Before the advent of enterprise-grade cloud networks, security required protecting a single highly fortified network perimeter. Behind that perimeter, employees were entrusted with system access using company-owned and -controlled devices.
Software-defined wide area networks (SD-WAN), by contrast, bring company data beyond those boundaries, making them potentially accessible from anywhere on the internet. With nearly 80% of organizations planning to move at least part of their operations to the cloud, SD-WAN presented numerous challenges for network admins.
New security measures were needed to protect network access at every access point, which is potentially anywhere with internet connectivity. The solution is Secure Access Service Edge, or SASE, a suite of network security and accessibility protocols that facilitate easier access and greater cloud security. Built as a layer to run alongside SD-WAN, SASE resolves the most critical security and accessibility gaps presented by SD-WAN alone.
At the Cloud's Edge
What makes SASE so useful is its impressive suite of security and accessibility applications, along with its ability to easily route traffic through a traffic-engineered network. This makes critical work infrastructure more easily available to employees who are not tech-savvy, and all without exposing the network to security vulnerabilities. Additionally, SASE is highly adaptable, integrating smoothly with several other SaaS business tools — and being fully software-based, it's completely scalable.
Being an incredibly broad and versatile networking framework, the following are just some of the expansive, important features that make SASE one of the most important business technologies of its kind.
Device Agnostic
Though SD-WAN enables secure connections through dedicated hardware, employees can be more efficient if they can access the SD-WAN from any chosen device. SASE's security protocols make exposing an SD-WAN to the World Wide Web safe and easy, increasing speed and ease of use for users.
The most cohesive SASE solutions enable one-click logins from any device, quickly handling the authentication and screening processes in the background. There's no configuration necessary, and the user experience is about as simple as logging in to any subscription-based web portal.
Related: How SASE & SD-WAN Relate, and What It Means for Your Organization
Easy Integration
SASE was built to supplement SD-WAN, not as a replacement. Because it's highly adaptable, it can be customized to work with preexisting SD-WAN networks. If no SD-WAN exists, one can be built from scratch and integrated into the SASE service itself, providing fully secure, in-house cloud networking. In either case, SASE is fundamentally woven straight into the network — not "patched on" like a separate service.
Further, SASE can integrate with numerous other enterprise software or subscription web tools, such as sales management platforms, CRM, Unified Communications, and beyond. As a purely software-based tool, SASE is also highly amenable to developers building custom software solutions for their businesses.
Non-Locality
With SASE, secure cloud accessibility was vastly expanded, accelerating a work-from-anywhere culture among entrepreneurs. Now, many businesses are expanding their operations in location-independent ways, expanding into international markets, and even leveraging new communications services to bridge communication gaps and keep non-local workforces in touch more easily.
For system administrators, the entire network can be managed from a single pane of glass. SASE and SD-WAN provide total visibility over the security of the network, allowing admins to monitor all requests for data to enforce policies and authorization levels.
Full-Spectrum Security Layer
SASE's numerous security features are integrated straight into the SD-WAN itself. This makes the entire network's accessibility and other features more inherently stable than alternate cloud services, which create vulnerabilities at every point disparate services connect. Hackers more easily exploit disjointed systems, but overall cohesion has always been SASE's core strength.
SASE also provides an incredibly high amount of security redundancy. At every level of data exchange, the security once expected of trust-based, on-premise networks is not only being met — it's being surpassed. Legacy systems are built around a need to consolidate data, but this also consolidated security almost entirely to the points of entry.
This meant that if anyone penetrated that singular barrier, they had free rein over the entire network. By contrast, SASE ingrains security protocols seamlessly throughout all data exchange processes.
Related: Creating Security Methodologies That Don't Hold Back Business
Core SASE Security Tools
The following are some of the key security services SASE is built on. Remember that while SASE can be broken down into its constituent security and accessibility features, it functions as a cohesive architecture and is far more than the sum of its parts.
- Zero-Trust Network Access (ZTNA)
ZTNA is not a tool as much as a methodology. It involves approaching every user and data request as untrusted until proven otherwise. This is accomplished through micro segmentation, where innumerable small perimeters are placed throughout the data exchange path. At each of these perimeters, the system requires authentication before sending data packets through. ZTNA also uses multi-factor authentication, and users may be prompted to verify their identity with each new device. - Secure Web Gateway (SWG)
To further protect the network from risk, the SWG blocks inbound and outbound network activity that could jeopardize network integrity. With SWG, users are prevented from accessing unsecured sites from within the network, while bots and other automated cyberattacks are blocked from entering from the outside in. - Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)
The purpose of CASB is to maintain policy compliance and block unauthorized access to data. It protects the data pathway between applications and the data being requested (in distinction to the pathway between the user and the app, which is managed by SD-WAN's basic architecture). This secures company information in the rare event of unauthorized access to an application — even if an unauthorized user accesses the app, CASB blocks access to data. It also blocks unauthorized uploads, preventing malware and similar attacks from infecting the network. - Firewall as a Service (FWaaS)
Just as with traditional firewalls, software-based firewalls perform multiple functions to protect the DNS (domain name system) and the individual devices connected to the network. It accomplishes this with URL filtering, intrusion protection, early threat detection, and DNS security procedures.
What To Look for in a SASE Provider
Because SASE is highly customizable, it's important to compare features according to your actual use scenarios. Look into your SASE provider's pricing structure to be sure it's easy to scale up on demand, so your business can grow without altering your network's foundations. If you're in the middle of a gradual shift to cloud infrastructure, also note whether they offer hybrid network solutions, such as a gradually scaling SD-WAN environment that securely interfaces with the servers at your facility.
To ensure the best experience, look for a provider experienced enough to configure a custom new SASE system simply by understanding your specific situation. Ensure that they'll deploy the system alongside your IT staff to test and modify it until it's perfectly adapted to your needs.
SASE — Where Accessibility and Security Meet
Leveraging our partnerships with over 50 technology providers, we've assembled the most secure and accessible tech stack for businesses of any size.
To upgrade your current network or acquire a custom SASE/SD-WAN package built from the ground up, don't hesitate to contact BCM One and get started today. With highly attentive support, you'll have all the help you need to focus on your business.
