SOLUTION OVERVIEW

Introducing F5
Distributed Cloud
Private Link
A New Way to Securely Connect Application Data and Bypass
the Public Internet
Reasons to steer clear of the Internet

The soaring volume of data breaches and data exposures in today's global
cyberspace makes the public Internet the one place you want to avoid when
it comes to sharing internal application data and services.

Data breaches in the United States alone eclipsed 1,000 a year in 2016, reaching a
record 1,632 in 2017, according to the statistics website Statista.com. Most resulted from
planned cyberattacks on an organization's database, with cybercriminals gaining access
via the Internet. Similarly, the number of U.S. data exposures or data leaks—more common
incidents caused by human error and weak internal cybersecurity—spiked in 2018 at 471.23
million sensitive records exposed, more than 29 times the amount (16.2 million) in 2010,
according to Statista.

Enterprises today require a more secure way to exchange data and services for their
applications than exposing them to the Internet. Most organizations in industries such
as finance, healthcare, retail, and government don’t have a choice—they must adhere to
regulatory and industry requirements demanding private connectivity. But any company with
an airgapped network should insist on secure private connectivity to manage its infrastructure
and applications.

That's why F5® Distributed Cloud Services is offering Distributed Cloud Private Link, a private
network connection from your on-premises network to your private cloud, public cloud, and
SaaS applications.

Distributed Cloud Private Link enables on-premises network users to access essential
productivity tools without connecting to the Internet. It allows organizations to meet strict
compliance rules such as GDPR that not only bar Internet access but also prohibit company
data from being transmitted across regional boundaries. In addition, the service delivers
increased privacy, transmission speeds, reliability, and security.

Distributed Cloud Private Link 2

 2000
Data breaches and records recorded in millions

1,632

1500 1,473

1,257

1,106

1,001
1000

783 784
662 614

500 447
418

169.1 197.6 164.7 155.8

147.2
92 85.6
22.9 17.3 36.5
16.2

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Figure 1: Source: Statista.com

Data breaches
How F5 Distributed Cloud Private Link works
Million records exposed
ANY COMPANY WITH AN
Distributed Cloud Private Link utilizes a dedicated last-mile connection for privacy and
AIR-GAPPED NETWORK
control, middle-mile acceleration and predictability, and densely peered access to on-
SHOULD INSIST ON SECURE
premises, public cloud, and SaaS applications. It leverages the F5 Global Network to bypass
PRIVATE CONNECTIVITY
the Internet, plus these key features:
TO MANAGE ITS
INFRASTRUCTURE AND
• F5 Distributed Cloud Mesh provides secure and high-performance connectivity from
APPLICATIONS.
the edge to the data center and the Internet to the data center.

• F5 Distributed Cloud App Stack offers zero-touch provisioning and automated scaling
of infrastructure, along with centralized application orchestration via Kubernetes APIs
(Application Programming Interfaces).

• F5 Distributed Cloud Console supplies a centralized portal for security configuration

and analytics and management of Distributed Cloud Private Link.

F5 serves as your general contractor for the Distributed Cloud Private Link service, working
with a local networking service provider to install a dedicated connection to your premises
without having to deal with any other vendors.

Distributed Cloud Private Link is independent from Distributed Cloud Mesh and Distributed
Cloud App Stack and does not require a subscription to either, but it does complement
both solutions.

Distributed Cloud Private Link 3

 Distributed Cloud Console

Distributed Cloud Distributed Cloud

App Stack Mesh
Platform services Distributed network
for distributed and security services
infrastructure
and apps

PUBLIC CLOUD
SERVICES, SAAS APPS

Salesforce
Workday
SaaS Providers
Dedicated
On-Prem Connection Distributed Cloud
Private Link Network

Figure 2: F5 Distributed Cloud Private Link is a private network connection allowing secure,
reliable data transportation between your facilities, public cloud services, and SaaS
applications, without the need to access the Internet.

F E AT U R E S O F D I S T R I B U T E D C L O U D P R I VAT E L I N K
BY USING A DEDICATED
• Enhanced security protection: With a private on-ramp to network express lanes,
CONNECTION, YOUR
ORGANIZATION WILL customers can leverage the inherent security proprieties associated with an air-gapped

NEVER HAVE TO SHARE network, reducing potential vulnerabilities.

BANDWIDTH WITH ANOTHER • Improved performance and reliability: Distributed Cloud Private Link accelerates
ORGANIZATION. your access to cloud and SaaS-based solutions. You get dependable and consistent
accessibility and data transfer rates to eliminate potential bottlenecks.

• Augment existing compliance requirements: Fulfill increased regulatory requirements

that demand private connectivity and prohibit data from being transmitted across regions.

• Increased network visibility: Comprehensive telemetry captures link traffic and related
metrics. Gain enhanced visibility for monitoring dedicated network connection status
to ensure a reliable level of performance and accessibility to public cloud services and
SaaS applications.

Distributed Cloud Private Link 4

 R E A S O N S T O C H O O S E D I S T R I B U T E D C L O U D P R I VAT E L I N K

• Improved performance through private connectivity: By using a dedicated

connection, your organization will never have to share bandwidth with another
organization. You can realize the same performance attributes throughout low- and
high-usage periods to support increased employee productivity.

• Simplified network management: Customers can connect services across different

layers, with no need for firewall rules, path definitions, or route tables. You can
configure an Internet gateway or peering connection or manage links. Distributed
Cloud Private Link simplifies network architecture and management from anywhere.

• Amplified levels of security: Gain access to one of the highest forms of network
security—an air-gapped network. You benefit from increased levels of security and
protection through isolation from the public Internet.

• Increased levels of compliance: You can eliminate regulatory compliance worries by

utilizing private data center connectivity and data transmission capabilities to meet all
your corporate compliance directives.

• Proven F5 networking excellence: Distributed Cloud Private Link leverages F5’s

global network and extensive peering relationships with major public cloud and SaaS
application providers to deliver high-speed accessibility without the Internet.

How to get Distributed Cloud Private Link

F5 Distributed Cloud Services are SaaS-based security, networking, and application
management services that can be deployed across multi-cloud, on-premises, and
edge locations.

Distributed Cloud Private Link is sold as a service though an F5 sales representative.

Interested? Contact [email protected] today.

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