A large enterprise is migrating its on-premises infrastructure to a public cloud provider. The security team needs to ensure that network security policies, such as microsegmentation and automated threat response, can be consistently applied across both the cloud environment and the remaining on-premises data centers. Which network security architecture concept is most relevant for achieving this consistent and agile security posture?
- ASoftware-Defined Networking (SDN)
- BNetwork Function Virtualization (NFV)
- CBorder Gateway Protocol (BGP)
- DDemilitarized Zone (DMZ)
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Software-Defined Networking (SDN)
Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is highly relevant for this scenario. SDN decouples the control plane from the data plane, allowing centralized, programmatic control of network infrastructure. This enables consistent policy application (like microsegmentation) and automated responses across hybrid environments (on-premises and cloud) through orchestration. NFV virtualizes network functions but doesn't inherently provide the centralized policy control. DMZ is a network segment. BGP is a routing protocol.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. NFV virtualizes network services, which can be part of an SDN solution, but it doesn't inherently provide the centralized control plane or consistent policy enforcement across diverse environments.
- C. BGP is a routing protocol used for exchanging routing information between autonomous systems, unrelated to consistent security policy enforcement in hybrid environments.
- D. A DMZ is a network segmentation zone for public-facing servers and does not address consistent policy application across hybrid environments.
SDN for Hybrid Cloud Security
Software-Defined Networking (SDN) enables centralized and programmatic control over network infrastructure, facilitating consistent security policy enforcement, microsegmentation, and automated threat response across hybrid cloud and on-premises environments.
- Decouples control and data planes.
- Enables centralized policy management.
- Supports automation and orchestration across hybrid environments.
Memory trick: To master the cloud and on-prem, you need a smart, central brain.