Fulton further breaks down SASE into two parts: SD-WAN and a set of cloud-based security services, such as secure web gateways, cloud access security brokers and zero-trust network access.
“These services are delivered from the cloud and managed in one place,” he says, “allowing people to get what they need on the web, in cloud apps and in data centers or private clouds.”
He notes that for SASE solutions to be effective, they must be seamless: “You need one console to manage the web, cloud and data center, and another to define all policies in one place. This allows you to define a set of security polices and constantly enforce them across your entire IT environment.”
What Benefits Does SASE Offer?
The onset of a global pandemic accelerated the shift to remote and distributed work by as many as three years. In turn, threat actors have stepped up their attacks. SASE offers a way to protect people no matter where they are or what data they’re accessing.
“It’s all about enabling people to be more productive and to do their work anywhere they need, with access to all the information they need,” says Fulton. “In a post-pandemic world, this is a must-have.”
He points to four key benefits:
- Improved productivity. By providing streamlined and secure access to data, users aren’t constrained by location or device.
- Cost control. “SASE doesn’t just shove old technologies into the cloud,” says Fulton. “It reinvents and integrates them to help squeeze out gaps and redundancies to reduce total operating expenses.”
- Reduced risk. Unified and consistent policies, enforcement and operations reduce the possibility of accidental breach or malicious compromise.
- Streamlined compliance. Evolving regulations rely on the principle of due diligence. SASE satisfies this expectation by providing a standardized and transparent security framework.
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