04 July 2025

Matthew Terry, Senior Product Manager, WatchGuard Technologies

Cyber adversaries grow more agile and sophisticated every day. This means that the level of security that an enterprise needs, has to go far beyond simply installing traditional firewalls and antivirus software. All UK enterprises these days are dealing with advanced malware and ransomware, as well as persistent, targeted attacks.
With that in mind, some top tips for choosing a hybrid network security solution, that fully protects remote and office users, include:

First fully assess your infrastructure: Before selecting any solution, it’s essential to thoroughly evaluate current infrastructure. It is important to look at factors such as the number of endpoints, the degree of cloud adoption, and what existing security tools are. Organisations with distributed offices or those handling more sensitive data need advanced AI-driven threat detection and real-time response capabilities.

Embrace AI-driven, Zero-Day protection: In the era of polymorphic malware and zero-day exploits, traditional signature-based antivirus is no longer enough. Look for a solution that leverages AI-powered threat detection and behaviour-based analysis. To be as secure as possible, potential threats need to be identified and neutralised in real time. This is the only way to ensure your network stays one step ahead of ever-evolving risks.

Look to unified threat management: Fragmented security systems all too often create gaps and inefficiencies for criminals to exploit. By adopting a unified security platform that marries next-generation firewall capabilities, Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), secure web gateways and centralised management, UK enterprises get to view and manage their security posture through a single-pane-of-glass. This allows for faster threat correlation and accelerates incident response across the network.
Use cloud-enabled scalability and real-time threat intelligence: Remote work and cloud-based infrastructures are commonplace in most organisations which means scalability and agility are essential. Cloud-based solutions provide the flexibility and rapid threat intelligence updates that are needed to defend against emerging vulnerabilities. Having a flow of real-time intelligence ensures that your defences evolve at pace with the threat landscape.

Ensure compliance with regulatory standards: With stringent compliance requirements such as GDPR, Cyber Essentials, and the NIS2 directive, your network security must meet these standards. Find a solution that not only offers robust protection but also integrates regulatory considerations. This will help you avoid costly penalties and safeguard your reputation.

Foster a culture of security awareness: Human error is still one of the most prevalent causes of cybersecurity breaches and no technology can overcome human error alone. Regular, targeted security awareness training is critical to harness the technology and guard against social engineering tactics and phishing scams.

Performance without compromise: Security measures available in a hybrid network security solution shouldn’t negatively impact your organisation’s productivity. Ensure your solution has minimal impact and provides seamless performance so your workforce is productive even in the most secure environments.

Conduct pilot deployments: Before a full rollout, pilot testing the solution in a controlled segment of your network can provide valuable insights. This allows you to evaluate performance and ease of integration so you can fine-tune configuration to reduce false positives. It helps to include key stakeholders early to ensure that when deployed enterprise-wide, the solution actually meets their needs and your operational needs.

Robust cybersecurity hinges on a proactive, unified defence strategy that goes beyond isolated tools like anti-virus.

Cybersecurity solutions designed for distributed enterprises: The hybrid model workspace concept is at the forefront of business operations in today’s rapidly changing work environment. As companies transition to flexible work arrangements and remote collaboration, ensuring secure access to corporate networks, devices, and data has never been more critical.

The shift to hybrid work models has increased the opportunities available to cybercriminals. Both employees and work devices between on-site and remote locations may present a security risk.

Hybrid work models empower employees to balance remote and in-office working arrangements, choosing where and often when they work. Such a significant change requires businesses to protect their hybrid workplace from cyberattacks with a modern security stack.

Unified security is the key to comprehensive protection. It acknowledges that no single security product or solution is infallible. Instead, it combines various security measures to safeguard your client environments, devices, and users. By creating multiple layers of defence, we reduce the gaps and vulnerabilities between each layer, making it significantly more challenging for cybercriminals to exploit weaknesses.