What is SASE? (Secure Access Service Edge)

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) is a security framework that enables businesses to quickly and securely adopt cloud services, while also helping to ensure that both users and devices have secure cloud access to applications, data and services whenever and wherever they need it. Developed by Gartner, SASE packages networking and security services into a single model that supports edge computing, workforce mobility, cloud-centric IT and overall business continuity.

As businesses seek to accelerate growth by using the cloud to house their applications, data, users, devices, applications and services are being migrated outside of the traditional enterprise perimeter at a much greater pace than ever before. This means that the enterprise perimeter is no longer a physical location; rather, it is a set of dynamic edge capabilities delivered as a service when needed.

This dynamic perimeter adds much more complexity to a business’s security structure because it introduces more environments and disparate products to it. Additionally, there is a shortage of skilled staff that can effectively manage these complexities from all angles. Because of this, businesses need to approach security and risk management differently to ensure that their infrastructure remains secure.

Characteristics of the Gartner SASE Security Model

The SASE framework is designed to apply identity and context to users and devices to assess the exact level of performance, reliability, and security needed for every network session. This allows businesses to consistently deliver and manage network and security services with more agility than they previously could. This is due to the key characteristics of the framework, which are listed below.

• Global SD-WAN Footprint
• Centralized Policy Control
• Cloud-native Architecture
• Identity Driven

Global SD-WAN Footprint

Software-defined networking in a wide area network (SD-WAN) is a WAN architecture that allows enterprises to securely connect users to applications independent of location. SASE enables this connection by providing the service with a common platform that can be accessed globally.

Centralized Policy Control

SASE presents security systems with a unified framework for deploying and enforcing security policies to all devices across a network.

Cloud-native Architecture

Cloud-native architecture describes services that are specifically made to live in the cloud. The use of cloud-native architecture allows for increased agility, flexibility and scalability.

Identity Driven

With the SASE framework, security and network access are given based on a user’s and application identity, not on often transitory IP addresses. Further, systems need to be able to continuously evaluate user identity to be granted access.

The Benefits of SASE

Below are some of the major benefits of the SASE framework that could help take your network security to the next level.

• Cost Savings
• Flexibility
• Reduced Complexity
• Increased Performance
• Zero Trust

Cost Savings

Instead of buying and managing multiple services, SASE utilizes a single platform that dramatically reduces costs and IT resources.

Flexibility

With a cloud-based infrastructure, your business can implement and deliver security services such as threat prevention, web filtering, sandboxing, DNS security, data loss prevention and firewall policies without ever touching your network.

Reduced Complexity

SASE allows you to simplify your IT infrastructure by reducing the number of security products your IT team has to manage and maintain, consolidating your security stack into a cloud-based network security service model.

Increased Performance

With a cloud infrastructure, users can connect to applications efficiently and directly because policy is enforced in the cloud rather than on a traditional network.

Zero Trust

A zero trust approach to the cloud starts from a posture of denying trust by default and works to incrementally open access to users while continuously evaluating risk. The SASE framework provides complete session protection.

How to Make the Gartner SASE Model Easy

SASE is a framework that allows users and services to interact in a safe, secure environment, and the Application Access Cloud parallels this functionality by brokering the connections between devices and private applications and consistently monitoring the behavior of those devices. Instead of focusing solely on network security and access, the App Access Cloud focuses on securing private applications from bad actors, ensuring that your business’s data can never be accessed from that front. Additionally, once you have the App Access Cloud, you won’t have to think about whether it’s compliant with SASE because its principles are built right into it.

The App Access Cloud is a robust, yet easy-to-use service that allows your business to experience data security as you’ve never seen before. While SASE can take years to implement, the App Access Cloud can provide amazingly simple application security in seconds – all you need to do is flip the switch.