5 Questions All Enterprises Ask About SD-WAN SASE

With employees working from anywhere, connection safety is often questionable. And while cybersecurity may be stressed to staff, most teams still prioritize connection speed for productivity's sake. So, with technology budgets already inflated and efficiency the focus, how can businesses create the perfect mix of network performance and security to ensure data stays protected?

‍Upgrade enterprise WAN systems with SASE

The evolution of SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) with SD-WAN has become ideal for organizations with a widely distributed workforce, workloads, applications, and data that require secure and optimal application connectivity, regardless of user and app locations. Its technology deploys a cloud-delivered security solution for threat detection and response for traffic destined for SaaS and the web.

5 common SD-WAN SASE Questions

‍1. What is the difference between SD-WAN and SASE?

”SD-WAN integrates software-defined networking concepts with traditional WAN technology to enhance traffic routing and network processes. Meanwhile, SASE is a scalable cloud-based technology that unites network and security features into a cloud service that operates closer to endpoints and disperses traffic faster than traditional business network solutions.

‍Benefits of SASE include:

• Enterprise agility: SASE enables staff and apps the flexibility to work anywhere
• Enhanced digital experiences: SASE provides availability and performance of mission-critical apps
• Reduced risks: SASE incorporates scalable security layers to help reduce breach/compliance risks

‍2. Why is SD-WAN SASE important for businesses in 2023?

Organizations are using more applications in the cloud and accessing them over the Internet. Still, their IT infrastructures have become fragmented, outdated, and can’t scale, creating complex, rigid, higher-cost, and more vulnerable networks. Plus, most organizations are challenged by:

• Inefficient Cloud/SaaS Access: Backhauling traffic to a central data center for access and security controls is slow and expensive
• Insufficient Application Quality: Enterprises need a way to provide users with high-performance access, whether in an office or home
• Compromised Security: Workers accessing business networks or cloud services while working remotely and using personal devices create a larger attack surface area and potential compliance issues
• Operational Complexities and Expenses: The challenges of separate networking and security stacks were already a pain. With the increase in remote workers, the network complexity has grown by orders of magnitude

SASE provides organizations with networking and security as a service to deliver secure and optimized access to users and applications anywhere.

3. How does SASE make traffic secure by design?

Enterprise SD-WAN SASE concentrates on creating fast wide-area network (WAN) connections while securing employee traffic regardless of location. Traffic safely travels between branches, data centers, users, and the cloud, where traffic is optimized.

With SASE, enterprises can:

• Optimize access to applications and services in the cloud, data center, or hybrid
• Protect user, network, application, and data against emerging threats from inside and out
• Deliver digital experience to customers, employees, and partners, no matter where they reside
• Maximize IT and operational efficiency through innovation and automation
• Accelerate enterprise edge transformation to a Multi-Cloud Edge architecture

‍4. What if my network follows strict compliance regulations?

A comprehensive SD-WAN SASE solution helps ensure that underlying infrastructures meet compliance regulations. Businesses typically must still secure processes and operations to fulfill standards, but connections should remain compliant with simple monitoring and management.

‍5. How can SD-WAN SASE help improve enterprise security?

While technically a communications and network solution, SASE does converge networking (WAN edge) with multiple security elements in the cloud. So yes, if you count features, there are more security components than networking features in SD-WAN SASE than in traditional WAN solutions.

‍Why SD-WAN SASE has become essential for enterprises in 2023

Networks are becoming dispersed, causing legacy WAN systems to form gaps in security and service. Enterprise SD-WAN SASE provides teams:

• Extra protection from advanced security threats, data loss, and theft
• Reduced cost of deploying security at scale
• Enhanced customer experiences
• Streamlined network management
• Complete visibility and precise control over entire networks

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