A global organization is in the process of securing critical applications during a cloud-based migration while migrating to a cloud-first design, and it is currently performing a brownfield migration of its most critical applications - such as CRM and product intellectual property / design systems - into Azure Cloud. The organization already has an active/passive high availability (HA) NGFW deployed at its data center with multiple zones and has replicated that design into its existing Azure HA deployment.
The organization recognizes the need to modernize its security posture as critical workloads move out of the data center and users connect from anywhere. Its security model is defined by a traditional "hard shell, soft center" approach:
Zero Trust Gaps
- Current network segmentation is perimeter-based. The organization wants to expand Zero Trust principles across cloud and on-premises environments.
- The network relies heavily on VLANs and IP address-based Access Control Lists (ACLs) segmented primarily by office location and broad departmental groups.
- Once employees are on the corporate network (i.e., inside the "perimeter"), they have relatively wide access.
- If attackers compromise a single endpoint (e.g., via a phishing email), they can easily move laterally and scan for high-value targets.
Cloud Blind Spots
- The organization uses Azure for its production environments and hosts applications that contain sensitive customer data.
- Security controls in the cloud are often managed independently of the on-premises network.
Access is frequently granted with overly permissive identity and access management (IAM) roles and keys based on the resource rather than the user's real-time context or application health.
Remote User Access
- Many remote users are still hairpinning into the corporate data center just to reach internet or SaaS resources, creating latency and inefficiency.
- Traditional VPN is used for remote employees.
- The VPN grants access to the entire internal network segment making the remote endpoint the new, weaker perimeter. There is no continuous check on the user's device health after the initial connection.
Visibility and Logging
- Logs are primarily stored on-premises, then forwarded to a local Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution. As applications move to Azure, visibility into cloud traffic and user behavior becomes fragmented.
Data Security Concern
- Sensitive data, including product design files, will now live in SaaS and cloud environments. The organization needs data security to prevent leakage and enforce compliance.
Ingress Security
- Third-party partners and suppliers require access into the data center and cloud applications, introducing risk at ingress points.
Which solution will improve resilience and reduce operational overhead in this scenario?