SASE: Benefiting from Combining Networking, Security in the Cloud
Digital businesses can save money, protect data and launch products faster with cloud-based SASE, a convergence of WAN capabilities with security services.
Digital businesses will begin to move toward consolidating networking and security-as-a-service capabilities into a cloud-delivered, Secure Access Service Edge, according to a Gartner Inc. report. SASE, pronounced "sassy", supports all types of edges, including WAN, mobile, cloud, and edge computing, according to Network World.
IT Support St. Louis professional, Bryan Ferrario at Alliance Tech Partners shares some of the top benefits of cloud-based SASE for small to large corporations.
Benefits
This evolution of cloud-delivered security and networking provides several benefits to businesses including:
- Agility: SASE makes security intrinsic in the network. Businesses will be able to add any app or service quickly without having to wait for security issues to be resolved. This gives businesses that move quickly to adopt SASE the strategic advantage of being able to launch a product faster than competitors who delay or do not adopt the technology.
- Cost savings: Infrastructure requirements for SASE are simpler and less expensive. Instead of using multiple vendors and products, SASE provides an integrated platform. The number of IT resources required also is reduced.
- Enable new digital scenarios: SASE makes sharing of applications and data with partners easier and less risky.
- Flexibility: The cloud enables easy delivery of DNS security, credential theft prevention, data loss prevention, antivirus and malware prevention, and next-gen firewall policies. Scaling up or down according to needs also can be done with ease.
- Increased mobility and potential for globalization: With SASE, the enterprise is no longer confined to a specific location. Service is delivered from the cloud to the individual user no matter where in the world he or she is physically based. Because SASE attaches an identity to every person, device, app or service within the organization, these identities follow people or devices wherever they move.
- Data protection: SASE prevents confidential information and sensitive data from leaving the network.
Adopting SASE
A number of potential barriers must be overcome to adopt SASE. One is the silos in which networking and security typically exist. Because of these silos, these two teams may fight the implementation of SASE, according to Gartner. SASE must offer a good value proposition across both silos for them to agree on adoption. Many companies will also need to switch vendors since legacy vendors may have difficulty adapting to a cloud-delivery mindset, Gartner predicts. In addition, companies that are early adopters of SASE will find a market in turmoil until it begins to consolidate. For that reason, Gartner recommends initial contracts with SASE vendors have terms of no longer than two years. At this point, no vendor offers a complete portfolio; Gartner recommends some will begin to do so in 2020. 360 Smart Networks in Atlanta suggests organizations begin their transition gradually by first doing a WAN makeover and then retiring its legacy security appliance.
