What is a SASE Solution?

Secure Access Service Edge, or SASE, is an approach to managing networking and security in a world where people may work from anywhere, and IT environments no longer have a defined perimeter. 

SASE solutions deploy Software-Defined Wide-Area  Networking (SD-WAN) technology to improve connectivity for hybrid workforces and simplify management for IT teams. By combining SD-WAN with various cloud-based security services, SASE solutions move security functions to the cloud rather than routing traffic through a central data center for security inspection.

Since SASE is an emerging approach to networking and security, there are many different types of SASE solutions offered by technology providers. Some provide only point solutions that must be combined with technology from other providers. Most vendors provide comprehensive SASE services that combine SD-WAN with solutions known as the Security Service Edge (SSE): a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) technology and a Secure Web Gateway (SWG).

Major developments in computing and IT environments have left legacy solutions needing improvement to deliver superior security and connectivity. The traditional “castle and moat” approach to network security is no longer effective when the notion of a network perimeter has disappeared. 

As organizations embrace cloud computing, their IT assets may reside in data centers anywhere in the world. At the same time, the pandemic accelerated the model of a hybrid workforce where employees work and connect to cloud services and IT resources from anywhere.

In addition to these developments, IT teams are faced with a threat landscape that is increasingly sophisticated and constantly proliferating. Traditional solutions that focus on inspecting traffic or managing VPNs are too costly, impractical and inadequate, leaving gaping holes in security that threat actors can exploit.

SASE solutions address all these challenges by inverting the traditional security models. Rather than backhauling all traffic through a central data center for inspection, SASE moves security functions to the edge, closer to the users, devices, applications and resources that need them. Focusing on authenticating identities rather than inspecting traffic, SASE solutions improve security by strictly controlling access and making security available anywhere it’s needed. SD-WAN technology simplifies management for IT teams and ensures that users and applications have access to the bandwidth and speed they need while.

While each SASE service may rely on a slightly different architecture and collection of services, all SASE deployments share several common characteristics.

• Converged networking and security services. SASE implementations integrate networking and security to simplify management, increase protection, reduce latency and improve performance.
• Identity-based security. SASE security is based on authenticating the identity of users, devices and other resources rather than checking IP addresses or inspecting network traffic.
• Security functions at the edge. Rather than backhauling traffic through a central hub for security inspection, SASE moves security functions closer to users, devices and applications at the edge. The result is less latency and better performance.
• Centralized control. Administrators can use a single console to manage SASE security policies for all users, data, applications and environments.
• Cloud-native. As a cloud-native technology, SASE is elastic, enabling rapid scaling to accommodate growing businesses. 

With a SASE solution, organizations can:

• Enhance protection against advanced threats. SASE solutions employ comprehensive measures to prevent external attacks, vulnerability exploits, DNS attacks, malware, data exfiltration, lateral movement, account takeover and other cyber threats.
• Reduce IT costs and complexity. By providing a unified and integrated security framework, SASE solutions eliminate the need for an unwieldy patchwork of costly solutions that are difficult to manage, maintain and upgrade. With SASE, VPN technology and hard-to-manage point solutions are no longer needed. 
• Support Zero Trust security. SASE enables organizations to accelerate the adoption of Zero Trust principles and technologies to better protect the organization and its users, data, applications and assets.
• Deliver better user experiences. SASE technology enables users to connect directly to cloud resources rather than routing traffic through a central hub for inspection. By moving security functions close to the users and devices that need them, SASE solutions minimize latency to provide faster online experiences.
• Enjoy greater flexibility and scalability. A SASE platform’s cloud-based infrastructure makes it easy to deploy and manage new resources and to scale up or down as needed, 
• Manage security policy more efficiently. A SASE solution lets administrators manage security with one cloud-based service, setting and enforcing policy for all users, applications and environments from a single console.

Recognized as a leader in cybersecurity by Gartner, Forrester and NSS labs, Forcepoint simplifies security for global businesses and governments. 

Forcepoint now offers a single-vendor SASE solution that combines the Security Service Edge (SSE) features of Forcepoint ONE with the networking capabilities of FlexEdge Secure SD-WAN. This offering lets businesses and government agencies connect hybrid workforces and protect distributed environments with comprehensive networking and security solutions that can be centrally managed from a single console.

Forcepoint offers a data-first SASE Solution that connects users safely to applications and exerts continuous control over the data accessed on them. Forcepoint understands how users interact with data and identifies behavior that creates risk and may lead to breaches. With Forcepoint, IT teams can automate the enforcement of security policies based on the risk each user presents at any moment.

Forcepoint’s SASE solution enables organizations and IT teams to:

• Safely and efficiently connect remote sites to the cloud with FlexEdge Secure SD-WAN.
• Deliver unified security services with Forcepoint ONE, an all-in-one, cloud-native security platform.
• Provide easy, secure access to internal private applications using Forcepoint ONE ZTNA instead of VPNs.
• Control the use of business-critical cloud applications and data on managed and unmanaged devices with Forcepoint ONE CASB.
• Safeguard web browsing with Forcepoint ONE SWG, with optional advanced threat protection from Remote Browser Isolation (RBI) and Zero Trust Content Disarm & Reconstruction (CDR).
• Apply data security policies consistently across the web, cloud and private apps with Forcepoint DLP.