SASE security

Defending your network with SASE security

Enterprise IT networks are faced with constant threats from increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. For IT security teams, defending against these threats is made more difficult by the rapid evolution of the IT network. In the past, protecting the network meant establishing a secure perimeter within which data, applications and users were safe. Today, employees work from anywhere while relying on SaaS applications and other resources that reside in the cloud rather than within the data center.

The secure access service edge (SASE) model offers an easier and more effective way to manage networks and network security. By combining software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) with proven technologies that move security functions to the edge, SASE security solutions can significantly bolster protection while giving IT teams greater visibility into users, devices and activities across the network.

While a SASE framework can be highly effective, it can also be complex to deploy and manage, draining resources and staff time from IT teams that are already stretched thin. That’s why Spectrum Enterprise provides Cloud Security, a managed services offering for SASE security that delivers secure access for a distributed workforce while dramatically simplifying management tasks.

The challenges of network security

SASE security technology is designed to address several critical challenges IT teams face as they protect employees, data, applications and the organization from cyber threats.

• Legacy security architecture is designed for the traditional IT network. Legacy technologies simply can’t provide the levels of security and access control required to protect sprawling networks and heterogeneous endpoints.
• Remote workers need secure access from anywhere, on any device. With the rise in work-from-anywhere employees, IT teams must ensure that workers have fast, secure access to the resources they need online, regardless of location or device being used.
• Security policies are hard to enforce outside the traditional perimeter. In the past, web traffic was backhauled through a central data center to filter it for malicious activity and to apply security policies. But with cloud computing and distributed workforces, this approach adds unacceptable levels of latency. To ensure that cloud applications can perform at optimal levels, IT teams need new technologies for managing security policies throughout the network.
• Highly distributed networks represent a larger attack surface that’s difficult to monitor. Coping with rapidly changing network, security and regulatory conditions is far more difficult in a distributed network. The complexity of hybrid cloud networking and BYOD only add to the challenge.

SASE security solutions solve these challenges by delivering networking and security capabilities as a service based on the identity of users, devices and applications. This identity-centric, policy-based approach decentralizes security and eliminates the need to backhaul traffic to a central location. As a result, SASE solutions can improve security protections and increase performance by reducing complexity and giving IT teams greater flexibility for managing complex networks.

Cloud Security from Spectrum Enterprise

Spectrum Enterprise Cloud Security simplifies and streamlines management of SASE cybersecurity solutions. Powered by Cisco, Cloud Security integrates seamlessly with SD-WAN solutions to securely connect users to applications.

Cloud Security combines multiple, proven security technologies, packaging them as cloud-based services to extend protection to devices and remote users. With this Spectrum Enterprise solution, IT teams can take advantage of advanced security capabilities including Zero Trust Network Access, DNS layer security, a Secure Web Gateway (SWG), a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Firewall as a Service (FWaaS) technology and other solutions that minimize the risk of security threats from end-user access to network resources and cloud applications.

Additionally, Cloud Security can be combined with Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Multifactor Authentication (MFA) technology to enable secure remote access without an endpoint VPN client. With these technologies, IT teams can establish secure access policies by user and device, and workers can securely access the network regardless of location.

The benefits of SASE security

The advantages of SASE security with Spectrum Enterprise include:

• Secure access for a remote workforce. IT teams can provide mobile and remote users with secure access to internal and cloud applications no matter where they are connecting from or on what device.
• Protection against advanced security threats. Cloud Security provides enhanced visibility into a wide array of security threats and detailed insight into malicious domains, IPs and URLs.
• Direct access to cloud applications for users. Work-from-anywhere employees can directly access the internet and cloud SaaS applications without relying on corporate data centers.
• Enhanced performance of cloud applications. By eliminating the need to backhaul traffic from remote and branch locations, Cloud Security reduces latency and enables users to rely on high performance from cloud applications.
• Streamlined management of SASE security technology. With Cloud Security, IT teams get a single point of contact for everything related to managed WAN and cloud security, as well as design, installation, billing, support, CPE maintenance and MACD activities.

Why choose Spectrum Enterprise?

Spectrum Enterprise offers scalable, fiber technology solutions for America’s largest businesses. Our wholly owned fiber network – the foundation for everything we offer – spans 245,000+ fiber-route miles and connects 317,000 fiber-lit buildings. In addition to SASE security, our solutions include:

• Internet and networking solutions, including hybrid wide area networking, remote network offerings and cloud-based endpoint security for reliable, secure connectivity.
• Managed network services and managed local area networks that enable organizations to extend their IT teams with help from our experts.
• Voice and unified communications offerings that empower teams to collaborate and connect from anywhere.
• TV solutions that enhance customer satisfaction and build brand loyalty by offering HDTV technologies that entertain, inform and engage viewers with popular channels, features and programming.

FAQs

What is SASE security?

SASE, or secure access service edge, is a cloud-based model for enhancing security and improving management of a highly distributed network. A SASE framework converges software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) with security capabilities delivered as cloud-based services. These typically include Secure Web Gateway (SWG), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Firewall as a Service (FWaaS), Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and other security technologies. By making these functions available at the edge to every employee, application, service and device, SASE security solutions significantly improve protections for users, data and applications.

What are the benefits of SASE security?

When adopting a SASE model, IT teams can deploy identity-centric security solutions that extend protections to users, devices, applications and data at the edge of the network. By avoiding the need to backhaul traffic to a central data center for inspection and application of security policies, SASE networks reduce latency and improve the user experience with cloud-based SaaS applications. By offering a single platform for managing networking and security functions, SASE providers help to minimize the complexity of deploying and administering a highly distributed network.