Secure Service Edge for Hybrid Work Environments

As employees use hybrid work environments to access applications and information, organizations must secure remote workers. You can do this by using a service edge.

SSE is an architecture built for the cloud that combines security and networking in one platform. This enables continuous security coverage across cloud, SaaS and private applications from an unified policy framework.

Access Control

Secure Service Edge (SSE) solutions are essential as more employees, partners, and customers access content, data and applications via the internet and mobile devices. SSE provides protection against malicious or unauthorized access. SSE also allows secure access to cloud, web and private applications.

SSE, a cloud platform, integrates networking functions and security, including software-defined wide-area network (SDWAN), firewalls as services, secure web portals (SWG), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA). It delivers centralized traffic visibility and offers consistent application security enforcement across all locations and users.

SSE also includes a zero trust approach to access control that is based on identity and never places users on the corporate network. It ensures reliable and fast WAN connections, without the use of a VPN. SSE also includes a defense-in depth strategy that is effective in detecting and preventing threats such as malware.

Threat Protection

SSE provides threat protection to internet sessions. This ensures that users can connect securely and safely to critical business applications, no matter where they may be located. It enables hybrid work by employees, secures the cloud and private data connection, accelerates cloud-migrations, as well as simplifies the integration of M&As.

Security services are delivered from a single cloud platform that can follow user-to-app connections regardless of location or device. This reduces risk by eliminating gaps between point products and eliminates the need for manual updates to traditional legacy appliances.

Zero-trust access: SSE systems must allow the least privilege access, based upon a policy of zero trust, encompassing user role, behavior, device, content, and application. This prevents lateral movement and protects applications from being discovered, reducing the attack surface.

SSE enforces policy control by combining unified threat prevention capabilities, CASB, and ZTNA to enforce corporate standards on all users. This is true regardless of the location or type of device. This can help mitigate the risks of insider attacks, ransomware or other threats that may occur when employees use cloud applications not in compliance with corporate policy.

Data Security

Organisations must protect information when remote users and mobile devices connect to data and applications over the Internet. Secure service edge provides security by combining web gateway (SWG), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), zero trust network access technologies (ZTNA).

SSE also provides centralized cloud Data Loss Protection (DLP) capabilities. This allows sensitive data, such as credit card numbers, to be classified, located and secured in one place. This can help support compliance policies, such as Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and GDPR.

SSE solutions should also include advanced threat prevention features, including cloud firewalls as a service, CASB inspections of data within SaaS apps and adaptive access controls. SSE is built around adaptive access, which detects changes in the device's posture and adjusts its access.

Monitoring

Monitoring internet sessions is important when using a secure service. This allows you the ability to track how your network performs, and which apps have been used.

Monitoring can help to protect your business by spotting potential problems in advance and preventing them from happening. This will also allow you to improve your customer experience and cut costs.

SSE platforms with the ability to inspect data and web traffic on a worldwide scale are vital. Be sure that the vendor has a strong service level agreement (SLA) and an extensive track record in evaluating traffic for large multinational companies.

A security service edge can be used to enforce policy control on internet, cloud and mobile access. This includes enforcing internet and access control policy for corporate compliance or mitigating risks through content blocking and malicious isolation.