Intelligent CIO North America Issue 08 | Page 76

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What are some key attributes of SASE ?
There are many important elements to consider when adopting a SASE strategy . Let ’ s review five key areas and explore why they ’ re essential .
1 . Integrated operational visibility – It ’ s important to have network and security visibility into all the ways users access applications and resources across the enterprise footprint , whether remote , in the public cloud or on the network . Respondents ranked this attribute as the most important in EMA ’ s WAN Transformation Report .
4 . Site-to-site SD-WAN connectivity – This provides flexibility and cost savings , making it possible to use more Internet at a lower cost . Or it can help load balance away from traditional MPLS circuits so organizations can more easily connect to the cloud and simplify management .
5 . Cloud-based , multi-function network security – The cloud makes it easy to centrally manage SASE and the associated policies . Having the security capabilities in the cloud allows for instant scalability and multiple points of presence , which relieves the problems with previous VPN-based solutions .
2 . Direct cloud access – Cloud adoption is a priority , especially during this pandemic . Having fast , reliable access to cloud resources has become critical for employees , partners and customers , whether that ’ s work from home ( WFH ) users or specific applications operating in a hybrid cloud .
3 . Secure remote access – This has become a focal point during the pandemic and a primary element in supporting Business Continuity . Whether it ' s accessing cloud applications for work , such as Salesforce or Office365 , or accessing proprietary applications such as call center systems , having secure access for WFH employees has become basic table stakes ( and security is a critical factor ).
What is the role of visibility in SASE ?
The complexity of SASE can make visibility challenging for IT . There are a variety of elements at play . If something does go wrong , how do you isolate the problem or domain ? Is it the local network , SD-WAN device , cloud presence , security device , etc ? Is it a problem with network traffic , applications , users ? Today , analytics platforms are being used that work with SASE to provide a vendor-neutral view into deployments and the ability to analyze telemetry for network , security and compliance purposes . These solutions also offer end-to-end views once the traffic exits SASE into the branch , data center , colocation , or public and private cloud .
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