KaaS Series: Secure Service Edge (SSE)

SSE – It’s the evolution and trend to remove SD-WAN from SASE (Secure Access Service Edge).

We are seeing a shift to SSE in approach. Gartner expects that by 2025, 80% of enterprises will have a unified solution that secures web access, cloud access, and private applications.

Tune in as Shannon and Kyle break down SSE vs SASE, talk about the differences and why you might choose one versus the other.

Decoding SSE, SASE, and SD-WAN: A Modern Overview

Security Service Edge (SSE) and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) represent innovative approaches to network security in the modern enterprise. SASE combines the benefits of Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) with cloud-based security services, while SSE offers cloud security without the SD-WAN component.

1. SD-WAN: Enhancing Network Efficiency
SD-WAN intelligently manages and dynamically routes traffic across internet circuits and private lines, ensuring an optimized end-user experience and bandwidth allocation per application. With many applications residing in the cloud or delivered as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), SD-WAN directs traffic directly to these cloud-based resources, eliminating the need to traverse a private path to the corporate data center.

2. SASE: Cloud-Based Security Services
SASE takes the foundation of SD-WAN and augments it with cloud-based security services as part of a comprehensive service offering, rather than requiring organizations to develop their extensive security solutions. Instead of inspecting traffic at local firewalls at each location for policy enforcement, threat detection, web filtering, and remote access, all traffic is routed to a cloud-based provider that performs these functions.

While firewalls are still essential at remote locations for stateful packet inspection and secure tunneling to the SASE provider, the attack surface is significantly reduced. SASE leverages the cloud provider’s vast infrastructure, redundancy, and resources, eliminating the need for deploying expensive security appliances at every location.

3. SSE: Cloud Security without SD-WAN
SSE offers the same cloud-based security services as SASE but removes the SD-WAN component. Some organizations found the rapid transformation associated with SASE to be challenging and costly, as it involves rearchitecting the WAN, changing internet access, and adapting security models simultaneously.

SSE caters to those who desire cloud-based security without the need to overhaul their entire WAN infrastructure. It provides organizations with all the security benefits using a third-party engine without the SD-WAN’s complexities.

Gartner predicts that by 2025, 70% of organizations will procure secure web access, a cloud access security broker, and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) from a single converged solution. Cloud-based security solutions make this convergence feasible and less complex. The future of converged solutions promises enhanced efficiency and security, simplifying the management of your network infrastructure.

These technologies play a crucial role in reshaping network and security infrastructure, and understanding their nuances is vital for making informed decisions. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us today, and together, we can safeguard your business’s future. info@mobiuspartners.com