"Monitoring the Impact of Security Solutions on User Experiences Is Critical"
According to Broadcom Software, modern organizations are challenged by conflicting demands to secure the enterprise while providing excellent end-user experiences. Broadcom Software's survey findings reveal that more than half of respondents prioritize security over end-user experience, often at the expense of productivity and customer satisfaction. This conflict is further emphasized by the finding that 46 percent of respondents have circumvented security to improve user experiences. In addition, the rapid increase in hybrid workers and increased reliance on cloud applications are altering business operations. As a result, the traditional concept of a defense perimeter has shifted, adding significant complexity to an already difficult task. Simultaneously, visibility into the user experience is becoming more difficult. The biggest impediments to full visibility, according to respondents, are hybrid workers, third-party networks and Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and public cloud resources. Newer security initiatives such as zero trust and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) were also identified as contributing factors to the problem. The majority of survey respondents (92 percent) agree that monitoring the impact of security solutions on user experiences is critical. Furthermore, 90 percent agree that end-to-end user access paths for cloud-based applications should be monitored. Of the responders, 68 percent believe it is essential to monitor network security in the context of the entire system. According to Matt Stevens, Head of Network Observability, Agile Operations Division, Broadcom, the complexity of modern business network infrastructure makes it difficult for organizations to gain the visibility required to understand the impact of security on the end-user experience. As this study indicates, there is a real need for visibility, measurement, and monitoring to assist in reversing the harmful tradeoff between security and user experience. Organizations require a comprehensive approach when considering the impact of network security on the user experience. In fact, 66 percent believe network security solutions must be managed in the context of the larger network, including routers, switches, DNS, and more. Similarly, 68 percent believe it is necessary to understand the context of the larger system, which includes other infrastructure, applications, and services. This article continues to discuss key findings from Broadcom Software's survey regarding the measurement of security's impact on end-users, network security visibility, and the evolution of user experience monitoring capabilities.