosely coupled entities. This amicable live-and-let-live separation falls apart with todays SD-WAN.

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CATO Networks

SEPTEMBER 20, 2022

What is the ROI on SD-WAN projects? Most enterprises look at SD-WAN as an MPLS alternative , hoping to reduc e their MPLS connectivity costs. But the actual SD-WAN ROI is a mix of hard and soft savi n gs from increasing overall network capacity and availability to a reduc ed operational load of managing and securing the network.

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CATO Networks

MARCH 17, 2022

WAN transformation with SD-WAN and SASE is a strategic project for many organizations. While every organization is different, MPLS generally imposes architectural limitations on enterprise WANs which could impact other strategic initiatives. But, what happens when the cost of MPLS is low? Should these customers stay with MPLS?

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MPLS WAN Internet Firewall 52

CATO Networks

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

For several years now, the network evolution spotlight has been on SD-WAN , and rightfully so. SD-WAN provides big advancements in connecting branch locations into central data centers in a cost-effective manner. However, SD-WAN appliances sit atop the underlying network infrastructure.

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CATO Networks

APRIL 19, 2021

Firewalls Evolve Over the Years Before the UTM, there was the basic firewall. All traffic passed through the firewall for basic inspection of security policies based on network information such as the type of protocol or the source/destination addresses. The same can be said on the application side.

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CATO Networks

MAY 24, 2022

As critical applications migrate into Microsoft Azure, enterprises are challenged with building a WAN that can deliver the necessary cloud performance without dramatically increasing costs and complexity. Theres been no good approach to building an Azure SD-WAN until now. Nor does edge SD-WAN help. Lets see how.

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CATO Networks

AUGUST 22, 2023

The corporate WAN connects an organizations distributed branch locations, data center, cloud-based infrastructure, and remote workers. The WAN needs to offer high-performance and reliable network connectivity to ensure all users and applications can communicate effectively.

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CATO Networks

SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

However, network firewalls are still a relevant and vital security solution in the era of the cloud. Additionally, the cloud supports new methods of application development, such as a transition to serverless applications. As a result, network firewalls need to be able to provide protection wherever a device is located.

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CATO Networks

OCTOBER 11, 2022

The Upside-Down World of Networking & Security | Webinar Firewall Management is a Major Chore Closing these security gaps requires the ability to reduce security teams workloads to a manageable level. One area with significant room for improvement is firewall management.

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CATO Networks

JUNE 27, 2016

Yet, maintaining business-critical application infrastructure is not a simple task. Instead of deploying the full SAP stack (software, application servers, databases) using on-premise, customer-owned, hardware, it is now possible to access a pre-packaged SAP instance in the SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud (HEC).

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CATO Networks

FEBRUARY 26, 2017

We, at Cato Networks, are excited to sponsor the 2017 Guide to WAN Architecture & Design. The wide area network (WAN) is a critical and fundamental resource for any business. As we will discuss in this guide, the WAN is evolving, so the architecture must evolve, as well.

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CATO Networks

OCTOBER 10, 2018

Despite the relatively high costs, MPLS can deliver SLA-backed performance required for todays applications. SD-WAN is a flexible solution that integrates low-cost Internet transports into a virtual WAN connection. SD-WAN is a flexible solution that integrates low-cost Internet transports into a virtual WAN connection.

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WAN MPLS VPN Internet 52

CATO Networks

JULY 24, 2023

SASE = SD-WAN + SSE. It identifies two elements that underpin SASE , namely the network access technology ( SD-WAN ) and secure internet access ( Security Service Edge (SSE) ). The East-West WAN traffic visibility gap : SASE converges two separate disciplines: the Wide Area Network and Network Security. Here is why.

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CATO Networks

MARCH 1, 2017

While SD-WANs are a valuable first step towards evolving the wide area network , they only address a small part of the dissolved enterprise perimeter challenge. Impact of the Dissolved Perimeter The traffic patterns driving SD-WAN adoption change how companies protect their users and data.

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WAN MPLS Internet Bandwidth 52

CATO Networks

FEBRUARY 13, 2017

Last month, analyst Jim Metzler and I joined together on a webinar to discuss the current state of the WAN. Jim shared research from his recent study into the current drivers and inhibitors for WAN transformation and the deployment of SD-WAN. Traditional WANs were never designed to handle the dissolving perimeter.

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WAN MPLS Internet Firewall 52

CATO Networks

JULY 26, 2022

Happy To Announce the Birth of a New Technology – SD-WAN It wasnt that long ago that we oohed and ahhed over the brand-new technology called SD-WAN. But just as were getting used to the toddling SD-WAN, along came yet another even more exciting newborn, the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE). Thats so yesteryear or is it?

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WAN SASE MPLS Internet 52

CATO Networks

OCTOBER 27, 2022

Migration of applications to the cloud had been going on for a decade, offloading complex datacenter operations away from IT, and in that way increasing business resiliency and agility. Cloud access control and sensitive data protection (CASB/DLP) The adoption of public cloud applications enables users to get work done faster.

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CATO Networks

OCTOBER 22, 2018

Companies that are accustomed to the reliability and affordability of high-performance connectivity in North America and Europe might be challenged by WAN issues as they venture into less developed regions. Data and application security also are critically important. This established fact becomes critical for Asia Pacific connections.

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CATO Networks

JUNE 5, 2018

IT organizations are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN). According to a July 2017 report from market-research firm IDC , SD-WAN adoption is seeing remarkable growth as companies look to streamline their WAN infrastructure and move toward more cloud-based applications.

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CATO Networks

MARCH 19, 2018

For the past two years, Cato Networks has led a revolution in enterprise networking: the convergence of software-defined wide area networks ( SD-WAN ) and network security delivered as a single cloud service. Security was never a strength of SD-WAN companies and legacy telcos. They had the vision and the track record.

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WAN Network Security Firewall Internet 52

CATO Networks

MARCH 27, 2019

UCaaS offerings move unified communications capabilities integrated calling, conferencing, and messaging applications normally delivered from on-premises servers, into the cloud. Our research also shows, though,that many enterprises experience an increase in WAN costs to support connectivity to the cloud.

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CATO Networks

APRIL 4, 2018

Enterprise networking is moving from traditional hub-and-spoke WAN architectures to infrastructure that must support the migration of critical applications to the cloud. ” Many businesses today are expanding globally, relying on data and applications in the cloud, and are driven by an increasingly mobile workforce.

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CATO Networks

OCTOBER 14, 2018

Marketers have their brochures; engineers have their test reports, but nothing is more compelling when selecting an SD-WAN than real-life experience. Todays blog takes a look at some challenges real customers faced with their WAN infrastructure, and how Cato Networks was able to help. The proof truly is in the pudding, as they say.

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