Modern LAN Principles Will Make Cloud and Hybrid Networks More Agile and Secure for IoT

Frost & Sullivan highlights that adopting an ‘outside-in’ approach to LAN design will help break the security threat cycle

Traditional PC-centric corporate network designs are being severely tested in an era of Internet of Things (IoT) and ubiquitous internet connectivity. Much of the conventional wisdom associated with designing local area networks (LANs) do not adequately account for the realities of today, as networks now support myriad devices, including unified communications endpoints, security cameras, access control units, and mobile devices. The current methods of deploying, managing, and upgrading businesses involve considerable rip and replace and overbuying of network equipment, creating an urgent need to overhaul networking best practices.

Cyber-attacks are increasing at alarming rates, putting organizations in danger of significant cyber threats and exploding cost overruns. Smart systems need a smarter network. Frost & Sullivan’s new white paper, The Modern LAN: Rethinking Network Design for the Modern Age, outlines the challenges of traditional LAN design and the need for organizations to implement a fresh set of design principles. This analysis presents recommendations to develop local networks that incorporate effective and secure deployments in an environmentally and financially sustainable way.

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“In the past, companies used reliable separate networks for business, security and communications, with dedicated cabling and infrastructure for all three. However, with organizations consolidating all of these networks into unified networks, multiple points of vulnerabilities emerged,” explained Michael Brandenburg, Information and Communications Technology Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. “Modern LAN design takes into account not only bandwidth and power requirements, but also environmental concerns, security threats, and end-user application needs. The goal is to establish a sustainable framework to make the network as smart as the devices and applications it supports.”

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The white paper highlights strong principles and best practices for the Modern LAN:

• Benefit from an “outside-in” approach, starting with the “things” of IoT;
• Learn why identifying end-point IoT requirements is the critical first step;
• Understand fully the importance and methods of ensuring a cyber secure-path topology;
• Develop an environmentally responsible framework around LAN design and deployment;
• Master new network efficiencies, reducing disruption and speeding physical deployment;
• Learn proven methods of expanding sustainable return on investment (ROI) and leveraging an IP application-centric budget; and
• Discover cutting-edge strategies of evaluating network segregation to insulate and secure cloud-managed IoT endpoints.

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“Consolidated networks based on traditional LAN design require a wide array of intermediate distribution frame (IDF) closets spread throughout the facility, which are expensive, hard to maintain, and unfriendly to the environment,” observed Melanie Turek, Connected Work Vice President at Frost & Sullivan. “The modern LAN, with its network segregation, optimizes power over Ethernet deployment to devices that need it most and offers a sustainable approach.  Modern LAN design also encourages the reuse of existing cabling infrastructure, including reliable twisted-pair wiring and coaxial cabling.”