What is SASE and How Does it Work?

The implementation of a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) has become an increasingly popular topic in enterprise IT, as organizations look to leverage the advantages of cloud-based perimeter security solutions. This shift towards unified governance and comprehensive access control is driven by the need to keep up with the dynamic development of cloud technology and the increasing risk posed by cyber threats. As such, it’s essential that IT network administrators thoroughly understand SASE; what it is and how it works, so they can make informed decisions regarding their organization's security postures.

In this blog post, we will explore SASE - its benefits for enterprises, use cases for working with distributed environments and data centers, common challenges faced when deploying SASE solutions as well as best practices related to successful deployments.

SASE is an emerging technology that provides organizations with a secure, cloud-based network architecture. It combines traditional network security with cloud-native security services to provide users with a secure and seamless experience. SASE offers several benefits for businesses, including cost savings, improved scalability, enhanced security, and simplified management.

One of the most notable benefits of SASE is cost reduction. By leveraging cloud-based services, organizations can eliminate the need for expensive capital expenditures, such as hardware and infrastructure – with predictable, monthly pricing models based on consumption. Additionally, SASE simplifies the process of managing networks by providing centralized orchestration and real-time application optimization. This helps to reduce complexity and improve efficiency in managing networks.

Another benefit of SASE is improved scalability. With its distributed enforcement of security policies across multiple locations, SASE enables organizations to quickly scale up or down their networks as needed without having to invest in additional hardware or infrastructure. This helps businesses save time and money when it comes to expanding their operations or responding to changing business needs.

Important to note, is how SASE also provides enhanced security for users by applying least privilege access controls across all devices and applications connected to the network. This ensures that only authorized users have access to sensitive data and applications while preventing unauthorized access from outside sources, and simplifies the security model by providing end-to-end encryption for all data transmissions over the network.

Finally, SASE offers improved performance due to its single pass processing capabilities, which reduces latency associated with complex routing protocols used in traditional networks. This allows users to quickly access applications and data without experiencing delays caused by inefficient routing protocols used in traditional networks.

Breaking Down SASE:
SASE consists of five main components which work together to provide a secure and seamless networking experience for organizations.

1. Firewall as a Service (FWaaS): FWaaS provides traditional firewall functionality in the
cloud, allowing users to implement access control policies without having to
purchase and maintain physical hardware on-site.

2. Secure Web Gateway (SWG): SWG helps protect against web-based threats by
inspecting all incoming traffic for malicious code and blocking unauthorized traffic
from entering the network.

3. Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA): ZTNA ensures only authorized users have access
to sensitive data and applications while also providing end-users with secure access
from any location or device.

4. Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB): CASB allows IT departments to monitor and
control access to cloud applications, ensuring that only authorized personnel have
access to sensitive data stored in the cloud environment.

5. Software Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN): SD-WAN facilitates dynamicity in
network performance by selecting the most optimal route for each application
based on real time conditions, enabling faster response times for users connected
over long distances.

To summarize the top six benefits:

Overall, Secure Access Service Edge provides organizations with a secure, cloud-based network architecture that offers numerous advantages such as cost savings, improved scalability, enhanced security, and simplified management capabilities. By taking advantage of these benefits, businesses can improve their operations while ensuring that their data remains safe from malicious actors on the internet.

Jason Pennell is a senior solutions architect for Advantage Communications Group (Advantage), a global telecom MSP. For 20 years, Advantage has reduced IT complexity and administrative burdens for enterprises, serving as a single partner for end-to-end telecom network and IT optimization, including procurement, provisioning, implementation, inventory, and expense management. Contact one of our experts today to assess the state of your enterprise network.