Bringing Networking and Security Under One Roof with SASE

With remote work on the rise, SASE has emerged as the latest enterprise-grade cloud architecture that bolsters network security, drives down operating costs, and streamlines IT ecosystems.

If you’re still unfamiliar with SASE, why it matters, and how it can make life much easier for IT professionals both today and into the future — don’t worry, we have you covered.

What’s SASE and Why Is It Important?

Secure Access Server Edge, or SASE, has emerged as the latest cutting-edge network security model to sweep through the industry — and for good reason.

Within a single, cloud-based service model, SASE represents the convergence of software-defined wide-area networking (SD-WAN), wide area networking (WAN), and network security services such as firewall as a service (FWaaS), and cloud access security broker (CASB). SASE represents the sum of all of these security features to effectively secure your network traffic.

SASE is as secure as it is straightforward. What sets SASE apart from other attempts at unified network security is that you no longer need to rely on data center-style security to monitor network traffic. Instead, your business can now monitor traffic from the enforcement point — the nearest network-connected point to a user’s device — before sending it directly to its destination.

40% of organizations worldwide are projected to adopt SASE solutions by 2024 according to a recent Gartner study. And with workforces becoming increasingly more mobile and distributed while demanding more and more shared data resources, SASE’s enduring value will be in protecting cloud-based data no matter their physical location or workplace environment.

The Benefits of SASE for Large and Medium-Sized Organizations

Enterprises, particularly large and medium-sized firms, keep turning to SASE to take advantage of its myriad bottom-line benefits. Chief among them include:

• Improved business productivity and customer satisfaction: Businesses enjoy a significant productivity leap with SASE because it boosts IT efficiency by consolidating your security stack into a cloud-based network security infrastructure. This frees up your IT from needing to constantly manage, monitor, and update the same number of different IT security products. By simplifying the process and flattening the playing field, SASE streamlines your comprehensive IT and security apparatus.
• Enhanced, consistent security policy enforcement across the enterprise: Enterprises gain better visibility into their network and bolster cybersecurity by harmonizing the full content inspection with a SASE model. The data protection policies applied under a cloud-based SASE model thwart unauthorized access and forbid the misuse of sensitive or proprietary data.
• Reduced risk and brand image protection: SASE’s zero-trust approach eradicates trust issues from occurring when devices, users, and applications connect. No matter the location or active status of a user, SASE’s zero-trust policy ensures a user’s complete sessions maintain protected.
• Increased IT efficiency and lower overall WAN and security costs: SASE drives down operating costs and reduces the drain on your IT team because it functions as a single platform for your IT network security. Gone are the days of needing to buy and maintain multiple-point products.
• Improved application performance and reliability: IT resources stored in dispersed places across the world seamlessly connect to cloud infrastructure. Bottom line? SASE catalyzes superior performance across your IT infrastructure.
• Ability to evaluate and integrate new security technologies as they emerge: As a cloud-based infrastructure, SASE is a security model that flexibly powers the most cutting-edge cybersecurity features. SASE stays current with innovative firewall policies and aids web filtering measures, as well as cyber threat and credential theft prevention, data loss prevention, and DNS security.

Making the Transition to a SASE Deployment:

So now that you know what SASE is, and understand the range of business benefits that drive its popularity, there’s only one final step: to get your enterprise up and running with SASE.
Large organizations adopt a service provider or authorized vendor to design and deploy SASE models, helping them drive flexible, secure, and rapid connections across all networked users and devices. Managed providers ensure you get the most bang for your buck with SASE, empowering you with the speed and nimbleness to thrive with a cutting-edge security solution.

More and more, enterprises place a premium on speed, agility, and the scalability of services — as long as it doesn’t come at the cost of networking and cybersecurity measures. SASE powers companies to reliably keep access to applications, data, and services secure.

The right managed provider will launch your enterprise into the SASE era, reducing network risks and driving down long-term costs. TTI is a leading service provider that includes SASE amongst its managed offerings. Our team of experts has spent decades delivering the most effective, enterprise-grade cybersecurity solutions for our business partners. To learn more about how we help keep enterprises secure and help your organization get up to speed with SASE, reach out for a consultation.