Corporate networks have changed significantly in recent years, driven by the rise of cloud and SaaS services. The hybrid working revolution has further accelerated this shift, leading to the adoption of the SASE architecture.
The move to SASE based architectures is not limited to just a few industries, it spans across all business. All businesses large or small can benefit from moving to SASE.
If you can answer yes to any of these then SASE could be right for you.
- Do you use any SaaS apps – think Salesforce, Microsoft Office for example?
- Do you have multiple offices / branches?
- Do you have workloads in the cloud, Azure, GCP, AWS for example?
- Do you have a mobile or hybrid workforce?
In this post we’ll define what SASE is, its core features and some tips and tricks around picking a vendor.
What is SASE?
The term SASE was first introduced in 2019 by two Gartner analysts, Neil McDonald and Joe Skorupa.
SASE stands for Secure Access Service Edge, and its an architecture framework that combines security and SD-WAN into a cloud service. In a nutshell SASE is designed to improve network performance, security and network access. any implementation is managed using cloud-native architectures.
Why is SASE important
The move to SaaS and Cloud, along with the “work from anywhere on any device” demands of today’s workforce, has significantly transformed the once well-defined and secure network perimeter.
Networks that were once tightly controlled, with a single ingress/egress point protected by a firewall and internet access managed through a proxy server, are no longer effective and are gradually disappearing. The convergence of network and security has led to the merging of traditionally separate roles into a unified network and security team.
Core Features
- Firewall as as Service (FWaaS)
Todays networks have a wider and more dispersed edge a FWaaS can help protect those edges. This allows uniform set of policies to be applied across the network and changes managed quickly - Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)
As businesses shift from on-premise and data-center applications to SaaS solutions, authentication and access gain importance. CASB enforces security policies, even for services outside a business’s control. - Secure Web Gateway (SWG)
Provides access to resources beyond traditional security boundaries while protecting the network and users from phishing, botnets, and other threats. - Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)
ZTNA is based on identity rather than a device, IP address or MAC for example. It provides businesses with visibility and control of users and systems accessing corporate apps and services.
Tips and Reminders
Some key things to think about when choosing a SASE provider
- Not all vendor offerings are created equal – map out your use cases in detail and evaluate vendors against these.
- A single vendor approach for both SD-WAN and SASE can make implementation, support and usage simpler. Vendors spend more time making sure their own products work together and may overlook interoperability with other vendors.
- A Multi-Vendor approach may give you a best in class outcome for both SD-WAN and SASE. However this can come at a cost or increased implementation times/cost.
- SASE is not a set and forget solution, make sure you have either in-house expertise that can maintain, configure and troubleshoot the platform or use a Service Provider that can manage your network and security for you.
Summary
To summarize, today’s businesses require a network that drives business outcomes. Modern networks demand advanced security functions and controls. The SASE framework meets this need by combining SD-WAN with security to deliver secure, high-performance networks, enabling employees to stay productive effortlessly.
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