SASE: Marketing Buzz or the Future of Security?

SASE: Marketing Buzz or the Future of Security?

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Businesses are continuously looking for ways to increase security while reducing complexity and operating costs as they migrate to cloud infrastructures. Moving to remote work naturally increases the demand for hybrid clouds and software as a service (SaaS), which increases the urgency of these demands. Currently at the top of the enterprise security hype cycle is a relatively new technology known as Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), which may be able to meet all of these needs.

SASE is a networking and security architecture that combines networking concepts like VPN and SD-WAN with security ideas like contextual access and Zero Trust, two fascinating but occasionally overhyped topics in the security world.

What Is SASE?

SASE, a cloud-based architecture, provides network and security services to safeguard users, applications, and data. A SASE strategy effectively gets rid of outdated systems and perimeter-based hardware. This technology is now less of a product and more of an idea or objective for most businesses.

Gartner first used this phrase. Since then, it has quickly become one of this decade’s most aspirational security concepts. Data, apps, and internet services are securely accessed and used through the SASE cloud.

A security appliance is not used for traffic but rather for a consistent approach to security. In this technology, WAN capabilities are paired with cloud-native security services such as Zero-Trust Network Access (ZTNA), secure web gateways (SWG), firewalls as a service (FWaaS), and cloud access security brokers (CASB). Then it goes directly to edge computing sites.

Is SASE Marketing Hype or the Future of Security?

Secure Access Services Edge, also known as SASE, is a term that has recently gained popularity. Numerous businesses now actively market it. It resolves the performance issues caused by traffic backhauling in conventional networks.

The real-time risk assessment, business context, and identity SASE designs allegedly incorporate into every connection to help prevent cyberattacks. SASE’s success, however, has created an opportunity for companies providing other services as well as SD-WAN manufacturers. Prospective buyers should, however, consider a few things.

It’s More Than Just Combining Different Services

To begin with, SASE isn’t, strictly speaking, a well-defined architecture. Instead, it is more of a collection of technologies, with service providers filling in the gaps until architecture is reached and all the different components can function correctly.

However, simply combining a few services won’t be enough. It is crucial that this technology is managed consistently across all components, has security analytics across all components, and has integrated administrative capabilities instead of just a collection of disconnected services. But none of these is mentioned in the original definition.

Beware of Supplier Lock-Ins

Although SASE is a one-stop shop, there is a significant risk of becoming locked into one supplier’s strategy, which frequently has a small number of carefully selected partners.

It is common for these solutions to include ZTNA. However, using software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) for infrastructure may conflict with ZTNA’s zero-trust principles. ZTNAs and CASBs coexist with identity-based network access control.

SASE Could Be One Glass Pane

The internet can resist significant disruptions. However, recent events have shown the dangers of reverse-engineering the decentralized architecture of the web.

Therefore, SASE shows the potential as a single pane of glass governing network access and cyber security services.

So consider subscribing to such a service and using it for purposes other than those described in the initial use cases. Your initial supplier will likely offer the functionality you require as well. This leaves you at risk, however, of becoming dependent on a single source or provider.

SASE: Is It a Blessing or Not?

SASE solutions must meet customer needs and requirements. Furthermore, this technology could be useful for industries that still rely heavily on legacy IT, such as financial services, to tie up factories.

As with most IT concepts, SASE isn’t a silver bullet for all problems. Furthermore, a SASE platform must be flexible enough to consider future requirements. If you haven’t considered each of these factors, you won’t be able to determine whether this technology is a good fit for your needs.

The SASE concept seems appealing. However, there are several problems that businesses must resolve before SASE can become a reality.

What Are the Growth Expectations for This Market?

Because of SASE’s benefits, Gartner predicts that by 2024 at least 40% of companies will have a plan in place for adopting it. It also stated that most businesses would adopt SASE within five years.

The SASE market will increase at a compound annual growth rate throughout that time, with a large portion of near-term income coming from a mix of hardware and software as physical appliances.

Businesses Can Benefit from SASE

Businesses can use a range of preventative security measures, such as web filtering, sandboxing, DNS, credentials, and next-generation firewalls, to prevent attacks and stop data loss. Organizations can benefit in several important ways by utilizing the SASE framework:

  • Enhancing visibility, enhancing agility, and improving efficiency
  • Now, the program operates more effectively
  • Remote consumers require lower latency and adequate bandwidth
  • Efficiency gains, financial savings, and teamwork
  • Access to cutting-edge technology, such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things
  • Increased incident management and time to market
  • Performance, scalability, and operational agility enhancements

Market Consolidation Is Necessary Until the Industry Matures

The idea of SASE has a lot of promise because it could significantly improve the security posture of businesses, especially in the current cloud-heavy environment. The industry, however, will need at least three to five years to reach a consensus on the design and top producers in practice. In the future, SASE will be essential in providing security features to businesses or companies.

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Businesses Experience Benefits from This Technology

Never use technology merely for its own sake. Even so, the advantages of updating WAN and security infrastructures are:

  • Risk reduction and brand preservation
  • Rapid analysis and application of newly developed security technology
  • Improved and uniform application of security regulations
  • Establishment of profitable businesses

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Conclusion

Several challenges in a multi-cloud environment could influence how you develop your IT infrastructure and network deployment, particularly in remote locations. We know that SASE is a model that offers safety services to associations and has prominence in the market rather than a service or device that can be easily acquired from a distributor.

Despite the intense marketing hype surrounding SASE, businesses find it challenging to determine whether a vendor can provide a complete SASE and which SASE is best for their needs. We can say that SASE will gain more hype in the future. Only after you have considered all of factors will you be able to determine whether SASE is a good fit for your needs.

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