“Akamai will provide customers with one-stop Internet solutions from CDN to security and cloud computing based on the large-scale distributed platform ‘Akamai Connected Cloud’ .”

Akamai Technologies held a 2024 Business Momentum press conference at its Gangnam office building in Seoul on the 23rd. Akamai presented ‘cloud computing’ and ‘AI security’ as keywords for the cloud and security industry in 2024, and shared its vision for distributed cloud and security solutions as Akamai’s domestic business strategy.

■ Forecast for the spread of distributed architecture in 2024

Akamai predicted that by 2024, distributed architectures will proliferate in the cloud computing field due to the introduction of hybrid clouds.

Akamai is expanding into the cloud computing sector based on the know-how it has accumulated in the CDN (content delivery network) and security sectors over the past 25 years. In February of last year, it launched ‘Akamai Connected Cloud.’

'Akamai Connected Cloud' is a large-scale distributed platform for cloud computing, security, and content delivery. To meet the need for computing performance, Akamai Cloud can create computing resources to help with fast delivery at the edge. Deploy closer to users, block threats from a distance.

“Akamai’s strategy is to provide the world’s most distributed platform by placing compute, storage, database, and other cloud services closer to users and enterprise data centers,” said Kyung-Joon Lee, CEO of Akamai Korea.

Akamai currently has 21 regions (data centers) around the world, and it appears that the company plans to establish a branch in Korea this year.

Akamai APJ Cloud Computing Managing Director Kang Sang-jin said, “Akamai is commercializing solutions based on big data, and we will develop, store, and provide end users with everything from A to Z of the Internet through Akamai.”

He also said, “This will allow us to offer the service at up to one-fifth the price of existing public cloud providers, while safely maintaining performance and security on the same backbone network.”

■ Dreaming of becoming the number one zero-trust security company

Akamai has also emphasized the importance of application and API protection as cybersecurity threats become more sophisticated. Akamai has acquired security companies including Prolexic and Guardicore, and is providing infrastructure security, application security, and zero-trust solutions to customers.

Especially with AI-based ransomware expected to emerge in 2024, preventive solutions to reduce threats are becoming increasingly important at the national level. Last year, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced Zero Trust Guidelines 1.0.

'Zero Trust' security is the concept that when a request for access to an information system is made, the network is considered to have already been compromised.

Akamai presents a zero-trust security solution based on micro-segmentation operations. The 'Akamai Guardicore Segmentation' solution combines zero-trust network access and micro-segmentation to limit the lateral movement of malware, thereby preventing damage from spreading after infiltration.

First, reduce the attack surface by reducing the connection of large servers, and deny by default not only external but also internal users. Then, monitor the end-to-end process of API for normal authorization, achieving integrated and comprehensive security.

The essence of the solution is visibility. If a specific part of the company is infected, it is explained that it can minimize the attack by easily blocking other parts. Akamai provides visibility into the internal infrastructure in a hybrid environment across the company's on-premise and public cloud, and allows you to see at a glance how traffic is moving at the network L7 stage. Segmentation work is complicated in the early stages of deployment, but it is very intuitive and useful afterwards.

Meanwhile, Akamai announced that it will aggressively attack the market by introducing a distribution system for its 2024 business strategy. It will present micro-segmentation solutions for the manufacturing, finance, and e-commerce industries, and announced a goal of attracting 30 new customers in the API security sector. In the computing field, we plan to actively promote sales targeting game and hosting companies in cooperation with various partners.