Oracle Improves Cloud Security Services by Separating Security from Network Architecture

Oracle recently announced the release of its new Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Zero Trust Packet Routing, which is now built into the network fabric of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. This new addition aims to enhance cloud security services by separating network security from the underlying network architecture, reducing the likelihood of unauthorized access to data. Developed as part of a 2023 initiative in partnership with Applied Innovation and other organizations, OCI Zero Trust Packet Routing allows organizations to define security attributes for their resources and create natural language policies that manage network traffic based on the resources and data services being accessed. This approach helps secure cloud hosting services by protecting against one of the most common security risks—network misconfigurations. Oracle is the first cloud provider to integrate Zero Trust Packet Routing (ZPR) into its platform.

“As public clouds evolved, organizations were allowed to rethink their approach to cloud security managed services,” said Philip Bues, Senior Research Manager for Cloud Security at IDC. “However, many businesses continued using traditional concepts that tightly coupled security and network configuration. A single mistake can expose the network to significant risks in such complex cloud environments. OCI Zero Trust Packet Routing enables organizations to separate network configuration from security, reducing the impact of human errors. This innovative solution by Oracle redefines compliance and security efforts, lightens the load on security teams, and ultimately strengthens cloud computing security services.”

“Traditional security tools attempt to protect sensitive data by blocking access, but it’s almost impossible to predict every method a hacker might use to breach a network,” noted Danny Hillis, co-founder of Applied Invention. “With zero trust packet routing, no data can move through the network without explicit permission. Organizations using Oracle Cloud Infrastructure can leverage this feature to safeguard their data more effectively. Oracle is leading the way by being the first to offer this advanced level of cloud security, and we hope other cloud platforms will follow suit.”

The new ZPR standard became necessary as organizations’ network architecture frequently changes—whenever a new application is launched, an instance is scaled up, or more database servers are added. Traditional security approaches, which depend on network architecture, are time-consuming due to the complexity of securing and auditing every configuration point. Moreover, this approach burdens network teams to implement security requirements, increasing the chance of human error.

OCI Zero Trust Packet Routing addresses these challenges by decoupling network security from network architecture. It enables organizations to set security policies that enforce their security requirements at the network layer. As a result, any traffic not explicitly permitted by these policies will be blocked at the network level. This offers several key benefits:

Enhanced Cloud Security Services: Security teams can limit access to sensitive data by specifying a particular path, such as the request’s origin, network segment, or the target data service. This helps reduce the attack surface and defends against data breaches caused by compromised credentials.

Simplified Compliance: Security teams can easily demonstrate to auditors that the required security controls are in place by restricting access to a single, authorized path using natural language policies.

Streamlined Security Management: By allowing organizations to restrict access to sensitive data based on specific security attributes, security controls are automatically enforced according to the set policies, reducing the need for complex network-layer security rules based on IP addresses or ports.

“Although cloud security managed services have improved over the past two decades, organizations remain vulnerable to unauthorized access and data breaches due to security controls that heavily rely on user credentials,” said Jae Evans, Global Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President at Oracle. “OCI Zero Trust Packet Routing allows organizations to set security attributes for specific resources and block traffic to those resources at the network level, making data security easier to understand, manage, and audit. It represents a new paradigm in cloud computing security services, helping protect organizations from malicious actors and the potentially devastating consequences of data breaches.”