Globalization is the reality of the world we live in; everything reaches everywhere, including private network perimeters. Especially the widespread use of remote work and cloud services caused these perimeters to go obsolete.
Due to this change in security perimeters, companies needed a new way to protect their private networks against the growing number of endpoints. That’s when SASE came along as a new and modern way to ensure network security without physical parameters.
We explained how to adopt SASE with actionable steps to help you out in the process. It is actually much easier when you have a good guideline.
Explaining SASE
Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) is a modern cybersecurity framework first described by Gartner in 2019. The main concept behind this framework is to combine SD-WAN network connectivity with security services such as ZTNA, FWaaS, or CASB.
SASE thus creates a single cloud-based security architecture that provides edge-to-edge protection to everywhere the company networks may reach. This great structure also offers a more straightforward, secure, and easy to manage security.
SASE architecture reduces complexity by bringing all security and network connectivity services together. As it acts with an identity-based, context-oriented security policy, it is also much safer than the older frameworks we had.
Steps to SASE adoption
Adopting SASE can be a bit challenging if you don’t know exactly what to do. But with proven practices, it can be much easier than you think.
One thing to remember before we go further into detail is that SASE is not a product on its own. You need to make the necessary adjustments and build your own architecture by following the steps below. This will ensure you have a practical and suitable SASE architecture.
1-) Specify the end-users and their needs
The first and perhaps the most important thing for a great SASE architecture is knowing about your users, their needs, and the applications they use. They will be the ones who use the security and network structure every day, so it’s crucial to make it easy as possible for them.
That’s why listing down their needs and having a detailed understanding of the applications they need to access is a great way to get ready for SASE. Define the use cases for security services based on your users and get to know your IT environment before anything else.
2-) Know the data on your networks
SASE is a security architecture, so you need to underline what data you have and need to protect. The levels of confidentiality of the data you have might change, and you need to make sure it’s properly organized.
To achieve this, segment your network and think about the best security services you’ll include in your SASE architecture. This categorization will make defining access levels easier once you adopt SASE.
3-) Embrace Zero Trust security
Zero Trust is integral to any SASE architecture. The basis for Zero Trust can be deployed even before you fully adopt a SASE model. Thus, it is a great stepping stone when you walk this path.
Put simply, Zero Trust is a security approach that eliminates implicit trust from granting access. The context and identity-based security of Zero Trust which verifies before every access request will help you build a risk profile for your network. This will give great insights into your SASE adoption journey.
4-) List down your potential vendors
SASE security framework offers an all-cloud security structure. That’s why it is one of the most easily deployable frameworks out there. All the deployment and installation of the services can be done by SASE vendors in the market.
Listing down these vendors based on their capability, experience, and the services they can provide will simplify implementation. What you need to consider here is making sure you can get all the security services from your vendor so you don’t have to patch them up from other providers.
5-) Constantly monitor and assess your network
You don’t have to jump to a SASE architecture at once, you can implement it gradually. This opportunity gives you the perfect chance to monitor your network as you go forward to a flawless SASE structure.
As you adopt the components of your structure one by one, make sure you always monitor and assess it for vulnerabilities and flawless parts. After that, your IT security team can update the architecture in line with your current needs.
Company networks are usually complicated, so there is nothing wrong if you have imperfections. Just ensure you don’t have them when you actually have a fully functioning SASE.
Key takeaways for your SASE journey
Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) is possibly the best that the cybersecurity industry has to offer right now. You probably already know that since you found this article. But adopting SASE might be a bit complicated without a plan.
We’ve specified these five vital steps to a practical adoption of SASE. If you follow these steps very well, the path to a simple, flawless, and effective cybersecurity model will be like a walk in the park. Protecting the most valuable asset of a company can be easier, and with SASE, it is.