What is Security Service Edge(SSE) and How Does It Help to Achieve SASE?

Introduction

Every technology has its downside. Likewise, internet use also has its drawback of cyber threats, which we already know. All the companies are struggling to secure their virtual assets from cyber-attacks to run a successful business. But the threat possibilities are worsening with new concepts like working from remote locations and cloud computing.

So, the organizations are seeking a solution that secures the company’s infrastructure while simultaneously affecting the efficiency of the network connectivity.

This document elaborates on the two best concepts of SASE (secure access security edge) and SSE (security service edge), which come to the rescue of the current business needs. Furthermore, it covers the working of SSE and SASE, SSE benefits, the SSE checklist, and more.

What is SSE?

The SSE or Security Service Edge is an upcoming cybersecurity concept derived from the SASE (secure access service edge). It was first coined by Gartner in 2021 in the roadmap for the SASE convergence report.

Gartner, in its report, explained the SSE as a cloud-centric technology that utilizes cloud-based security features to secure the website, private applications, cloud infrastructure, and Software-as-a-Service applications.

It is mainly used to secure the network edges and protect the organization from cyber threats. The main focus of SSE is to improve the security capacity of the organization rather than dealing with network connectivity and infrastructure.

What is SASE?

In simple terms, the SASE (secure access service edge) is the predecessor of the SSE concept. Gartner first introduced this concept in 2019.

The SASE concept combines the WAN (Wide area network) technology and the network security features to provide seamless connectivity and high-level security.

The SSE acts as a security component for the broad SASE notion. Unlike traditional security features, the SASE does not cover the entity premise but also the network edges so that the network is safe from any cyber-attacks.

SASE provides security to the network edges and independent users by converging all the network services under one control point.

How Does SASE Work?

In layman’s terms, the secure access service edge (SASE) is a bond between network performance and security capabilities. In a typical business scenario, the organization has to compromise connectivity for security purposes or the other way around. But, with the concept of SASE in place, the business can achieve high speed and security control at the same time.

In addition, the pandemic has pushed companies to adopt remote working environments through cloud infrastructure, which poses a massive security threat and raises the demand for high-speed connectivity to the network.

The SASE concept introduced by Gartner comes in handy to solve both problems simultaneously. Here, the connectivity issue is solved by providing cloud-based services, reducing network traffic accumulation and thus improving the speed.

At the same time, you can tackle the security issue by using security features distributed through the cloud so that the system can monitor the device that accesses the network.

How Can Organizations Get SASE?

There is a step-by-step process to implement the organization’s secure access security edge (SASE). They are

• Select a SASE solution that is suitable for the business requirements.
• Select a vendor that provides the best features, maintenance, and frequent updates.
• Integrate the adopted features with the existing features to improve efficiency.
• Transfer the on-premise applications to the cloud infrastructure.
• Customize the solution as per current needs and use other features from the vendor service if needed.
• Safeguard the remote devices by moving the threat protection to the network edges.
• Create unified policies and procedures to implement across the platform.

Features of SASE

Several features make the secure access security edge the best option for improving your business. They are as follows,

• It provides a more significant opportunity to expand the business perimeter by using cloud technology to give high-speed connectivity and security.
• It also has better scaling options where the business can reduce or increase the number according to the requirement.
• The SASE overcomes the drawbacks of the legacy frameworks and enables a safe and secure work-from-home environment for the users. Moreover, it minimizes the chance of cyber threats from the slight edges.
• It utilizes automation to stay updated with the latest security threats in the cyber world so that it can avoid the lethal damages of novelty zero-day attacks.
• IoT (internet of things) devices have gained popularity among users. The SASE ensures that IoT devices are safe from vulnerabilities and prevent data breaches or threats.
• It helps apply the policies and procedures easily without dealing with each component separately.

It saves much money for the organization by providing more services in a single service package from the vendor. In addition, if the vendor is a well-established service provider, you could get massive discounts for bulk services.

The Difference Between SSE And SASE

SASE (Secure Access Service Edge)	SSE (Security Service Edge)
The SASE concept concentrates on network connectivity and security as a service through a cloud-centric technology.	The SSE concentrates only on the security part, including cloud security tools and data protection.
It brings all the business infrastructure and security systems under one roof. The network structure can be monitored and secured under a single control point.	It covers the security part of the SASE concept. It focuses on securing the network edges like SD-WAN (software developed wide area network) or CDN (content delivery network).
One can implement this concept to the entire network covering all the aspects of the business operation, such as on-premise network and user applications.	The SSE concentrates on the edge services like the user ends and can then implement it on the core network.
The SASE should include SSE concepts to provide complete security for the business network. But it is unnecessary to implement all the SSE features to attain SASE.	On the other hand, the SSE is an additional security feature to the existing business network. Therefore, it is more like an add-on facility.
The companies can opt for SASE if it needs to create a complete network service and security for users.	Organizations can adopt SSE to fulfill the demand for security solutions to their well-established network services.

Is It Possible To Implement SSE Without SASE?

Technically, SASE (secure access service edge) framework is a combination of SD-WAN connectivity and the SSE (security service edge) components. It means that the implementation of network connectivity and cyber security forms the SASE.

Adopting the complete SASE concept in a single stretch is a complex task for organizations. Therefore, the IT teams can make a step-by-step process to achieve the SSE concept by adopting several policies and procedures to improve the security features of the organization.

After the company is sure about its security, it can move towards the connectivity and performance of the network.

Even though it is possible to adopt SASE in one step, it is not advisable. Because of the complexity and time-consuming process, the intelligent approach is to acquire SSE first, as security is primary for any organization and then concentrate on performance improvement.

The critical point is that the security features should also be flexible in merging with the network connectivity features for a successful SASE implementation.

Two Types of Approaches In SASE

An organization must know about purchasing and implementing SASE software and tools.

There are two primary options, one-vendor and multi-vendor approaches, from which you can choose according to your business requirements.

One-Vendor Approach

The organization can adopt a single vendor for all the SSE components and the SD-WAN infrastructure. This approach reduces the burden on the organization, where the vendors take care of the implementation and maintenance part.

In addition, it gets extensive updates for the software and applications. It is also cost-efficient as wholesome services come with great discounts. But it is best-of-breed tools and techniques.

Multi-Vendor Approach

In a multi-vendor approach, you can choose multiple vendors who are specialized in their service to bring the best out of each security component.

Here, the major drawback is that the entire burden of set-up and implementation of the scattered services falls in the hands of the organization.

The employees might need special training to understand the working of each component. The cumulative cost is also high compared to a single vendor’s cost. Even though handling multiple vendors could be highly complex, it is helpful in the long run by eliminating the chances of single-point failure.

Why is SSE Needed?

As more companies adopt cloud services like SaaS (Software as a Service) and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), the need for more comprehensive security solutions also increases.

The pandemic situation has fastened the upgradation due to a surge in remote users who access the cloud applications and database. The two primary reasons for the need for service security edge are,

• Technological Advancement

  Along with new technologies, the ratio of sophisticated cyber-attacks is also increasing. Traditional security components are becoming insufficient to handle such advanced attacks.

  Some classical security features are on-premise data centers, VPN verification, remote firewalls, and more. Such measures cannot solve the latest security issues.

  Therefore, the SSE provides an advanced solution that helps to monitor, identify and prevent cyber threats.

• Cumulative Security

  Opting for individual security solutions for each aspect of business can be a hectic and time-consuming task. Having comprehensive security is highly impossible if the applications are not communicating with each other.

  So, it is essential to have a single point of control for all the security products in an organization. Here, the SSE provides elaborate policies and practices to combine all the individual solutions to create an integrated security solution. It acts as a platform for all security features to work together.

The SSE frameworks bring centralized control and operational ease visibility throughout the structure. As a result, the organization can improve its efficiency and advanced security features with this approach.

SSE Use Cases

The security service edge is used for various purposes of the business. Some of the significant use cases of the SSE are mentioned below.

Remote Access Security

The growing trend in adopting work from home has increased the need for secured and high-performance network connectivity for the business’s success.

The BYOD (bring your device) culture is also gaining ground among companies. So, the traditional security measures of VPN (virtual private networks) do not meet the current business requirements.

In the post-pandemic environment, most companies are moving towards cloud infrastructure to improve their business operation and expand their global presence.

The service security edge would be perfect for remote access with seamless network connectivity. Unlike traditional VPNs, the SSE uses data monitoring to track the data that travels beyond the private network to identify malicious activities, which also helps keep the network nodes safe.

Securing The Cloud Infrastructure

While most companies are already facing difficulties migrating their operations and applications to the cloud environment, securing their cloud resource is a new challenge for their IT teams.

Implementing uniform security policies and procedures in your cloud platform and SaaS applications might be more complicated than you think.

In most cases, the companies might compromise their security for operational efficiency. Another significant issue is that the sensitive data stored in the cloud platform could lose visibility and become hard to track.

These issues can be addressed by the comprehensive solution provided by the service security edge. It acts as a merging point for all security components and helps the IT team apply security policies to the cloud resources without hindrance.

In addition, improved visibility across the cloud platform helps the organization secure confidential data by limiting access across the cloud applications, websites, databases, and devices.

Achieving SASE Compliance

It is a fact that SSE is not an end solution but a means to achieve a more significant target of a secure access service framework. Most of the time, companies need help implementing the entire SASE framework in a single shot. But such an effort costs more money and consumes much time to complete and merge the process with the business operation.

Therefore, an ideal approach would be to implement the SSE components first-hand so that the business network is fully secured.

Once the security features are in place, the companies can choose to move towards the SD-WAN (software-defined wide area network) technologies to boost network connectivity.

Therefore, the SSE can be used as a trial run to understand the process and procedure before implementing SASE as a whole solution.

Benefits of Security Service Edge

An increasing number of remote employees and internet users have created a demand for high-performance connectivity with less complexity in implementation.

The SSE could be an excellent solution for the current need in the business world. There are several benefits for organizations that adopt service security edge. Some of them are explained below.

Business Protection

The SSE framework’s primary purpose is to protect the business from data breaches and cyber threats.

It works based on a zero-trust policy where no one or nothing is trusted regarding network access. Various state-of-the-art features like the least privilege principle, multi-factor authentication, endpoint security, and continuous monitoring are integrated with other components to form an ideal SSE platform.

Such a security framework can protect your business from cyber-attacks resulting in money loss and reputation.

Better User Experience

Any user’s primary need is to get reliable, high-performance network connectivity. The success of any business lies in catering to the user’s needs, thus providing a better user experience.

The cloud technology used in SSE rectifies the bottleneck phenomenon in the physical data centers that could create latency. It also protects the endpoint devices from cyber threats so that hackers cannot enter the private network using a compromised user device. These measures could help for a better user experience.

Adopting Latest Technologies

An ideal security framework helps the business process; it helps obtain the latest technologies essential for business development. Since technological advancement is a never-ending process, the services you adopt should be able to support present and future trends.

The SSE is a framework that uses current security policies and procedures to provide the best network security. It is suitable to adapt to the latest needs like the remote working environment, cloud migration, data management, and more.

Security Control

The traditional security measures only have old-school security features like a firewall, tracking source IP, and VPN, which can contain only minor attacks but are inefficient for handling novel zero-day attacks.

On the other hand, the SSE comprises the latest features that can take security to the granular level, like endpoint security, data monitoring, limited access, and more. Therefore, it can identify and prevent advanced threats and attacks.

Minimal Expense

The goal of any organization is to get the best security framework at the lowest price possible. Having separate security software for each service that requires frequent updates and maintenance could become costlier in the long run.

The security service edge brings all the security components from a single vendor under one roof. It reduces the burden on the IT teams as the maintenance is taken care of by the vendor and is also available at a minimal price compared to individual services.

Elemental Features of SSE

The Security Service Edge is not a single technique or technology but a cluster of software policies combined to protect the organizational network from cyber threats.

Thus, the SSE incorporates several elements and principles to provide efficient network security. Such elements are explained below.

Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)

Zero Trust Network Access is crucial in securing the network’s edges, like individual devices and applications that are out of the organization’s core network. Previously, the organizations used traditional VPNs (Virtual Private Networks), allowing remote users to access the entire network once they entered the credentials.

The major setback of this approach is that the hacker can comprise a single remote device to enter into the company’s network and access unlimited data and resources.

The ZTNA approach ends such a vulnerability by adding several layers of security to the network, which is hard to bypass for hackers.

It uses a cloud environment to implement multi-layer protection through features like centralized control, Identity and Access Management, zero trust policy, least privilege, and visibility.

So, when the remote user or application tries to gain access to the core network, the software permits the user to access only the resources that are allowed to that particular credential.

Thus it prevents access to other parts of the network. In simple terms, the ZTNA works on isolating the requested cloud database from the core network to contain the cyber threat, if any.

Some of the significant aspects of ZTNA are,

• It improves visibility within the network by keeping track of sensitive data, storage location, activity log, and network traffic.
• Limited user access helps secure crucial data from being exposed to the public network.
• The ZTNA follows a security compliance policy that includes all the business associates and third-party vendors to abide by the company’s security framework.
• Continuous monitoring for malicious activities even after granting access to the users. It helps to detect cyber threats in earlier stages.

Secure Web Gateway (SWG)

Cyber security is a two-way process. Apart from securing the incoming network traffic, the organization should regulate the outgoing traffic.

A secure web gateway (SWG) can execute this security concept. Here, the organization implies several software and policies to restrict users’ or employees’ access to illegal or malicious websites.

This way, companies can secure their network from cyber attacks through user access. The SWG includes URL filtering, malicious code monitoring, application controls, web visibility, and more.

The organizations located the Classic secure web gateway in the remote data center, which filters the total traffic from the organization for malware.

Unfortunately, this method created a bottleneck phenomenon that affected the performance. But in the SSE, the SWG is backed by cloud infrastructure.

Therefore, the secure cloud gateway (CSWG) filters the traffic from several office branches. Therefore, it protects the network without affecting the company’s performance.

Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB)

As the name implies, the cloud access security brokers act as the security broker between the cloud user and the cloud service provider.

The CASBs include several policies and procedures to secure the remote network as well as the cloud storage infrastructure of the organization. Some critical security measures are authentication, credential mapping, encryption, logging, threat monitoring, and more.

In addition, a growing number of remote workers and a boom in cloud technology have created the need for a framework to include the cloud infrastructure in the company’s security compliance.

The CASBs are mainly used to secure the organization’s data in multiple platforms like SaaS applications, cloud databases, local data centers, remote devices, and more.

It is an integrated mechanism with several security features like cloud application monitoring, data security, user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA), access control, firewall, and more.

Firewall-As-A-Service (Fwaas)

This approach uses a traditional firewall mechanism to secure cloud infrastructure and applications from cyber threats.

However, unlike a remote firewall, the cloud-based firewall as a service (FWaaS) includes automation reducing the burden on the IT teams. It includes classic features like URL filtering, IDP (intrusion and detection prevention), threat monitoring, and more.

In addition, the FWaaS eliminates the need for developing a robust on-premise infrastructure, thus saving much money. Therefore, the organization can instantly scale its firewall feature to accommodate its primary branch offices and mobile devices.

Technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have improved the efficiency of the cloud-based firewall. For example, typical security software cannot detect advanced cyber threats like zero-day attacks. But with the help of machine learning, you can spot any malicious activities in the early stage and contain the attack.

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)

The CSPM, otherwise known as cloud security posture management, is responsible for looking for misconfigurations and compliance violations in the cloud environment.

As businesses are depended heavily on the cloud infrastructure for their daily operation, it is vital to look for security vulnerabilities in the cloud structure that could cause data exposure or theft.

The CSPM works with the help of automation to address cloud security and compliance management.

Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

Data plays a crucial role in every business; thus, it is essential to protect sensitive information, which otherwise creates a massive loss for the organization.

However, the impact is detrimental to the organizations irrespective of the data loss. Data loss prevention is a security measure that identifies and contains data loss or breaches caused by several factors like insider threats, external attacks, and cold exposure.

The objective of DLP is to secure data in rest and movement. It integrates several security measures and tools to secure the data from cyber threats.

So, sensitive data like personally identifiable information (PII), intellectual property, and business details are classified and monitored for malicious activities. Therefore, it also improves the visibility of data.

Remote Browser Isolation (RBI)

When the users try browsing a webpage or application, it loads webpages from unknown sources, which could be a potential threat.

The remote browser isolation technique separates the loading webpage into an isolated cloud environment. So that it does not load directly on the user’s device, thus securing the device or private network from potential cyber-attacks.

Loading the webpage with malware in a separate structure prevents the vulnerability from spreading into the organization’s network. In addition, it synchronizes with the zero-trust policy, where no application, device, or website is trusted.

The above elements come under the security service edge (SSE). Still, other components are essential for an organization’s security. The SSE integrates all the vital security components to build a comprehensive security framework.

Fundamental Principles of Security Service Edge

Seamless Monitoring

The volume of data generated by users and enterprises is increasing exponentially. Nowadays, businesses heavily depend on various data types for their operations and to edge over their competitors. Thus, securing the data is essential to the organization’s network security.

So, the SSE should include tools and techniques to monitor the sensitive data in storage or transfer. Even though security software like a firewall helps to prevent malicious requests from entering the network through IP (internet protocol) verification and location tracking, hackers may use the latest technologies to escape such firewalls. In such cases, data monitoring features could come in handy.

It utilizes cloud technology to track the data requested by the users to protect them from any malicious users.

Network Traffic Analysis

The SSE security includes network traffic analysis as one of the components in the security framework.

Every organization has a massive volume of incoming network traffic that seek access to the database. Such traffic includes different API formats for data transfer, such as SOAP, REST, and JSON.

Therefore, the network analysis tool must be able to interpret all types of API calls to identify malicious requests so that you can prevent cyber-attacks.

Controlled Access

The access control security feature does not limit to specific measures like identity access management and multi-factor authentication. Still, it extends itself to real-time tracking and data management.

It includes several factors like user identity, operating device, location, request time, other applications on the device, and more to determine the user request’s legitimacy.

It helps to monitor the request in real-time and to spot any abnormalities in the earlier stage.

Security With Efficiency

Both security and network efficiency are the two pillars of the organization, and you cannot sacrifice one for the other. Suppose the security features are reducing the operation speed or production. In that case, the organization is to compromise security features for higher productivity which could result in security breaches and cyber-attacks.

Moving the entire infrastructure to the cloud environment is only one solution to the issue. But then, organizations should have a private cloud network dedicated to securing sensitive information while at the same time improving productivity.

The SSE ensures that the organizations have a robust security framework without compromising their operational capacity, which leads to success.

Characteristics of the SSE Platform

The security service edge framework has several characteristics that make it different from other security architectures.

Some of the promising characteristics of SSE are explained below.

Comprehensive Data Security

The SSE does not concentrate on a single part of the organization’s infrastructure but acts as a wholesome solution for the entire business network.

It covers endpoints, SaaS applications, private networks, unmanaged devices, IoT devices, and more. In simple terms, it has comprehensive security features that protect the organization from any cyber threat or attack.

Thus, the company can concentrate on its business development and invest in future technologies.

Merged Policies And Procedures

Uniform security eliminates the need for separate policies and procedures for individual security software and tools. Before, the companies would opt for separate security tools for each requirement which were challenging to handle.

Instead, the IT team should create policies for each component if they need to implement a new security policy.

But with SSE in place, all the security features are under one roof. So, the drafting and implementation policies and the IT team can do the procedures in a single step without compromising business operations.

It reduces the IT teams’ heavy burden and lets them concentrate on business needs.

Real-Time Threat Monitoring

Unlike traditional security tools like anti-virus software designed only for specific malware intrusion, SSE is more dynamic. It protects the network by continuous monitoring to identify the threats in the primary stage and prevent them.

Furthermore, the monitoring is very adaptive. It analyses the present data for new threats in the market, and the system automatically includes it in the security surveillance.

This way, the policies and procedures are updated with information on new threats so organizations can handle any cyber-attacks.

Behavioural Analysis

More than preparing the security policies and procedures for malware attacks, DDoS, ransomware attacks, and other old-school attacks is required to protect from security breaches.

In fact, in some cases, the data leaks have happened due to insiders, either known or by mistake. So, the organization’s security should include features to detect possible unconventional security threats from any source.

The SSE includes UEBA (user and entity behaviour analytics). It analyses every person and device connected to the network and develops a consistent pattern to understand the expected behaviour of the users.

In this way, even if the hacker gets network access to stolen credentials, the system can identify the abnormal behavior of the system and block it from any access.

Problems Solved By SSE

Traditional security tools and techniques face several problems and drawbacks. Some critical challenges were remote workforce, digitization of business, and cloud computing.

Service Security Edge is introduced to address all these issues. Some of the significant challenges addressed by SSE are mentioned below.

Replacing Traditional VPN Technology

The traditional VPN (virtual private network) technology has been utilized to cater to the growing demand for a remote workforce.

It possessed some significant issues that created security gaps in the private network environment.

Some of the vital problems were,

• The VPN technology is used to reroute the remote traffic through a firewall or software scanner physically located in the data center to filter the incoming traffic. But it led to a bottleneck situation where the network speed was affected.
• It does not have any separate mechanism to control the VPN devices that connect to the core network system. So it simply allows any device that provides credentials without any background check.
• Another serious problem faced by VPN is that once it allows a device into the network, the device can have free lateral movement within the network and access any private resources.

The SSE provided solutions for all the VPN problems. The SSE provides cloud-based security, thus eliminating the need for rerouting the traffic to data centers.

So, remote users can access the private network without hindrance. Also, the ZTNA (zero trust network access) concept of SSE improves visibility, which can verify the device or user before granting network access. The principle of least privilege restricts the user’s access to the granted resources, thus blocking their other access.

Convergence Security Compliance

Most of the past security features are developed for private network security in an on-premise or data center environment. However, the private network area has tremendously increased after the cloud structure and remote work culture.

So, companies need help maintaining separate security modules for on-site and cloud infrastructure.

The SSE framework takes care of it, which converges all the security components in on-premise, cloud structure, and remote work to manage it from a unified platform.

Now, the IT team can monitor, manage and maintain the entire infrastructure from a single point.

User Protection

Cybercriminals are utilizing the latest technologies to execute the most sophisticated attacks like malware attacks, DDoS attacks, zero-day attacks, and more.

They use social engineering techniques to steal legitimate credentials from the users and use them to enter into the private network. Old security features cannot identify such attacks as they look legitimate enough to fool the security system.

One can solve it by SSE, which uses advanced systems like SWG (secure web gateway) to monitor the incoming traffic and verify the legitimacy of the incoming traffic.

Hence, it uses various factors like user credentials, device authority, location, time of the request, and more. As a result, it helps to identify advanced attacks and prevent them.

A Clear View of The Cloud Infrastructure

The traditional business has a single location where all the data are stored and maintained, which is easy to monitor and protect from cyber-attacks.

But in today’s business world, vast volumes of data are transferred and stored in several locations and data centers across the globe. So, the organization might lose visibility over its infrastructure and fail to secure sensitive data.

This problem can be solved by the CASB (cloud access security broker), which monitors the entire cloud infrastructure and provides clear visibility over the business assets stored in the cloud environment. It also controls the access to the private database from unauthorized access.

Data Security

Data is essential for any business, but in a traditional security set-up, there was no separate policy or software to protect crucial business data.

Improper handling of data could result in a data breach or data theft. Lack of proper data protection was the biggest concern with the classical security approaches.

The data loss prevention (DLP) policy of the SSE framework could help organizations concentrate mainly on protecting data. It provides policies and procedures for securing the organization’s data on various fronts like cloud databases, websites, remote devices, and more.

Advantages of Service Security Edge

Cloud Security Consolidation

The significant advantage of service security edge is that it is a consolidated platform that combines all the best security modules.

Some of them include ZTNA (zero trust network access), SWG (secure web gateway), CASB (cloud access security broker), FWaaS (firewall as a service), DLP (data loss prevention), CSPM (cloud security posture management), RBI (remote browser isolation) and more.

These components, when combined, form the best security architecture. The SSE comes with a package of these tools and techniques, which you choose per your business needs.

Risk Reduction

It reduces the risk of cyber threats or vulnerabilities by merging automation with security. So, instead of fishing the threats within the network, the system can analyze the threats for the users, applications, and endpoints.

It helps to eliminate the security gap between the network and cloud application users. With SSE in place, the organization can spread its security across the cloud network, which is distributed to remote users.

Zero Trust Policy

One of the best policies in service security edge is the zero-trust policy, where no one is to be trusted regarding security. It is true. It is not a mandate that the security threats are only from outside.

In most cases, the breaches happen from inside the network perimeter. So, it is better not for anyone to handle business data. Therefore, SSE implies a strict zero-trust policy where the users or devices are allowed only limited access.

That is what they need for their work, ‘nothing more, not less. It makes sure to prevent illegal access and data breaches from trusted sources.

Improved Performance

An effective security structure also increases the performance of the business, where both are directly proportional. If the company has poor security, it is likely to be prone to cyber-attacks which could cripple the business.

The SSE provides a better opportunity to improve the company’s operational efficiency by assisting with advanced security policies and is open to network upgrades.

Here, the customer gets secure and high-speed connectivity, automatically developing the business.

Checklist To Identify The Right Security Service Edge Platform

Integrated Policy Management

Policy management becomes easy when organizations adopt a single vendor for entire SSE components and implementation. However, integrating security tools and policies becomes hectic if a business opts for specialized security components from different vendors.

There are numerous medium and small vendors in the market, so their products may need more communication with other components. It might even take years for the IT members to understand the working of each tool and converge them into a single module.

So, choosing vendors with simple policies that integrate with other features is essential.

Cloud-Based Delivery

Cloud infrastructure plays a crucial role in improving the efficiency of the SSE framework. Therefore, the vendor supporting the SSE components should have cloud-based delivery, making implementing and distributing easier through the cloud network.

In addition, the vendor is utilizing the part cloud, and part physical appliance increases customer operating. So, the organization should choose fully functional cloud-based services to execute SSE.

Infrastructure Visibility

An ideal SSE solution provides complete visibility over the data and security in the cloud environment. Also, it should control all the edges, like cloud applications, websites, private networks, user devices, and more.

Here, the SSE tools must be able to track all the data traffic, either incoming or outgoing, to identify potential vulnerabilities and threats.

Overall visibility also helps to create a single management structure through which you can control the entire framework.

High-Performance Security

The SSE is not only about network security but is also associated with the performance capacity of the business operation.

For example, suppose the organization has a complete security solution, but its operational efficiency is affected by the security option. In that case, creating such a set-up wastes time and money.

So, before selecting the SSE solution, the vendor’s performance should be considered. For example, suppose the vendor has a data center facility throughout several locations to support the cloud infrastructure.

In that case, it is the business to store, retrieve and transfer their resources with high speed and security. It is a win-win situation for both the vendors and the customers.

Compatibility

One of the essential features of SSE solutions is compatibility. The security measures adopted by organizations should be future-oriented and resistant to advanced threats.

So, the SSE solution provided by the vendor should comprise the latest technologies backed by regular updates from the vendor side. Even if you adopt the best SSE solution in the market but do not have frequent updates, it becomes obsolete and useless for future threats.

Therefore, you must select the product with the current capability and future compatibility.

Scaling Possibilities

The surge in internet usage and the inclusion of cloud computing have changed business operations forever. In the present business set-up, nothing is fixed or permanent, which means that it should be able to adapt to the sudden changes in the size of operations.

For example, if a company has an e-commerce business and it is announcing a special sale for New Year with great discounts. Here, the SSE vendor can adapt to the sudden increase in users and provide uncompromised security.

And also it can scale down the structure if not required. Thus, it saves much money from the consumer side.

Customizing Features

Each business operation is different from the others, and no single solution is suited to all types of organizations.

So, it is a smart move to have an SSE solution with customizing options from the vendors. If the SSE features are flexible, then it is easy for the IT team to customize the security components according to the organization’s requirements.

Thus, one should look for a vendor who provides customizing options that suit the business and a technical team that caters to the needs.

SASE Convergence Capability

Although you can achieve the service security edge independently, the ultimate aim of any organization is to attain a secure access service edge (SASE) combined with the SD-WAN feature.

For example, suppose a single vendor provides a complete SASE solution with SSE and SD-WAN components. In that case, merging the functions and bringing them under a single roof is easy.

But suppose you select a separate vendor for security solutions. In that case, it is vital to look for convergence options provided by the vendor so that you combine them with the networking solutions when needed.

Vendor Track Record

Before finalizing a convenient service for the business, the organizations should be aware of the product’s and vendor’s past performance. Seeking an SSE solution is not a one-time process but a continuous cycle where the vendor is obliged to provide technical assistance whenever needed.

The vendors are also responsible for their products’ maintenance and regular updates. Even if the vendor is new to the market, try to analyze the service ratings and product quality before signing a contract. Engaging in vendor service with a proper background check could be a solution in the long run.

Pricing

Last but not least, budget plays a crucial role in selecting the right solution for any business. So, it would be best to be careful about overspending money on security products.

Spending the right amount on particular features saves a lot of money for the business. If you opt for a single large vendor, you could get huge discounts on premium products.

In case you choose to get different specialized products. You should be careful about the amount spent on the solutions. A good service security edge framework should maintain a balance between the price and the product quality.

Conclusion

It is the organization’s responsibility to choose the best solutions for its security and network needs. Before selecting a suitable vendor, one should remember that it should match the business needs with the latest technologies.

The SASE and SSE are innovative concepts that open the door to opportunities for companies to improve their business and stay ahead of their competitors.

Organizations can concentrate more on customer needs with the right policies and procedures and invest in innovative developments.

It gives the benefit of advanced security with seamless connectivity.

Moreover, it saves a huge chunk of money on disparate security services, which one can use to expand business operations and encourage innovation.