SASE combines network and security capabilities on a single, cloud-native platform. It provides scalability, acceleration, edge compute functions, Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), and a secure web gateway service (SWGaaS).
This architecture allows your remote workforce to connect safely to your corporate information. It is done by analyzing identity and risk online at the edge.
Increased Flexibility
Modern work requires flexible access to applications, systems, and data regardless of where your workforce is located. Legacy network and security architectures don’t provide the layers of protection needed to make this possible, but SASE can.
SASE works by processing traffic at the edge, removing it from the centralized security model, and moving it closer to your users. This approach improves performance by reducing bandwidth and connectivity issues while ensuring that only the correct data goes where it should go.
The SASE architecture also ensures consistent policy enforcement, eliminating the risk of varying policies across different parts of your network. Policies are set centrally via a cloud-based management platform and enforced on distributed points of presence close to end-users.
A SASE solution that integrates SD-WAN, CASB, and identity will deliver the flexibility your organization needs. However, developing a roadmap that will consider your goals for network transformation, operational simplicity, and cost optimization is essential. You should also evaluate the learning curve and cost of reskilling your IT team. A well-established IT consulting firm can help you create an implementation plan to get your SASE framework up and running with the most negligible impact on your business.
Better Security
The SASE framework adapts the zero trust approach to cybersecurity, rejecting that a connection should be given trust based on its network location. Instead, all connections should be treated as potentially malicious, and tighter access controls must be applied. SASE also includes SD-WAN functionality that can reroute traffic to local data centers or SaaS providers, avoiding backhauling and reducing transport costs.
Combined with centralized management that provides single-pane-of-glass access control and visibility, SASE streamlines networking and security functions into a single solution, minimizing the quantity of technology your teams have to supervise. It allows for more efficient management of change control, patching, outage window coordination, and policy management.
Transitioning to SASE requires carefully evaluating your organization’s network and security infrastructure and involving stakeholders in planning. To achieve the best results, look for a vendor that offers SASE solutions that combine security and networking capabilities in a cloud-native architecture. It allows for contextual access policies, granting access to applications and resources only when needed. It also enables least-privilege access that considers a requester’s location, time of day, and other factors.
Reduced Risk
SASE uses a cloud-first approach that provides easy scalability and balances server load. It means your organization can quickly adapt to changing security and performance requirements with a single solution without worrying about hardware upgrades or maintenance issues.
With threats moving faster and more sophisticated than ever, it’s critical to have a security infrastructure that stays ahead of the threat landscape. SASE solutions use next-gen tools to stay one step ahead by learning from internet traffic, identifying attacker infrastructure being staged for attacks, and blocking them before they can cause harm.
Managed SASE delivers network and security services together from the cloud, including SD-WAN, secure web gateway (SWG), CASB, Zero Trust network access (ZTNA), and firewall-as-a-service (FWaaS). These capabilities are deployed globally across a service edge that can be a global point of presence (PoP), data center, colocation facility, or IaaS. This edge infrastructure enables secure, contextual access to applications and services based on the user’s identity, their device and location, and the organization’s security policy. It reduces risk, prevents lateral movement in the event of a breach, and protects users from threats outside the corporate network.
Increased Efficiency
The SASE framework moves networking and security functions into the cloud, reducing the number of hardware devices on-site that may be vulnerable to hacking or require costly maintenance. It allows companies to scale up or down quickly as business needs change without overburdening IT departments.
When a user attempts to access company resources, the SASE architecture analyzes each request and determines its appropriateness based on the organization’s security policies. If it is, the connection is approved, and the resource is accessible. Otherwise, the request is rejected.
Unlike VPNs that have to send each packet of data to the corporate network to be inspected, SASE uses route optimization to process traffic at the edge and deliver superior performance and lower latency. It also provides centralized visibility to identify network performance bottlenecks and resolve them proactively.
Increased Value
As more organizations adopt remote work and SaaS, SASE can be implemented to support secure application access without needing a VPN. It can enable businesses to open up a new location in a far-flung part of the globe or bring on workers in an exciting area while maintaining total security and performance.
SASE uses real-time context to determine security services and policies for each WAN session. Identity is the primary source of this context, but factors like risk posture, device, location, and data sensitivity also play an essential role.
This approach removes complexity from the tech stack and reduces security costs by combining networking and network security capabilities into one solution that can be managed with a single console. It can help your IT/security staff spend less time on menial tasks and more on value-driven initiatives.
To reap these benefits, you’ll want to choose a provider with SASE experience, security expertise, and a robust platform that delivers on its promises of high performance, scalability, visibility, and flexibility. Managed SASE can eliminate the need for heavy initial investments and dramatically reduce management overhead, saving your organization money in the long run.