As organizations become more digital, network security approaches that rely on site-based controls can no longer keep up. This is especially true with remote employees, cloud services, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications.
A SASE architecture identifies users and devices, applies policy-based security controls, and delivers secure access to the appropriate applications or data. It is scalable, flexible, and easy to manage.
Security
Security in a digital business is about much more than just preventing attacks and protecting valuable data. It’s also about delivering a great user experience so employees can be productive anytime from anywhere. That’s where a secure network becomes essential, and that’s where SASE architecture comes in. SASE is a new cloud-native, globally distributed architecture that shifts the security focus from traffic flow to identity and context, enabling zero trust network access (ZTNA). SASE encompasses several networking and security capabilities delivered “as a service,” using the user or device’s identity, real-time context, and network policy. For example, SASE can optimize connection speeds to the internet and cloud applications to ensure low latency. This allows users to securely access applications, files, and data without backhaul traffic through the data center firewall. It also enables granular access policies that allow only authorized users to use a specific application or resource. This helps to prevent malicious or unwanted uses of these resources, reducing the risk of data breaches or other security threats. SASE is also crucial to addressing the growing threat landscape from edge computing and connected IoT devices. It can also help to mitigate the complexities of delivering high-performance and reliable connectivity to these devices.
Moreover, SASE provides an excellent way to manage user connections, making it easier to deploy and monitor. A SASE-enabled network is also a great way to manage the relationships of all the devices that need to connect so that a company can quickly scale to meet its needs efficiently. SASE is an effective solution for addressing the challenges of today’s distributed networks. It is a more flexible and scalable alternative to traditional security models, and it can be deployed with little to no hardware requirements.
Networking
By combining the benefits of a global SD-WAN service with security and networking software, SASE delivers a globally distributed fabric of PoPs to deliver low latency to business offices, cloud applications, and mobile users anywhere in the world. SASE providers have to be able to establish extensive peering relationships with other SD-WAN providers and have large and diverse networks of PoPs. With multi-tenant segmentation and in-line encryption, SASE delivers secure access for end users at the network’s edge. This ensures that only users authorized to access the web can do so, limiting potential cyber-attacks that can compromise the security of the enterprise and its critical assets. In addition, SASE enables backbone and edge unification. This allows a single backbone to combine multiple services from different vendors, including content delivery networks (CDNs), cloud access security brokers (CASBs), virtual private network replacement, and edge networking. This is important because these technologies often require separate deployments, configurations, and policies. When deployed in a single service, integrating all these functions into a single platform cuts down on the time and resources required for deploying, managing, and monitoring these services. The unified service also helps reduce staff workloads by eliminating the need to deploy and manage point solutions from different vendors and to keep up with the latest technology developments. It also relieves IT of maintenance tasks like patching and hardware replacement, enabling them to focus on responding quickly to evolving business challenges.
Mobility
With an increasing number of remote workers accessing these applications through personal and corporate devices, it’s becoming more critical for businesses to deliver secure, reliable connectivity to these devices and the apps they run on them. SASE enables this by combining network-as-a-service (NaaS) with network security-as-a-service, which includes capabilities like Secure Web Gateways, Cloud Access Security Brokers, and firewall-as-a-service. Another essential aspect of SASE is combining a global footprint with optimal performance to ensure users can get secure, reliable access to their apps and resources no matter where they are located. This can make a big difference when employees work remotely, allowing them to focus on their work and not worry about whether or not they can get connected. In addition, it is also vital to ensure that the SASE provider has a cloud-native platform. This is essential to meet the identity-centric approach that SASE demands, which requires converged software stacks for all network edges. It is also necessary to look for a SASE solution incorporating centralized policy definition and automated inspection engines. These features are crucial to ensuring that companies don’t have to spend time on these routine tasks, which can slow down operations and reduce the effectiveness of their security solutions.
Deployment
The digital transformation of businesses has pushed networking and security teams to deliver higher agility, scalability, and security at lower costs. To meet these needs, organizations are deploying SASE architectures. Unlike traditional network architectures, SASE is a cloud-delivered solution that combines networking and security functions into a single platform. This allows users to connect with their resources anywhere, on any device. SASE also provides consistent policies and unified management for all services, delivering reliable user experiences across all locations. It is also easy to scale as your business grows and your technology upgrades. This can save your business significant time and money, as you won’t have to invest in additional hardware or infrastructure. SASE is engineered for high performance with low latency to ensure optimal performance and reliability and is backed by a global SD-WAN service. This eliminates latency issues and provides a reliable connection between SASE users and their resources. A good SASE architecture can help you accelerate your digital transformation journey. Choosing a provider that is well-versed in SASE and has an integrated approach to design, implementation, and lifecycle management is essential.