Balancing the benefits of convergence with associated security risks can be tricky. While convergence eases communications and data access tasks for end users, complexities associated with supporting multiple interfaces, protocols and devices create potential vulnerabilities.

To secure converged enterprise networks, a few general recommendations should be followed:

• Follow a "defense-in-depth" approach to security, which employs multiple layers of user screening and encryption
• Centrally manage security layers to enable scalability efficiencies that deliver improved levels of security
• Integrate security components into network devices to simplify the security infrastructure