Secure Service Edge Hybrid Work Environments

With employees accessing applications and data through hybrid work environments, organizations need a way to secure remote workers. This can be done using a secure service edge.

SSE is an architecture built for the cloud that combines security and networking in one platform. This allows continuous security coverage for cloud, SaaS or private applications through a single 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 protects end users from unauthorized and malicious access, enables secure access to web, cloud, and private applications, and provides digital experience monitoring.

SSE is a platform that integrates network and security functions. It includes SD-WAN, firewalls as a service (FaaS), secure web gateways, cloud access security brokers (CASB), zero trust network accesses (ZTNA), etc. It ensures consistent application and data security across locations and users, and provides centralized visibility.

SSE uses a zero trust system for access control. It is based solely on user identities and does not place users in the corporate network. This enables fast, reliable WANs without the necessity of a Virtual Private Network (VPN). SSE is also based on a solid defense-indepth strategy to detect and prevent malware and other security threats.

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.

A single cloud platform delivers security services that follow app-to-app connectivity, regardless of device or location. It reduces risk because it eliminates gaps in point products, and also removes the need to update legacy appliances manually.

Zero trust access: SSE should only allow access to the least privileged users based on zero trust policies, which include user roles and behaviors, devices, applications and content. This reduces the attack surface by preventing lateral movement, protecting applications from discovery and preventing lateral movements.

Enforcing policy control: SSE combines unified threat prevention capabilities with CASB and ZTNA technologies to enforce corporate policies on all end users, regardless of where they are in the network or what devices they are using. This reduces the risk of ransomware, insider threats and other threats when employees access sensitive data or use cloud apps that do not comply with corporate policies.

Data Security

Protecting information is essential for organizations that allow remote and mobile workers to access data and applications via the internet. Secure service edge delivers security by unifying web gateway (SWG), cloud access security broker (CASB), and zero trust network access (ZTNA) technologies.

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 must have advanced threat protection capabilities. Examples include cloud firewalls, CASB inspections in SaaS-based apps, and adaptive accessibility control. SSE's adaptive access control identifies the device posture, and adapts access to it as needed.

Monitoring

It is crucial to monitor Internet sessions when you are working with a Secure Service Edge. This will allow you to monitor how your network is working and which applications are being used.

Monitors can alert you to potential problems, allowing you to prevent them before they even occur. This can help improve your user's experience and reduce cost.

SSE platforms that can inspect web and data traffic at a global scale are crucial. Vendors should have strong service-level agreement (SLAs), and experience evaluating inline traffic at major multinationals.

One of the primary use cases for a security service edge is enforcing policy control over internet, cloud, and mobile access. It can be used to enforce corporate internet policies and access controls for compliance, or mitigate risk by blocking content and isolating malware.