We have this SASE security software vendors review article to summarize and compare SASE security platforms. If you’re interested in the topic of SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) cloud architecture and capabilities, then it is worth your time to read this in-depth review with pricing and feature comparisons of leading vendors in the market.
SASE, an acronym of Secure Access Service Edge, is a new cloud-based network security approach to support the Cloud era of rampant modern digital transformation and cloud-first businesses. With more cloud workload adoption and business agility, SASE software security gives IT teams
SASE security solutions are essential and necessary in our global, hybrid workplace of the 21st century. With more roaming/remote workforce or users vying for remote access to cloud applications, it comes with challenges like:
- Infrastructure Complexity
- increased traffic load
- smooth, low-latency connectivity
- uninterrupted access to network
- Insider Threats
- Identity & Access Management, and
- Cloud Visibility etc.
Here’s a look at 6 SASE companies
The top SASE security vendor list follows. If you want to jump straight to the list of top SASE security platforms, head here.
List of top 6 SASE Security Vendors
- Perimeter 81 SASE (Secure Access Service Edge)
- Zscaler Zscaler Cloud Security Platform
- Twingate SASE (Secure Access Service Edge)
- Cato Networks secure access service edge (SASE)
- NetSkope Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)
- Fortinet Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)
What is SASE Secure Access Service Edge Solution?
With cloud adoption and remote workers rising, the traditional castle and moat approach towards securing your assets doesn’t work anymore.
A concept first developed by Gartner in 2019, secure access service edge, or SASE, has quickly taken center stage for IT and security professionals. As organizations have embraced the cloud, BYOD, and remote work more than ever before, SASE has emerged as the ideal solution for securing their entire IT ecosystems.
In this era, you need a security service delivered from the cloud and unified for ease of operations. Secure access service edge or SASE provides a unified networking and security service delivered from cloud architecture and provides you security for your users, applications, or assets anywhere.
Gartner’s “The Future of Network Security Is in the Cloud Report
SASE, for the first time, was mentioned in a report released by Gartner in August 2019. Two Gartner analysts, namely Neil McDonald and Joe Skorupa, alongwith VP analyst Lawrence Orans, paved way for this paradigm shift in networking and security for the modern enterprise.
Network security and Cloud are two key pillars of Digital business transformation. Gartner’s “The Future of Network Security is in the Cloud” defines The Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and what it takes to safeguard digital business transformation vis-a-vis SD-WAN secure access.
In other words, it lessens technical loads when security changes its posture from data center to a user or endpoint.
Traditional hub-and-spoke architectures are not capable of meeting challenges of ever-growing trends of edge-driven computing
The Gartner SASE report recommends the following:
- What is SASE and what makes it a hotcake to secure network security services
- SASE security framework adoption
- The spectrum of managing boxes to delivering policy-based security
- Making the most from the combination of SD-WAN and old protocols like Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) projects to pinpoint the effectiveness of combined network security offerings.
- Getting best mileage from software-defined WAN and push successful network transformation
- Adoption of Cloud security features and offerings in terms of scalability and flexibility
What is SASE? Definition
Going by the Gartner’s definition of SASE, Secure Access Service Edge, abbreviated as SASE and pronounced as “sassy, is a network architecture that merges SD-WAN with multiple security technologies ( like Secure Web Gateway SWG, cloud access security broker CASB, Firewall as a Service FWaaS and Zero Trust Network Access ZTNA) into a single and unified, global cloud-native offering.
Instead of the security perimeter being entombed in a box at the data center edge, the perimeter is now everywhere an enterprise needs it to be — a dynamically created, policy-based secure access service edge.
– Gartner, The Future of Network Security Is in the Cloud; 30 August 2019; Lawrence Orans, Joe Skorupa, Neil MacDonald
Let’s define SASE further and understand what Secure Access Service Edge environment means in simple terms.
IT architectures are evolving in the face of demand for scalability flexibility and increased security and network challenges such as requirements for low latency and WAN edge needs.
So, when a unified service model like SASE Secure Access Service Edge converge SD-WAN and cloud-based security like:
- Secure Web Gateways
- Cloud Access Security Brokers
- Antivirus/malware inspection
- Data Loss Prevention
- Virtual Private Network
- Zero-trust network access
- Firewall as a service
- Advanced Threat Protection etc.
organizations are poised to apply end-to-end secure access to networking and security of its user base, workloads, endpoints, and network capabilities.
What are the 6 Differences Between Traditional Network Security and SASE Security?
In the cybersecurity vernacular, Gartner coined the term Secure Access Service Edge, or SASE to bring network and security functions with WAN functionalities.
Comparison of traditional networking models with SASE’s unified approach throws light on secure access service edge (SASE) architectures and controls
| Traditional Networking Models | SASE Security Model | |
| Remote Access to on-premises resources | Most traditional models largely rely on VPN technology through SSL/TLS browser access or a dedicated endpoint client. | SASE acts as a VPN replacement. Users connect to a SASE to access on-premises resources and cloud services. Security policy is defined and applied through the SASE console. |
| Access to Cloud resources | A traditional on-premises network security treats cloud resources like any other online property, using the trinity of firewalls, proxies and routing controls to determine which networks are accessible. | SASE vendors provide optimized, streamlined, cloud-aware network access for SaaS, Paas and laas. These rely on API integration and request introspection for end-user requests. |
| Network Access Controls | Most on-premises environments rely on switching, routing, firewalls and proxies for access control. | SASE services aggregate a number of network security and access controls-including firewalls as a service-into one unified fabric. |
| SD-WAN Optimization Bandwidth Aggregration | These controls and capabilities usually require several vendors and products to function, and they may lack in integration. | A SASE service integrates SD-WAN access and traffic optimization capabilities into a single brokering service for all access types. |
| Web Application Security | WAFs are usually separate appliances or platforms, or are achieved through brokering to a content delivery network or in-cloud service. | SASE platforms integrate WAF policies and services into the same brokered approach, although policies and capabilities may not be as mature yet. |
| Network Threat Detection | Network threat detection is accomplished using NGFWs, malware detection sandboxes or CASB brokering. | SASE security solutions combine numerous network threat detection capabilities into one service fabric. |
What are the 5 Key SASE Capabilities?
SD-WAN
Firewall as a service
Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)
Secure web gateway
Zero Trust network access
Top 5 Benefits of SASE
SASE Benefit #1– Reduced IT cost
In today’s time when data is present across cloud applications and SaaS services, there is extra load on traditional network-based security models. It drives up both CAPex and OPex with the presence of vendors and tech stacks.
With Application of SASE solution as a single platform approach, you get reduced Operational overhead without worrying about cost of deployment of new hardware or software. The Centralized and role-based management propels effectiveness without paying extra.
It goes without saying that patching, updating software wont be a problem either.
SASE Benefit #2: Holistic and consistent security
Thanks to SASE solution’s comprehensive range of security features like URL filtering, anti-malware, firewalling, IPS, NGFW policies and endpoint-specific security policies Threat Prevention and Reducing Risk make SASE a flexible and holistic security choice.
SASE Benefit #3: Simplified Easy management
The freedom of shifting from site-centric security to user-centric security and control the entire SWG, SD-WAN, NGFW, and VPN devices from a single point simplifies the process of managing less agents per device.
SASE Benefit #4: True improved network security
Using a single set of policies, SASE security all traffic flow is inspected at the source and the endpoint, it reduces downtime due to malicious behavior.
SASE Benefit #4: True improved network security
SASE Architecture
Top 7 SASE Use Cases Architecture
SASE Use case 1: Securing BYOD
SASE use case 2: Securing the Web and Shadow IT
SASE use case 3: Securing the Remote Workforce
SASE use case 4: Fighting Malware
SASE use case 5: Preventing Data Leakage
SASE use case 6: Securing IaaS
SASE use case 7: Securing Branch Sites
SASE Gartner Quadrant Vendors
In other words, Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) is an enterprise networking technology
Evaluation Criteria a SASE vendor
Choosing SASE Vendors Platform Solutions
If we talk about a user, a user can access:
- Internet applications (Youtube or Facebook)
- SAAS based service ( for example, Office 365, Box)
- Public Cloud apps – private and public applications ( Azure, AWS or Google Cloud or any Public Cloud instance, etc.)
And he can also access applications in your private data centers.
To secure such users, who are now out of the premise, and accessing such services from cafes. Homes or unsecure networks, from their devices, what you need is the security services suite delivered from the cloud.
Here, we explain the list of services that can ensure user security when he is accessing all these services.
Zero trust Network Access or ZTNA
Top 6 SASE Vendors List
Perimeter 81 SASE (Secure Access Service Edge)
Perimeter SASE Review
Perimeter 81’s SASE platform merges together security and connectivity into one easy-to-use interface.
Perimeter 81 SASE Components
- Zero Trust NaaS
- Firewall as a Service
- Cloud Access Service Broker
- Secure Web Gateway (SWG)
- Endpoint Security
- SD-WAN
What are Perimeter 81 SASE Features?
- Identity-driven network security
- Cloud-based
- Mobile edge endpoints
- Encrypted global tunneling
- Least-privilege access policy (Zero Trust)
- 2FA
- Low-latency
- Self-updating security posture
- No more manual configuration headaches. Perimeter 81’s fully integrated cloud platform allows to deploy, manage and secure your network from one multi-tenant cloud. Auto-Configuration makes setup easy
- Perimeter 81doesn’t require the expenses of specialized external hardware.
- Instantly deploy secure and flexible cloud gateways, create multi-regional networks and install client apps with a single-click interface.
- Permeter 81 SASE is a cloud-based network infrastructure that has been distributed globally.
- The SASE platform consists of 25 PoPs around the world.
Zscaler SASE (Secure Access Service Edge)
Twingate SASE (Secure Access Service Edge)
Cato Networks secure access service edge (SASE)
NetSkope Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)
Fortinet Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)
How do I choose a SASE vendor?
Choosing a SASE vendor needs following considerations:
Integration of networking and security as a service.
The SASE security vendor service should be cloud-native
SASE software should have a global optimal network performance
How many Gartner SASE vendors are there?
There are 8 top SASE vendors namely, Palo Alto Networks, Cisco, Versa, Cato, Forcepoint, Citrix, Open Systems and Fortinet
What are five capabilities of SASE?
The 5 key capabilities of a SAAS vendor are:
Software-defined WAN (SD-WAN)
Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)
NGFW and Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS)
Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), and
Secure Web Gateways (SWG)
