The Business Leader’s Guide To Navigating the SASE Landscape

Today’s businesses face the challenge of balancing robust security with seamless accessibility across their networks – particularly as remote work and cloud adoption accelerate. Enter secure access service edge (SASE), an innovative framework that combines network security with wide-area networking to meet modern security and access needs.

In this blog, we'll explore how SASE works, its benefits for businesses, and tips for overcoming implementation difficulties. 

How Does Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Work?

SASE is an innovative framework that integrates network security functions with WAN capabilities. This consolidation is intended to support the changing access needs of modern organizations. SASE solutions typically consist of:

• Cloud-Native Security Services: These can include firewall-as-a-service (FWaaS), secure web gateways, and zero-trust network access, all delivered via the cloud.
• WAN Capabilities: SASE enhances network performance and connectivity, which is crucial for companies with distributed workforces and cloud applications.

Top Benefits of Implementing SASE

Adopting SASE provides several advantages for businesses, including:

Improved Security

With SASE, security is tied to the user rather than the network perimeter, allowing for consistent security that stays with users as they access applications and data from any device or location. SASE implements zero trust principles, where no user or device is inherently trusted. Continuous authentication and authorization verification are performed to grant access based on the user, device, application, and risk profile, ensuring security follows the user across networks.

Network Efficiency

SASE integrates WAN capabilities like SD-WAN, routing, and traffic optimization technologies, enabling efficient usage of network resources by dynamically adapting connectivity and bandwidth based on business priorities. Latency is reduced while throughput and reliability are improved. 

Reduced Complexity

Rather than manage a patchwork of security point solutions, SASE converges key networking and security functions into a unified cloud-native service. Web security, firewalls, cloud access security brokers, VPNs, and more are all delivered via a single platform. This consolidation of tools and policies reduces operational and management complexity. 

Agile Scalability

Since SASE is delivered as a cloud-based service, capacity can be adjusted quickly based on demand. This provides agility and flexibility to scale security and network resources up or down as needs change across the enterprise. New locations and users can be onboarded rapidly as well.

Lower Costs

SASE can reduce capital expenditure and operational costs related to network security and management by leveraging cloud delivery models and eliminating the need for multiple security products. 

Challenges in SASE Implementation

While SASE has many benefits, deploying it also brings challenges, such as:

• Integration With Legacy Infrastructure: For organizations with substantial legacy on-premises infrastructure, integrating SASE with existing networks, security tools, policies, and workflows can be complex. SASE may require reshaping parts of the infrastructure and architecture to realize its full benefits. 
• Transitioning Security Staff: The operational model of SASE is very different from traditional network security approaches, as it requires security staff to adapt to managing security in the cloud rather than on-premises appliances. Staff will need training to develop cloud-centric workflows and skills. 
• Performance Considerations: Delivering security from the cloud can introduce latency or performance issues, especially for remote branches. Optimizing connectivity and accounting for bandwidth limitations is key. 
• Vendor Lock-in Concerns: While SASE simplifies the vendor landscape, it also locks your organization into a single vendor. Relying on a sole vendor can reduce bargaining power and cost competitiveness.

Navigate the SASE Landscape With Expert Support

Implementing SASE is essential for securing your business as remote work and cloud adoption increase, but finding the right solution for your teams and overcoming implementation challenges can be tough without expert support. Partnering with a technology advisor can help ensure you get a solution that is not only secure but also optimally aligned with your business goals.

Ready to see how SASE can transform your network security and performance? Talk to an expert at ITBroker.com and take the first step toward a secure, efficient, and agile network infrastructure.