SASE transforms networking and security into a super-centric service to provide easy access to enterprise resources. 

The benefits of SASE are not limited to easy access to resources; the technology eliminates the usual complexities and provides important new capabilities for security professionals to respond to the dynamic access requirements created by digital transformation. 

In addition, it provides secure access to cloud-based services for users in different geographical locations.

It is estimated that about 40% of software-based network customers will fully use the SASE solution by 2024.

“That figure was close to 35 percent in 2020.” In this article, we will get acquainted with the applications and patterns of this architecture so that senior security managers can get accurate information about it.

How to Secure Network Edge services and equipment?

Increasing the number of network endpoints such as IoT equipment and IoT equipment has led to the security of equipment located at the edge of the network.

The outbreak of the Coronavirus has led more organizations to pursue an architecture-based solution (SASE) called Secure Access Service Edge, which combines an extensive network of software-based software and security technologies.

In the above architecture, instead of using location information such as data center location, virtual machine, or IP address, access to applications, data sources, or clients on the network based on the identity of the person, device, or application is provided.

In late 2019, the Gartner Institute published a report entitled

“The Future of Network Security Depends on the Cloud Infrastructure,” in which it described SASE as “

a fledgling, cloud-centric architecture that offers organizations a bright future.”

Before 2020, senior information security executives were steadily expanding the scope of their security mechanisms to keep pace with the development of hardware, software hubs, and the production of large volumes of data generated by the growing IoT and IoT. To maintain.

Following the outbreak of the coronavirus, companies sought to enable employees to telecommute. Acceleration in this action caused organizations to face new cyber threats; Because, contrary to normal working conditions, there was no time to carefully review security issues.

As the rational bombing of Zoom Infrastructure began, most senior information security executives were confronted with new concerns such as vulnerabilities in the home Wi-Fi network, phishing scams, ransomware, and misuse of work laptops at home, and sharing of employees’ home computers with other family members…

While most organizations were able to quickly prepare specific safety policies about working from home, they were not fully prepared to monitor the performance of teleworking night shift employees.

Most organizations in 2020 had to expand their plans to use cloud services and use rental services (SaaS) to provide telecommunications, interaction with employees, partners, and customers.

This unplanned situation forced security experts to look for a Zero Trust infrastructure implementation solution, a security model of network management and control used by technology-based organizations.

In the above security model, no machine, service, or user is trusted by default, and at all stages and whenever users or devices need access to a particular service, they must be authenticated and verified.

In addition, network client access is defined as the minimum level of access to the resources required.

Evaluations show that organizations must use comprehensive security solutions at the edges of the network to overcome security threats and protect data, intellectual property, and other organizational resources and assets.

If you have a business that needs to use cloud-centric services to survive, or if you plan to provide cloud-centric services to customers or employees, you need to use the best security models to protect your business infrastructure.

Gartner believes that in the future, SASE architecture is the key to solving the common problems of organizations today. If you have a business that needs to use cloud-centric services to survive, or if you plan to provide cloud-centric services to customers or employees, you need to use the best security models to protect your business infrastructure.

Gartner believes that in the future, SASE architecture is the key to solving the common problems of organizations today.

If you have a business that needs to use cloud-centric services to survive, or if you plan to provide cloud-centric services to customers or employees, you need to use the best security models to protect your business infrastructure.

Gartner believes that in the future, SASE architecture is the key to solving the common problems of organizations today.

What is SASE in Secure Network Edge?

SASE is an emerging technology in the field of cybersecurity, especially cloud-based infrastructure, which was first introduced in 2019. SASE integrates software-centric networking and security mechanisms so that organizations can better manage edge security and edge-mounted equipment.

The Gartner Institute predicts that by 2024, about 40 percent of companies will have specific strategic plans for implementing SASE. In addition, SASE market liquidity will reach $ 11 billion by 2024.

Of course, it is important to note that SASE solutions are not the same, and each company offers its own solution, as companies have different backgrounds concerning a wide network of software-based networks and security mechanisms.

However, SASE is a collection of various components, the most important of which are:

• Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) Cloud Access Security Brokers
• Firewall As a Service (FWaaS)
• Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)
• Secure Web Gateways (SWG) Secure Web Gateways
• Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)

In 2020, Gartner listed other features such as sandbox, application programming interface protection, remote browser segregation (RBI), recursive domain name system, and traditional virtual private network as other components of the SASE solution.

Combining these capabilities into a single solution called SASE significantly simplifies the complex architecture that combines different security solutions.

This reduction in complexity has another major advantage that reduces latency.

Because SASE is specific to cloud environments, its capabilities and facilities are provided in the form of cloud services.

Gartner predicts that by 2023, 20% of companies will turn to vendors that use the SWG, FWaaS, CASB, and ZTNA services to provide these services as a single solution.

An important feature of SASE is the ability to implement security with zero trusts at the edges of the network, which allows access based on the identity of individuals or devices.

SASE provides dynamic access capabilities such as implementing instant security policies that large organizations need.

 The effect of coronavirus outbreak on SASE

In recent years, organizations have implemented strategic plans related to digital transformation, including business planning and service delivery.

Traditionally, corporate security budgets have been distributed between the cloud environment and in-house infrastructure, but recent developments have shown that this investment will shift to public cloud infrastructure. The events of 2020 caused a major disruption to the business activities of organizations and the supply chain.

While the ongoing efforts of IT experts to prepare the infrastructure for remote operations and provide new solutions have been successful, cybersecurity teams have not yet developed a comprehensive and precise strategic plan for securing cloud infrastructure.

Important areas to address are cloud identity management, access control, control of permissions to work with data and resources, and monitoring and managing cloud platform risks.

 The sudden change in enterprise networks made the process of synchronizing secure access to networks more difficult.

Today, instead of overseeing a company’s well-known number of offices, the IT and security department has to deal with hundreds or thousands of employees who work from a variety of homes and devices and are connected to various cloud services.

Since the IT department of the organizations had to implement the required solutions in a short period of time, some purchases related to the field of security were made on a necessity basis instead of based on a real needs analysis.

 Organizations realized in 2020 that they needed to be more agile and resilient than ever before.

Two approaches are called Agile Security and Security Resiliency. SASE is a solution that makes it possible to achieve both concepts. Another emerging trend in 2020 was Business Continuity.

Although the discussion of business continuity planning is an important issue from a risk management perspective, it was typically planned for events such as floods or power outages, but the global outbreak of the virus has negatively impacted the activities of all industries.

 SASE technology can better support the digitization features of businesses compared to traditional and in-house solutions.

In addition, SASE helps businesses survive by providing malware detection, intrusion prevention, and behavioral monitoring capabilities to reduce the risk of security disruptions. Another emerging trend in 2020 was Business Continuity.

Although the discussion of business continuity planning is an important issue from a risk management perspective, it was typically planned for events such as floods or power outages, but the global outbreak of the virus has negatively impacted the activities of all industries.

 SASE technology can better support the digitization features of businesses compared to traditional and in-house solutions.

In addition, SASE helps businesses survive by providing malware detection, intrusion prevention, and behavioral monitoring capabilities to reduce the risk of security disruptions.

Another emerging trend in 2020 was Business Continuity. Although the discussion of business continuity planning is an important issue from a risk management perspective, it was typically planned for events such as floods or power outages, but the global outbreak of the virus has negatively impacted the activities of all industries.

SASE technology can better support the digitization features of businesses compared to traditional and in-house solutions.

In addition, SASE helps businesses survive by providing malware detection, intrusion prevention, and behavioral monitoring capabilities to reduce the risk of security disruptions.

Although the discussion of business continuity planning is an important issue from a risk management perspective, it was typically planned for events such as floods or power outages, but the global outbreak of the virus has negatively impacted the activities of all industries.

 SASE technology can better support the digitization features of businesses compared to traditional and in-house solutions.

In addition, SASE helps businesses survive by providing malware detection, intrusion prevention, and behavioral monitoring capabilities to reduce the risk of security disruptions.

Although the discussion of business continuity planning is an important issue from a risk management perspective, it was typically planned for events such as floods or power outages, but the global outbreak of the virus has negatively impacted the activities of all industries.

 SASE technology can better support the digitization features of businesses compared to traditional and in-house solutions.

In addition, SASE helps businesses survive by providing malware detection, intrusion prevention, and behavioral monitoring capabilities to reduce the risk of security disruptions.

What are the benefits of SASE for businesses?

SASE significantly reduces common network complexities and latency by providing a new unified security solution.

 However, this technology has other advantages, including the following:

•  The power to adapt to business change.
•  More performance and less latency.
•  High scalability.
•  Provide a simple management mechanism that allows security experts to more easily manage security capabilities.
•  Continuous monitoring of communications, user behavior, meetings, and data.
•  Apply dynamic policies.
•  No interference in the daily activities of employees.
•  Automatic service.

SASE applications

The most important applications of SASE are:

• Users who are constantly traveling and using Wi-Fi cafes or hotels use the public Internet to access corporate resources. SASE can provide limited access to data and applications while reducing the risk of public WiFi. In this respect, SASE is smarter than traditional solutions.
• Telework and home-based scenarios where network equipment and computers are shared by other family members may cause security breaches. SASE can provide a comprehensive solution for controlling access to resources and applications. Different branches of an organization can use organizational resources without the need for specific local solutions. In addition, branches can benefit from high local access speeds simultaneously.
• SASE allows you to edit the permissions of different workgroups based on changes made to the groups. For example, some employees only have a limited-time contract with one team. In this case, temporary access can be given to people so that their access is automatically cut off after the project is completed.
• SASE provides a single software mechanism for securing network edges, data centers, and cloud computing services for the edge, the Internet of Things, and the Internet of Things.

Which companies offer SASE solutions?

Given that the above technology is almost emerging, you should not expect the company to offer such a solution at the time of writing this article in Iran.

However, outside of Iran, SASE service providers are a combination of companies operating in the field of network security and software-centric networks.

In addition, several new companies intend to enter this market. The most important SASE service providers are Cisco, McAfee, Microsoft, Symantec, Versailles, Weimar, Akamai, Axis Security, CATO Networks, ForcePoint, Fortinet, Netskope, Palo Alto Networks, Proofpoint, Perimeter 81, and Zscaler.

Do companies openly welcome SASE?

Gartner cites several reasons why organizations do not accept this technology, the most important of which are:

Vendors:

Vendors will likely focus so much on selling the product that they will use outdated product-related terms instead of marketing accurate content related to the technology.

In addition, if the media exaggerates in describing the benefits of this technology, it will cause organizations to have unrealistic expectations of this technology.

Available tools:

Typically, organizations prefer to provide a set of tools belonging to different companies, some of which have not yet been replaced.

Current vendors:

Typically, businesses and security and IT managers prefer to work with specific companies. However, not all companies can meet the emerging opportunities of the tech world quickly.

Traditional Perspectives:

Moving from centralized and intra-organizational security to super-centric security is a new and growing trend, but organizations with traditional perspectives see SASE as a threat. For this reason, companies that offer traditional products see SASE as a threat to themselves and will campaign against it.

Relevant vendor strengths:

Some SASE solution vendors focus on software-centric networking and others on network security. For this reason, their performance concerning traditional and old solutions may be better than in new areas.

Belief in a general solution:

Different companies have different security structures and offer different products. For this reason, the level of maturity and growth of each organization is different.

Accordingly, the solutions for using SASE depend on the starting point and goals of the organization. As a result, one solution may not be suitable for all organizations.

Important questions for senior information security executives

The elements that makeup SASE have been around for years, but this is the first time that scattered elements have been introduced as a new product.

 For this reason, senior information security executives should first seek the seller’s answer to the following questions before purchasing a product offered by a SASE solution vendor:

1. Is your SASE product compatible with existing network infrastructure tools?
2. If the above solution can be integrated with current tools, what kind of information should be shared?
3. Do you have a specific option to optimize network performance, what are the service level agreements and their associated costs?
4. What is the best way to reduce costs and risks in the long and short term and what are the advantages and disadvantages?
5. Does your SASE solution have automation capabilities and what are its limitations?
6. What is your strategy for SASE, what are your roadmaps for the next 12 to 14 months?
7. What do you do to ensure the success of your SASE implementation?
8. Do your solutions reduce the performance of local solutions?

last word

Before the Covid 19 outbreak, the digital transformation created a new opportunity for SASE. Over the past few years, companies have become increasingly focused on implementing their digital delivery strategies.

Following the outbreak of the Coronavirus, the issue of business continuity was combined with process automation, accelerating the implementation of cloud solutions such as IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS.

With the changing nature of businesses, security teams and managers faced new threats stemming from telecommuting and new digital solutions designed to help businesses grow and prosper during a corona outbreak.

However, it is important to note that with the growth and development of information technology infrastructure, security mechanisms must be developed.

In the next few years, many organizations will use SASE, as SASE greatly contributes to the security, agility, and tolerance of businesses.