The rapid adoption of multi-cloud strategies has dramatically reshaped enterprise IT infrastructures. Organizations now regularly employ multiple cloud service providers (CSPs), hybrid clouds, and edge computing environments, driven by a quest for cost efficiency, performance optimization, and enhanced resilience.
Dataconomy has sat down and talked to Anirban Sengupta, CTO and SVP of Engineering at Aviatrix, who highlights that enterprises today are inherently multi-cloud. “Every large enterprise customer is multi-cloud,” Sengupta states, emphasizing that the “best-of-breed solutions” often dictate such diverse infrastructure strategies.
However, with increased flexibility comes heightened security concerns. Sengupta stresses that robust security is paramount, especially considering today’s threat landscape, where enterprises face sophisticated attacks, including those sponsored by nation-states. He argues that enterprises should proactively invest in security infrastructure rather than viewing it as an afterthought. “Security is the fundamental need at this point. It is not just bad actors, but nation-states sponsoring these actors,” Sengupta notes, underscoring the urgency of comprehensive security measures.
Agentic AI amplifies networking challenges
The emergence of generative and agentic AI applications has compounded networking complexities. These new applications are inherently multi-cloud, often spreading workloads across multiple cloud platforms, data locations, and AI model sites. Sengupta describes this complexity clearly: “Data is somewhere, the models are somewhere else, the applications are somewhere else, and the agents could be tens of thousands or even millions, running everywhere.” The need for secure, distributed connectivity thus becomes critical, making reliable multi-cloud networking essential for businesses investing in cutting-edge AI technologies.
Reflecting on his experience at Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Sengupta contrasts previous networking challenges with today’s landscape. While Google excels in connecting its own data centers internally, enterprise needs have evolved. Today’s enterprises require seamless and secure connectivity across diverse CSPs, edge environments, colocation centers, and infrastructure providers like Equinix and Megaport. Sengupta identifies a significant gap in addressing secure multi-cloud connectivity and Kubernetes network integration: “CSPs like Google are not investing enough in secure connectivity across multiple clouds and hybrid environments.”
A notable pain point that Sengupta observed at Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) revolves around Kubernetes’ dynamic, ephemeral nature and related network security issues, such as IP exhaustion and firewall complexities. Kubernetes demands extensive IP addresses and frequently recycles them, complicating security measures. “Kubernetes is IP address hungry and extremely dynamic, making it hard to implement effective security and firewall rules,” Sengupta explains. Aviatrix addresses this with their new Kubernetes firewall solution, specifically designed to mitigate these networking security challenges and streamline operations.
Observability as the foundation of security
Observability, according to Sengupta, forms the cornerstone of effective multi-cloud security. “If you can’t see it, you can’t secure it,” he asserts. Aviatrix provides comprehensive observability through a unified control plane that simplifies multi-cloud management, security monitoring, and operational oversight. The Aviatrix platform, Sengupta describes, includes a distributed control plane running across all clouds, on-premises, and edge environments, alongside a data plane handling connectivity, security, and firewall management directly within packet paths. This approach significantly reduces latency and operational complexity.
Sengupta advises enterprises to embrace multi-cloud realities proactively. He made three critical recommendations: adopting and strategically planning multi-cloud and hybrid infrastructures, investing significantly in networking and security infrastructure, and empowering developers with tools to innovate securely at speed. He concludes, “Enabling developers to deploy applications with high velocity while maintaining security, governance, and compliance is essential.”
As enterprises navigate increasingly complex cloud landscapes, Sengupta’s insights serve as a vital roadmap, highlighting the importance of holistic security strategies, comprehensive observability, and robust multi-cloud networking solutions to power the future of enterprise IT.
