Network segmentation refers to the process of partitioning a network into subnetworks. There are several reasons a company or organization may want to segment its network, including to improve security and performance. Read on to learn about the main benefits of network segmentation and why it’s important.
How Network Segmentation Works
These days, networks are both physical and on the cloud. With so many possible ways to connect to a network, such as BYOD (bring your own devices) and IoT (Internet of Things), network segmentation is an important way to establish who can access which part of a network and organize traffic flows.
Today, most segmentation is done through software-defined networking (SDN), which is an approach to networks that allows for flexible network configuration and meets the needs of cloud computing as opposed to traditional physical networks.
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The Main Benefits of Network Segmentation
The main benefits of network segmentation are to improve network security and performance. Improving network security will protect a company in the long term, while improving performance can both increase business value and improve user experience.
Network Segmentation Improves Security
Network segmentation is an important part of network security. “Companies typically segment their networks based on the sensitivity and security requirements of their systems,” says Josh Amishav-Zlatin, founder and CEO of the data breach monitoring company Breachsense.
Segmentation gives control over who can access which segments of the network. It is also important because it means that if a network breach occurs, the hacker would not have access to the whole network but only the network segment. “Networks without segmentation have a larger attack surface, enabling attackers to exploit vulnerabilities anywhere on the network to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized access to critical systems or sensitive data,” Amishav-Zlatin says.
“For example, systems that touch PII, customer records or sensitive financial or personal details should all be on their own subnet. In the event of a security incident, this will help contain the attack,” says Amishav-Zlatin.
A flat network also makes it difficult to recover from the damage of an attack. “In the event of an attack, the lack of segmentation will hinder incident response efforts to isolate infected systems and prevent malicious users from pivoting to other machines on the network,” Amishav-Zlatin says.
Network Segmentation Improves Network Performance and Bandwidth
“Segmenting a network can help a company improve its bandwidth and performance,” says Dr. Chris Mattmann, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer (CTIO) at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Different employees of a company require different bandwidth and internet speeds.
For example, the HR team may not need the latest and fastest internet connection, while the data science team may require more bandwidth to run tests. Additionally, a company might want to ensure that the essential services of a network receive the fastest speeds and highest bandwidth. The process of partitioning a network by requirement and priority is a form of segmentation.
“You can’t do segmentation and partitioning without network analytics, which is understanding how people are using them, what the business requirements are for access and more,” Mattmann says. Insight into how networks are being used now and how they need to be used in the future for business purposes will help an organization make informed choices about network segmentation.
For example, a particular project may be, “such a critical portion of our value delivery stream in our business that it needs a dedicated superfast network. So we might partition it for business reasons,” Mattmann says.
Given the implications of network segmentation on speed and performance, it is important not only for improved access but also for business value.
Network Segmentation vs. Microsegmentation
“Microsegmentation” takes the concept of network segmentation one step further. While network segmentation focuses on dividing the network into multiple smaller parts, microsegmentation puts each application in its own zone.
“The advantage of the latter approach is that it gives admins the ability to enforce access controls on the application layer, monitor communication patterns and detect and respond to security threats more effectively,” says Amishav-Zlatin.
Network Segmentation vs. Internal Segmentation
Internal segmentation is a subset of network segmentation. “Network segmentation refers to dividing the entire network into subnets, while internal segmentation refers to dividing an organization’s internal network into smaller segments,” Amishav-Zlatin says.
Network Segmentation and Zero Trust
Zero trust is an approach to cybersecurity based on the idea that no user or asset should be trusted by default. One of the concepts of zero trust is the principle of least privilege, which means users should only have access to parts of the network they need and nothing more. This is important from a cybersecurity perspective because granting all users access to all parts of the network means that an internal threat actor would be able to harm the entire network, and an external hacker would be able to attack a larger surface area once inside the network.
Network segmentation can help establish a zero-trust network, as segmentation is a necessary part of limiting user access. To prevent an attack, for example, important information such as credit card numbers and personal identifiable information (PII) should be on their own subnetworks. Amishav-Zlatin also recommends using, “microsegmentation to enforce zero trust and the least-privilege policy for even finer control on how applications are allowed to interact with each other.”
Bottom Line
Network segmentation divides a computer network into subnetworks. The main reasons for network segmentation are enhanced performance and improved security. Every business should implement network segmentation, as it’s an important way to establish network security, limit the risk and potential damage of a cyberattack and improve the overall network performance.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is an example of network segmentation?
A financial company, for example, has a lot of sensitive information that it doesn’t everyone in the company to have access to. Network segmentation can ensure that only the people who have privileged access can see sensitive documents, while other employees cannot.
What is the purpose of network segmentation?
The purpose of network segmentation is to increase security and improve performance. When a network has segments, the surface area is broken into parts, which limit the access an internal or external threat actor can have. Network performance can also improve through network segmentation by controlling which traffic gets directed to which parts of the network.
Who needs network segmentation?
Every company or organization can benefit from network segmentation. Implementing some form of network segmentation will help prevent both internal and external security breaches.