Nile unwraps NaaS security features for enterprise customers

Network-as-a-service startup Nile has added new zero-trust capabilities and tapped Microsoft and Palo Alto Networks to bolster its enterprise security services.

Nile was founded by former Cisco CEO John Chambers and Pankaj Patel, Cisco’s former chief development officer. Its subscription-based NaaS offering, called Nile Access Service, lets customers set up and manage campus network operations without requiring them to purchase and maintain their own networking infrastructure.

Nile Access Service includes a core package of wired and wireless campus infrastructure components and sensors. For management, Nile AI software automates installation and other steady-state controls and includes management and observability capabilities that are tailored for customer installations.

With its latest upgrades, the startup has added Nile Trust Service to its offering. It’s a zero-trust architecture featuring end-to-end encryption and automatic updates to ensure security patches are up to date. Built-in Layer 3 support eliminates the need for VPNs and other security add-ons to ensure granular microsegmentation, according to Nile’s chief product officer, Suresh Katukam.

The new security service is designed to prevent lateral movement inside office systems and eliminate ransomware attacks, Katukam said. Nile isolates each device by default to prevent vulnerabilities and denies lateral movement to prevent unauthorized communication between two devices. All traffic is forwarded to a centralized policy enforcement point for precise inspection and routing, Katukam said.

The new security features include built-in access control for basic authentication, single sign-on (SSO), and multi-factor authentication (MFA). Customers can set universal security policies for remote and in-office users, as well as IoT/OT devices, Katukam said.

Microsoft, Palo Alto partnerships strengthen access control

In addition to the security features, Nile has partnered with Microsoft and Palo Alto to strengthen remote access security for its service.

Specifically, the company has partnered with Microsoft to employ its Entra identity and access management package that provides secure access to remote resources. Entra’s identity service provides user authentication, authorization, and single sign-on (SSO) across multiple applications.

On the Palo Alto side, Nile now brings the vendor’s Prisma Access to automatically connect and forward traffic to Prisma Access nodes in the cloud based on policies defined on Nile. Customers can secure local access with next-generation firewall and all outbound access, including internet and private application access, to apply more granular and uniform enforcement via device isolation.

Prisma also allows for better network and security insights for optimizing access enforcement based on the best path per application or connectivity type, according to Nile.

Less complexity a draw for enterprise customers

Nile’s enhancements could appeal to enterprises that are looking for a simplified approach to integrated network and security.

“When I talk to organizations, many of them understand the need to implement zero-trust frameworks but are challenged in trying to get there,” said Roy Chua, principal and founder at AvidThink.

Nile’s latest release addresses some of the issues in implementing zero trust in campus environments, including complexity reduction, Chua said.

“A large number of organizations face security challenges due to overwhelming complexity and clutter,” Chua said. “Nile is trying to reduce complexity by baking in zero trust into the campus wired and wireless networks and eliminating the need for multiple security appliances, NAC solutions, complex VLANs and ACLs maintenance.”

Nile’s implementation of per-device isolation at Layer 3 without VLANs also fills a need.

“This layer 3 segmentation slows down attackers that try to leverage lateral movement between networked resources to spread and move around,” Chau said. “This is important for IoT and Industrial IoT devices that may have no footprint for agent-based security solutions and are dependent on the network for protecting them or protecting other resources from them if they become compromised.”

NaaS market getting more crowded

The new security features could also help Nile stand out in a nascent but growing NaaS market.

Startups with campus-focused NaaS such as Nile, Meter, Join Digital, and Ramen Networks are positioned to capture much of the greater NaaS market in the coming years, according to a new report from Dell’Oro Group. While campus NaaS deployments had a relatively slow initial uptake, the sector is forecast to generate annual revenues exceeding $940 million by 2028, Dell’Oro Group projects.

“Modern networks are becoming increasingly complex, requiring specialized skills and resources that many organizations lack,” Chua said. “At the same time, they are also experiencing challenges in recruiting and retaining networking and security IT engineers. NaaS provides a simplified, managed solution.”

In addition, the shift to cloud-based applications and hybrid work models demands a more flexible and agile network infrastructure. NaaS offerings can adapt to these evolving needs.

And with cyber threats on the rise, organizations are prioritizing network security. Campus NaaS providers such as Nile that integrate robust security features will make the solutions more attractive, Chua said.

Startups face competition from major networking and security vendors that are also looking to offer subscription-based, converged security and network offerings.

“From Cisco, which is trying to integrate their security and networking but a little behind in as-a-service offerings, to HPE Aruba, which have been more aggressive with an as-a-service approach and which has zero-trust, SASE, and networking assets, to a bunch of NaaS upstarts that include Nile, there are multiple players in the ecosystem,” Chua said.

“Nile appears to be the first out of the gate with zero-trust conveniently baked into a campus NaaS solution, and with what appears to be an easily manageable solution that integrates into identity and authentication systems. Their approach of L3 segmentation versus relying on VLANs is helpful and more scalable, though we will want to see how it scales as all the traffic needs to be processed by a gateway device,” Chua said.

“If Nile can use this to gain early traction and keep up the momentum, then they have a shot at succeeding, particularly against slower-moving incumbents,” Chua said.

Microsoft, Palo Alto partnerships strengthen access control

Less complexity a draw for enterprise customers

NaaS market getting more crowded

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