A cloud-based approach, known as SASE, that combines networking and security services so users connect safely from anywhere.
The term SASE was introduced by the research firm Gartner in 2019. Instead of routing all traffic back through a company's data center for inspection, SASE delivers security functions such as secure web gateways, cloud access security, firewall as a service, and zero trust network access from cloud locations close to users. These are combined with software-defined networking that routes traffic efficiently.
For example, a company with staff working from home and several branch offices can use a SASE service so every employee's connection to cloud apps and internal systems passes through the same security policies, wherever they are. SASE supports zero trust principles and can replace or reduce traditional VPNs. Adopting it is usually a gradual process, and organizations should avoid locking into one vendor without checking integration and performance.
A security system that monitors network traffic and allows or blocks it based on a set of rules.
Virtual Private NetworkA service that creates an encrypted tunnel between a device and another network, protecting traffic and masking the user's IP address.
Zero TrustA security model built on the principle never trust, always verify, requiring every user and device to be authenticated and authorized continuously.
SASE broken into its 5 building blocks, how it differs from SSE and a VPN, and a simple test for when consolidating networking and security actually makes sense.
VPNs give remote users a door into the network. ZTNA gives them a key to specific apps. Compare security, user experience and cost to choose the right fit for your team.