Many organizations implement enterprise mobile management (EMM) to secure business workflows, deliver a secure digital 
workspace and achieve business mobility. Securing mobile devices, apps, data and networks against cyberattacks has become a daunting task, as the evolution of cyber threats have grown from mischief to profit and IP theft to disruption. With the proliferation of mobile devices accessing business critical resources, limiting a mobile user’s footprint inside the organization is critical for preventing unauthorized access to internal resources.
Recent security breaches show that protecting corporate data behind the firewall is critical for achieving comprehensive mobile security. Mobile users access resources that reside in close proximity to corporate IP and mission-critical workloads, making them targets for malware and other cyber threats. These attacks can move from the mobile device to internal servers, exposing a large attack surface within the data center. This threat scenario is a common one affecting many businesses today, particularly those with stringent security and compliance mandates.
To help IT combat these growing threats, the VMware NSX for AirWatch integration announced earlier this week allows organizations to improve their security risk posture and deliver a comprehensive end-to-end security model.
What is VMware NSX?
VMware NSX is the network virtualization platform for the Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC).
By bringing the operational model of a virtual machine to your data center network, organizations can transform the economics of network and security operations. NSX lets you treat your physical network as a pool of transport capacity, with network and security services attached to VMs with a policy-driven approach.
[Related: Transforming Cloud Data Center Security for Business Mobility Using Smart Networking]
What is the VMware NSX for AirWatch Integration?
VMware NSX for AirWatch brings speed and simplicity to networking security for mobile workflows. Within seconds, IT administrators can create policies that dynamically follow mobile applications resources, without the need for time-consuming network provisioning. By extending security policies from within the data center to the mobile app, this joint solution also provides an extensible platform that integrates with other industry-leading security solutions.
How Does it Work?
VMware NSX implements “micro-segmentation,” which effectively enables each data center resource (i.e., users mobile app) to have its own firewall. This enables a much more granular level of security—that extends all the way down to the virtual network interface. Based on policy, all traffic to and from that data center resource can be secured, preventing unauthorized communication between data center resources or other workloads. If an end user’s mobile app becomes compromised, the exposure can easily be contained to just that user.
So Why VMware NSX for AirWatch?
VMware NSX for AirWatch extends security beyond your digital workspace by securing corporate IP and data accessed via mobile apps, data, devices and networks against mobile cybersecurity threats by reducing the mobile workflow footprint from the mobile device into the data center by integrating identity and enterprise mobility management with intelligent networking and micro-segmentation.
How Does NSX Benefit AirWatch Customers?
Among numerous networking and data center benefits, this integration allows customers to bridge endpoint security with data center security. This allows administrators to:
- Enhance network security and granular controls for mobile workflows
- Accelerate digital workspace and BYOD deployments
- Create policy defined network access for mobile apps and users
- Limit mobile access footprint within the data center minimizing cyber-attack surface
- Accelerate mobile app delivery, testing and automation
NSX for AirWatch allows organizations to secure mobile workflows for user, apps and data inside the data center, accelerate BYOD programs and remove hurdles to access enterprise mobiles apps and data, treat all mobile users and apps as insecure and limited to their own resources, reduce cyber-attack surface and limit access to corporate IP and data if compromised and accelerate enterprise mobile app delivery, performance/security testing and automation.
To learn more about the NSX and AirWatch integration, read the Transforming Cloud Data Center Security for Business Mobility Using Smart Networking Whitepaper and check out the upcoming VMware NSX for AirWatch Integration webinar on March 15 at 1 p.m. EST.
