We are in the midst of an unprecedented convergence of events that are forcing enterprises to dramatically change how they secure their modern businesses. With the acceleration of digital transformation from COVID-19, work-from-home initiatives, the continued growth of SaaS and the increasing adoption of microservices-based applications, the modern enterprise threat landscaping is transforming rapidly. In fact, according to Gartner 69% of Board of Directors (BoDs) have accelerated their digital business initiatives as a result of the pandemic.
As enterprises of all sizes accelerate digital transformation and move to the cloud, a new security architecture is required to address the challenges of defending evolving threats.
Today, we are excited to share that Sumo Logic has unveiled a new framework that defines the core requirements for securing cloud businesses across multiple product categories, as well as a combination of security integrations which accelerate the leverage of continuous intelligence across the security architecture. Let’s take a closer look.
Key Tenets for Modern Security
Why do we need a new framework for security? Traditional models focused on securing a highly centralized IT system with endpoints, firewalls and data centers simply no longer apply, as both products and overall security architectures are struggling to keep pace with scale, new unfamiliar threat surfaces, changing workflows, and modern application development. A modern enterprise security architecture must secure a dynamic, highly distributed and constantly changing environment that spans remote workers, applications, devices, and cloud-based services and infrastructure. To accomplish this, we believe a new combination of security tools and services are required to address the challenges of the modern enterprise comprised of the following tenets:
Key Tenets of the Modern Enterprise Security Architecture (MESA)
1. Cloud Architected & Delivered – Modern threat surfaces create massive dynamic data volumes which require cloud elastic scale performance and on demand provisioning2. Unified Security Across Full Stack – Digitizing businesses require expanding the traditional infrastructure defense into the application layer3. Integrated IT, DevOps & Security – Emerging security workflows require seamless collaboration, shared data, coordinated analytics across previously silo’d groups & tools4. Cloud Scale Economics – Data volumes & unpredictable bursts requires flexible consumption models which grow costs at much slower rates than data inputs5. DevSecOps Across the Digital Life Cycle – Digitizing businesses with internet facing applications require tighter closed-loop life cycle security across build, deploy and run phases
The Modern Enterprise Security Architecture
Sumo Logic’s Modern Enterprise Security Architecture (MESA) framework defines the core requirements for securing a modern cloud business and how a combination of different tools, technologies and vendors must be assembled in new ways to provide a complete and effective solution. In addition, the framework lays out key transitions occurring in evolving solution categories, a continuous intelligence platform to integrate data, analytics, and visibility, and a closed loop model in which SOC and SIEM monitoring of production applications is linked to DevSecOps and application security.
For example, linking cross site vulnerabilities in an application to specific monitoring and alerting logic in the SIEM for that application requires new collaboration workflows and intelligence sharing across several previously siloed systems.
Bringing Together Progressive Security Industry Leaders
Sumo Logic is bringing together its rich ecosystem of leading security partners including Contrast Security, CrowdStrike, JFrog, Netskope, Okta, ServiceNow and StackRox, to deliver best practices and integrate previously siloed architectures across security operations, DevOps and ITOps to build, deploy, run and secure modern applications.
Traditional solution categories are transitioning, with disruptions resulting in new leaders who are adapting quickly to the new paradigms. As a result new security categories are emerging including:
“From the first line of written code through production, Contrast Security uses runtime instrumentation to deliver enriched and continuous application security observability across the software development life cycle (SDLC). Aligning the Contrast platform to the Modern Enterprise Security Architecture (MESA) with Sumo Logic and other leading ecosystem partners enhances the security posture of the digital landscape and accelerates digital transformation. Our mutual customers will benefit from this framework to efficiently ship secure software at DevOps speed and provide intelligent, real-time, and actionable responses to block and mitigate application threats.”
Nikesh Shah, Sr. Director, Strategic Alliances, Contrast Security
“The modern enterprise requires security solutions that protect a work-from-anywhere workforce from an increasingly volatile cyber threat environment. We are excited to work with the other industry leaders in MESA to define a modern architecture that is comprehensive and effective in securing employees regardless of where they are located or the device they are working on, serving the needs of the new business normal.”
Matthew Polly, VP of Worldwide Alliances, Channels and Business Development, Crowdstrike
“As work behaviors continue to change, enterprise security needs to be where both the users and the data are, which is no longer within the confines of the traditional network perimeter. Netskope’s security cloud platform addresses these shifting demands by combining Next Gen SWG capabilities, CASB, ZTNA, and advanced machine learning to detect unauthorized data exfiltration and advanced threat protection. With Sumo Logic’s MESA framework, customers are able to take advantage of best-of-breed technologies needed to secure and enable today’s modern workforce as it continues to adapt and evolve.”
Billy Bond, VP of Business Development and Strategic Alliances, Netskope
“I’m a strong supporter of frameworks like Sumo Logic MESA. It helps customers by providing a more complete picture of security and incorporates the macro changes we’re all encountering. Lines are shifting as to when and where security comes into play – whether it’s cloud management workflows, customer workflows, or the DevOps lifecycle. Security plugs in everywhere in digital transformation, and it can’t succeed as a silo any longer.”
Odin Olson, Senior Director, Technical Alliances, IT Workflows and Platform, ServiceNow
“StackRox is excited to be part of Sumo Logic’s modern enterprise security architecture initiative (MESA). Our Kubernetes-native container security solution enables customers to accelerate their move to DevSecOps and reduce risk across build, deploy and run phases with their cloud-native applications. Sumo Logic is a valued customer and partner, and we look forward to continuing our work together to meet the needs of the modern enterprise.”
Ali Golshan, Co-founder and CTO, StackRox
The Start of the Race…
And this is only the beginning. Building the architecture and ecosystems for defending the modern enterprise is a journey not a destination. But we have reached a tipping point in which all our collective energy must be put toward solving for the future as opposed to the past. Stay tuned for more updates here.
