Modernize Your Security With SASE

By TechDogs Editorial Team

Overall Rating

Overview

Agent Cody Banks, starring Frankie Muniz, was among the greatest undercover movies to grace cinemas. Cody is assigned to befriend his classmate Natalie, played by Hilary Duff, whose dad is a world-renowned nanotechnology scientist who invented nanobots that could potentially destroy countries. Cody’s mission from the CIA is to make friends with Natalie, so he can gauge what secret operation her dad is working on. #NoSpoilers

This teenage 007 is assigned spy gadgets such as an intelligent wristwatch with built-in stun rays, a holographic smartphone and suction cup shoes to scale buildings; these devices keep him secure and assist him in retrieving the intel he needs. A spy is as good as the gadgets he has at crucial moments in time!

Just like Cody, businesses are as secure as the technologies they use. We believe every business needs to know about Secure Access Service Edge (SASE); a tool that has been developed to assist enterprises in securing their network and business intelligence assets. SASE is hallmarked as a product that enables a complete integrated service to facilitate the scaling of digital security.

Read along to know more about this revolutionary technology called SASE!

Would you protect your business data center with a wooden gate, or would you hire a full-time guard? The answer is obvious – the better the security, the more you have peace of mind.

For the ultimate peace of mind, you need to use SASE (pronounced "sassy"). This new cybersecurity concept was introduced by Gartner in their August 2019 report called The Future of Network Security in the Cloud and expanded on in their 2021 Strategic Roadmap for SASE Convergence. Safe to say, it is an emerging use case and businesses that transition to SASE can expect a higher grade of security.

You can think of SASE as the cloud-delivered integration of wide area networking (WAN) and network security services including Cloud Access Security Broker and Zero Trust. What does it all mean?

Read on!

What is Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)?

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) has become one of the best tools for optimizing networking and cloud architectures in the business world. So, what is it?

SASE is a secure, unified and scalable network service that is programmed to simplify the authentication process within business networks by applying appropriate policies for the resources a user wants to access. SASE also supports Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), which restricts and monitors user access by device/ application.

In the way that the CIA’s undercover agents are charged with defending the moralities of the Modern World, SASE similarly aims to deliver optimum and secure performance for applications running on the business network.

SASE simplifies the authentication process by applying policies for the resources which the user seeks. Security policies are enforced no matter where the users are located – on-premises or remote. If there are any potential threats to the system, SASE reduces them to give your security teams enough time to resolve the issues.

As we said, SASE is a recent technology – here's its journey till now.

History Of SASE

SASE was coined by Gartner researchers, Joe Skorupa and Neil Macdonald in 2019. It was known as a cloud-based solution combined with a software network and security functions. To safeguard a company’s network, a SASE model was designed where all user-based cloud interactions could be routed back through a secure data center before being redirected to the cloud application.

During 2020, the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) reframed the conversation with its NIST 800-207 standard for zero trust architecture, wherein the upgraded securities were centered around resource protection and permissions based on authorization levels.

Today, SASE runs securely from anywhere and provides seamless integration within SaaS environments with flexible multi-cloud environments. It has various use cases which support organizational growth and eliminate operational and security bottlenecks.

So, how does SASE help do this?

Benefits Of SASE

Source

Implementing SASE into the enterprise network-enabled IT teams to have fewer correctional tasks related to monitoring, deployment and maintenance, freeing their time up for higher-level tasks. Here are some other benefits:

Reliable Security Gateways

Right from security policies to prevention of threats, SASE can fulfill zero-trust network access to gauge any infringements that are browsing on your network, thereby protecting all the assets on and off your network.

Reduction In Costs

By accessing a single platform, SASE eliminates the need for monitoring tools and platforms. Instead of buying multiple-point products, the organization can use this centralized management platform and data center resources.

Easy To Implement

By consolidating your security and networking from separate systems into a one-stop single solution, tasks can be easily managed from a single point of reference and daily productivity can be increased. Leveraging the cloud capabilities optimizes security performance as employees can securely connect to internal applications, the internet and corporate assets with ease.
Prevents Potential Threats

SASE architecture provides security features such as segmentation, application resource cloaking and user/ device/ location-based risk assessment. The encryption/ decryption makes provisions for all connections to be inspected and protected under SASE.
Improved Daily Operations

SASE providers maintain all the necessary inspections and checks so that organizations are worry-free when it comes to protection against cyber-attacks or annual hardware upgrades. IT operations teams don’t have to deal with repetitive tasks and they can focus on more analytical tasks which bring value to the business.

Just like Cody partners up with his handler Ronica Miles to take down the evil scientists and prevent them from doing their bidding, your organization should partner up with SASE to safeguard against the dark forces of security risks.

Why Is SASE Necessary?

Source

The dependence on cloud-based applications is at an all-time high across industries as businesses support their workflows with cloud platforms. This enables SASE to grow with the continuously expanding capacities of the business cloud. SASE enables companies to respond to a crisis in an efficient manner and minimize any disruptions. It also paves the way for advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning to be deployed.

SASE architecture delivers comprehensive services by applying consistent policy enforcement based on identity and authentication. This leads to a secure and consistent client-to-cloud user experience.

SASE addresses today’s most common security challenges arising from applications living outside data centers; sensitive data is now stored across multiple cloud services with users connecting from various locations and on many devices.

Hence, SASE should be the point of convergence for networking and security functions via the cloud, delivering secure, safe and reliable access to its users.

Yet, that’s not all!

The Future Of SASE

Cody is not your average teenager and SASE is not a passing technology of the digital age. Enterprises across the globe are striving to do away with tech siloes and eliminate old technologies such as VPN to automate networking and security features.

Such unification of user, network and device will aid in delivering real-time security solutions. In fact, Gartner VP Analyst Jeffrey Hewitt attributed the rapid adoption of SASE to ‘the need to secure the access of devices and elements at the edge’.

Gartner also forecasts that the market for Secure Access Service Edge will grow at a CAGR of 42%, reaching almost $11 billion by 2024. The groundwork is being laid to deliver holistic and efficient networking that will boost how organizations work together as a whole. Adopting single-vendor SASE solutions will be a common practice for large organizations. With the rise in phishing attacks and ransomware, adopting SASE will be another trend that will be on the rise in the near future.

It's A Wrap

SASE is the new-age security solution! It enables flexibility, cost-savings, zero trust, data protection and threat detection – all in one package. Cybersecurity is a high priority for any business, now more than ever and SASE makes security simpler yet effective at all times. We hope this article helped decode this technology. Of course, if you’re Cody Banks, you already knew!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)?

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) is a comprehensive network service designed to simplify authentication processes within business networks while applying appropriate policies for resource access. It integrates wide area networking (WAN) and network security services, including Cloud Access Security Broker and Zero Trust, ensuring secure and unified access to resources regardless of user location.

How does SASE benefit businesses?

Implementing SASE into enterprise networks offers numerous benefits, including reliable security gateways, cost reduction by eliminating the need for multiple monitoring tools, ease of implementation through centralized management, prevention of potential threats with advanced security features, and improved daily operations by reducing repetitive tasks, thereby allowing IT teams to focus on higher-level tasks that bring value to the business.

Why is SASE necessary for modern businesses?

SASE is essential for modern businesses due to the increasing reliance on cloud-based applications, which heightens the need for secure and efficient access. SASE addresses common security challenges arising from dispersed applications, multiple cloud services, and diverse user locations and devices. By converging networking and security functions via the cloud, SASE ensures secure, safe, and reliable access to users, supporting seamless business operations and growth.

Enjoyed what you read? Great news – there’s a lot more to explore!

Dive into our content repository of the latest tech news, a diverse range of articles spanning introductory guides, product reviews, trends and more, along with engaging interviews, up-to-date AI blogs and hilarious tech memes!

Also explore our collection of branded insights via informative white papers, enlightening case studies, in-depth reports, educational videos and exciting events and webinars from leading global brands.

Head to the TechDogs homepage to Know Your World of technology today!

Disclaimer - Reference to any specific product, software or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by TechDogs nor should any data or content published be relied upon. The views expressed by TechDogs' members and guests are their own and their appearance on our site does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by TechDogs' Authors are those of the Authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of TechDogs or any of its officials. All information / content found on TechDogs' site may not necessarily be reviewed by individuals with the expertise to validate its completeness, accuracy and reliability.

Tags:

SASE Networking Cybersecurity Cloud Edge Secure Access Service Edge Zero Trust Zero Trust Network Access Cloud Access Security Broker

Join The Discussion