What is Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)?

Key takeaways

• SASE combines network connectivity and security controls in a cloud-based platform, providing a comprehensive cybersecurity framework.
• The Secure Access Service Edge framework adapts to the shift toward cloud-based IT assets, offering scalable and cost-effective SASE solutions.
• SASE gives users secure access from anywhere, making it ideal for distributed organizations and remote access to cloud resources.
• Secure Access Service Edge brings various security technologies into one platform, simplifying centralized management of network security.
• By applying a zero-trust model, SASE requires strict verification for every access attempt, strengthening the overall security posture.
• SASE offers cost savings and better performance by consolidating services and reducing infrastructure complexity.
• SASE framework addresses modern cybersecurity challenges and supports remote work and digital transformation efforts.

Why SASE is necessary

Work has moved outside the office, and so has the data. Employees connect from home, cafés, and airports. Applications live in the cloud, not in on-premises data centers. Branch offices need fast, direct access to cloud resources, not slow trips back to central data centers. Traditional network security models were not built for this.

The old approach assumed everything important sat inside a fixed perimeter, protected by a firewall. Remote users connected through a VPN, and once inside, they often had broad access to internal resources. That model creates three problems today and weakens an organization's security posture:

• It backhauls traffic. Routing every cloud-bound request through corporate data centers adds latency and frustrates users.
• It widens the attack surface. More devices, more cloud apps, and more remote workers mean more entry points for attackers and more chances for lateral movement once one account is compromised.
• It fragments management. Separate firewalls, VPN concentrators, web filters, and CASBs from different vendors leave gaps in policy, visibility, and reporting.

SASE solutions solve these problems by moving network security to the cloud edge and applying it together with networking. Instead of stitching point products into a perimeter, organizations get one cloud-delivered service that connects users directly to cloud resources, inspects every request in real time, and applies the same policies regardless of where the user or the app is located.

SASE architecture

IT security was focused inward for a long time: employees worked from a single building. Network administrators’ main task was keeping on-premises assets secure. However, after the pandemic pushed employees to work remotely, the approach to security had to change along with network services.

SASE architecture is a new chapter in cybersecurity cloud services, solving problems that previous methods can’t tackle. It’s a unified approach that treats all risk channels with the same attention.

SASE’s parts include cloud-native security components, zero-trust principles, and network service groundworks. Let’s look at each of these capabilities.

1. Cloud-based infrastructure

SASE deployment is closely tied to moving IT infrastructure out of on-premises data centers and into the cloud. A cloud-first approach helps ensure service accessibility and balances the server load. Cloud infrastructure also brings easy scalability, lower costs, and pay-as-you-go pricing.

2. Zero-trust approach

A central component of SASE infrastructure is adopting a zero-trust model. In zero trust, no connection is trusted based on its network location. Threats can come from inside the network as well as outside, so every connection is treated as potentially risky. Tighter access controls make sure each user is who they claim to be and improve the organization’s security.

3. Network components

Even though SASE rejects the idea that internal networks are automatically safer, this does not make a centralized connectivity hub obsolete. WAN functionality is integrated into the framework to apply tighter controls across all network planes.

SASE components

SASE relies on several interlinked technologies to create a universal cybersecurity solution covering all the bases. While each component can be used separately, the main benefit of SASE solutions is centralized management from a single control center. The data and security policies are universal across the board, and each component works together.

• Firewall as a Service (FWaaS)—the backbone of network security, simplifying IT infrastructure by providing additional capabilities like next-generation firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and other features.
• Secure Web Gateway (SWG)—a secure access tunnel between user endpoints and the internet. To ensure the device’s security, SWG acts as a filter to block potentially malicious traffic before it can harm the user’s device. Therefore, it functions as a handy precaution against insider threats and may detect phishing links.
• Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)—a security policy enforcement point ensuring access and authorization to third-party applications. Essentially, it’s an intermediary that checks for authorization and grants or denies permission to access work resources. While it may seem like a nuisance for end-users, it can be a very effective policing tool that helps to ensure that set security policies are enforced for top-notch network security.
• Zero-trust network access (ZTNA)—as a practical implementation of the zero-trust model, ZTNA ensures that each access request passes authorization. ZTNA solutions can evaluate connection context, IP addresses, device posture, and multi-factor authentication, and they replace the broad access granted by legacy VPNs.
• Software-defined WAN (SD-WAN)—a virtual WAN setup across various transport channels. It optimizes the network traffic and balances the load, taking advantage of multiple points of presence. The traffic is routed directly to SaaS providers, avoiding backhauling and wasting the company’s resources.

How SASE works

SASE merges several technologies into a unified solution to protect all network areas. The added value is created through their synergy as each component adds up to create a fully-fledged network security solution. All of them are active simultaneously to provide instantaneous data sharing within the framework.

The built-in systems supervise the user at every step of the connection. While most actions are invisible to the end-user, strict authentication procedures, web filters, and firewall blocks are always active. The system can also independently detect usage anomalies and flag network administrators asking for manual intervention when needed.

As the whole framework is realized with the help of cloud computing, this also provides unlimited remote access from any location. The user’s connections are passed to the nearest points of presence and routed to the assigned location, provided that authorization is passed. It’s a much more forward-thinking approach to solving the drawbacks of VPNs, like security and latency.

Benefits of SASE

Secure Service Access Edge implementation can contribute to an organization’s digital transformation in many network and security functions.

Better flexibility—cloud-based infrastructure is much better suited for quick scaling with a much lower upfront cost. The benefits apply to end-users with lower latency when connecting from diverse locations.

Cost savings—separately implementing each SASE component can be very expensive. In addition, it may not bring the expected benefits as the ecosystem is lost due to different ways different providers set up their services.

Infrastructure streamlining—SASE can help declutter your infrastructure by minimizing the total number of IT assets that must be supervised. Centralized UI helps monitor everything happening on the network with greater efficiency.

Better performance—SASE facilitates the user’s connection to the third-party resources without backhauling. Users don’t have to deal with congested VPN gateways and can focus on productivity rather than troubleshooting.

Forward-thinking security—SASE includes concepts like zero trust, better adapted to tackling modern cyber threats. While it’s a strict procedure, this minimizes many risks.

Easier compliance—organizations subject to government regulations need strong client data protection tools. SASE solutions help by aligning the network with common data protection requirements.

SASE vs. traditional technology and security solutions

Different frameworks and tools solve overlapping problems in different ways. The table below compares SASE solutions with the technologies most often discussed alongside them.