Traditional network security models struggle to keep pace with the dynamic nature of modern threats, and organisations are looking for more agile and effective solutions. That’s where Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) comes into play. As a leading SASE provider, we understand the critical importance of a robust and integrated approach to network security and optimisation. In this blog, we’ll explore the fundamentals of SASE and guide you through the process of getting started to enhance your network’s security and efficiency.

Understanding SASE

By converging security and networking functions, SASE offers a holistic approach to protect and optimize network traffic, regardless of the user’s location or device.

SASE replaces the traditional hub-and-spoke architecture with a cloud-native model that leverages the power of the cloud, providing secure access to applications and resources. It integrates multiple security services, including secure web gateways (SWG), firewall-as-a-service (FWaaS), data loss prevention (DLP), and zero-trust network access (ZTNA). This convergence eliminates the need for multiple point solutions and simplifies management, leading to enhanced security posture and improved network performance.

Getting Started with SASE:

Evaluate Your Network Requirements

Begin your SASE journey by assessing your network requirements and identifying pain points. Consider factors such as the number of users, their locations, bandwidth requirements, and the applications they access. This evaluation will help you understand the specific security and networking services you need from a SASE provider.

Choose a Reliable SASE Provider

Selecting the right SASE provider is crucial to the success of your network transformation. Look for a provider that offers a comprehensive suite of security services and has a proven track record in the industry. Ensure that their solution aligns with your organisation’s needs, including scalability, performance, and global reach.

Define Security Policies

With SASE, you gain granular control over security policies. Define policies that align with your organisation’s risk tolerance and compliance requirements. These policies can include access controls, content filtering, application whitelisting, and data loss prevention measures. Ensure that your SASE provider offers flexible policy management tools that allow you to enforce these policies consistently across your network.

Implement Zero Trust Architecture

SASE inherently embraces the zero-trust architecture model, which treats every user and device as potentially untrusted, regardless of their location. Implementing zero-trust principles helps protect against internal and external threats by requiring users and devices to authenticate and validate their access before connecting to network resources. Take advantage of the zero-trust network access (ZTNA) capabilities provided by your SASE provider to enforce strong authentication and authorisation controls.

Embrace Cloud-Native Security

One of the key advantages of SASE is its cloud-native approach. As you transition to SASE, migrate your security and networking functions to the cloud to gain scalability, agility, and better threat visibility. Ensure that your SASE provider offers a robust and reliable cloud infrastructure with global points of presence (PoPs) to deliver low-latency and high-performance services.

Monitor, Analyze, and Optimize

Continuously monitor and analyze your network traffic to gain valuable insights into security threats and network performance. Leverage the advanced analytics and reporting capabilities offered by your SASE provider to identify anomalies, detect potential breaches, and optimise your network’s performance. This data-driven approach empowers you to make informed decisions and proactively address any security or performance issues.

Conclusion

Securing and streamlining your network is a top priority in today’s digital landscape, and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) offers a comprehensive solution to meet those demands. By integrating security and networking functions into a cloud-native architecture, SASE empowers organisations to protect their network from evolving threats while enhancing performance and scalability.

As a leading SASE provider, we encourage you to evaluate your network requirements, choose a reliable provider, define security policies, implement zero trust principles, embrace cloud-native security, and continuously monitor and optimize your network. With SASE, you can transform your network infrastructure to meet the demands of the digital age and ensure the security and productivity of your organisation.

Looking where to start? Download our latest SASE whitepaper, exploring the evolution of network security that led to SASE, outlines the breadth of services included in a SASE solution, and offers practical steps to move toward SASE adoption.