Caspar Herzberg |
This article first appeared in the Spring 2017 issue of The Record.
While just a few years ago there was an air of trepidation surrounding the cloud, there’s no question that, having got through what Gartner termed ‘a phase of disillusionment’, retail financial services firms today see the immense value that it can bring. What’s more, with the implementation of PDS2, the rise of fintech competitors and the emergence of blockchain technologies, many banks are realising that the cloud can be a viable route to success in the future.
While this is undoubtedly a turning point for the industry, the growth of regulatory red tape surrounding data classification and security remains a big concern. Many banks struggle to understand what information needs to be retained on the private cloud, what can be kept in the public cloud, how different tiers of data need to be secured and who is ultimately responsible for confidential data. This confusion only proliferates as regulations and online threats multiply.
It’s for these reasons that we are giving customers a way to leverage cloud resources without having to worry about how they might allocate security resources. Available as part of the Microsoft Azure Security Center, Barracuda security solutions are engineered for the cloud, offering dynamic scaling, API-based configurations, integration with Azure Active Directory and Azure App Service.
Barracuda’s Azure-ready solutions include Barracuda Web Application Firewall for Azure, a highly scalable security solution that protects applications from targeted and automated attacks, including data breaches, defacement, OWASP Top 10 attacks, and application-layer DDoS.
Meanwhile, Barracuda NextGen Firewall for Azure offers powerful next-generation firewalling – including full application visibility and user awareness – to secure connectivity. Financial services customers can build secure multi-tier architectures in Azure to keep a level of segregation between tiers for optimal security.
The reassurance and familiarity we offer customers is reflected in the fact that we were recently named Microsoft Azure Certified ISV Partner of the Year. This achievement speaks to the growing momentum Barracuda has in public cloud, and the strength of Barracuda’s relationship with Microsoft. We will continue to work together to design, build and plan new solutions that empower customers with the best possible experience to fully leverage the benefits of the cloud, while maintaining the security and control they require.
Chris Hill is director of business development for the EMEA region at Barracuda