Why It May Make Sense To Augment Your VPN With SASE
When the pandemic accelerated digital transformation and introduced a permanently hybrid workplace for many companies, the combination of a dispersed staff and dependence on cloud solutions introduced a more complex security situation. Many companies are now finding it advantageous to add secure access service edge (SASE) technology to improve security for virtual private networks (VPNs).
What Is a VPN? A VPN is a popular network access method that allows data to travel through the internet without concern that it could be intercepted in transit. It is far more secure than allowing business data to travel over the public internet because VPNs create an encrypted tunnel between the business network and the device. Once the data reaches the endpoint, it is decrypted with a decryption key.
In addition to its encryption capabilities, VPNs also offer split tunneling, which allows you to select which apps should travel via VPN and which can go over the public internet. This conserves bandwidth and can reduce the chances of a network outage. VPNs also offer a no-logs policy, which means they do not store the information that travels through the network.
What Is SASE? SASE combines security functions and network access in a single console, utilizing technologies such as secure web gateway, cloud access security broker, firewall as a service, zero trust network access and software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN). This allows users and devices to access company resources from anywhere with an internet connection.
SASE offers a more affordable option to companies for whom the cost of VPNs at a larger scale is out of reach. Cloud solutions are more scalable and offer access from geographically disparate locations. With SASE, the company doesn’t require a dedicated VPN because data is processed at the network edge.
The Benefits of SASE: There are many advantages to implementing SASE, particularly for companies trying to adjust to a new, permanent remote or hybrid work environment:
- SASE equips users with secure network access, no matter their location.
- SASE eliminates the backhauling of network traffic, which in turn reduces the company’s transport costs. An important benefit of removing backhauling is that network latency is reduced.
- Every type of IT environment is compatible with SASE.
- SASE offers a high level of visibility over all network operations.
- SASE is an important component of zero trust network access, securely connecting employees to company networks.
The new popularity of a SASE approach for businesses does not mean that there is no longer a role for VPNs. In many cases, companies will not be able to fully move to the cloud in a single migration but will pursue a hybrid cloud environment, which is a perfect instance to find both VPNs and SASE being put to good use.
If your company is considering the merits of SASE, contact us at One Connect. We can help you assess your potential vulnerabilities in your current network infrastructure and determine whether a change to your security and networking approach might include SASE.