Cisco Demonstrates How Network Modernization Boosts Security and Performance

Cisco has showcased how integrating security with network modernisation can bolster enterprise cyber resilience. The company's recent global deployment of Wi-Fi 7 demonstrated that updating network infrastructure can enhance security alongside improving connectivity and performance. This initiative led to a significant 40% reduction in reported security incidents across many sites, proving that network upgrades can deliver tangible security benefits.

Cisco IT's Wi-Fi 7 deployment serves as a practical example for enterprises looking to strengthen their security posture while enhancing network performance. By combining Wi-Fi 7 with Cisco technologies, organisations can achieve better security, faster connectivity, and improved performance. This approach highlights the importance of treating networking and security as an integrated system rather than separate functions.

Mohannad Abuissa, CTO & Senior Director of Solutions Engineering at Cisco, emphasized that modernising the network is an opportunity to rethink security integration. He noted that bringing networking and security together can strengthen zero trust, improve segmentation, and build protection directly into the network. The deployment reinforced Cisco's Secure Networking approach, which focuses on three key areas: reinforcing zero trust from the network layer, building security directly into network infrastructure, and using segmentation to limit lateral movement.

The deployment also demonstrated that improving security does not have to compromise user experience. Employees benefited from faster and more reliable connectivity, passwordless authentication, and seamless segmentation without additional friction. This integration helped reduce complexity, strengthen protection, and improve the experience for both users and IT teams. As organisations continue to modernise their infrastructure, Cisco advises that security should be designed into the network from the outset.