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This blog is part of the ongoing “I&O Perspectives” series, which features insights from industry experts about the impact of current threats, networking, and other cybersecurity trends.
We recently had the privilege of hosting two distinguished experts in the security and networking industry to discuss the essentials of building a SASE cloud, featuring Joe Skorupa, former Gartner Distinguished VP Analyst, and Joe DePalo, Chief Platform Officer at Netskope, on the latest episode of the ‘Architecture Matters’ series, titled ”Can Your Vendor Deliver on the SASE Cloud Promise?”
In essence, the promise of secure access service edge (SASE) to the enterprise is to revolutionize the way organizations manage and secure access to applications and networks by offering a comprehensive, cloud-native solution that integrates networking and security services. In other words, SASE delivers a secure, scalable, and efficient framework that simplifies network and security management, enhances performance, supports modern work environments, and reduces costs. This enables enterprises to focus on their core business objectives while ensuring their network infrastructure is resilient, agile, and protected against evolving threats.
There are many vendors offering a complete SASE solution in the market, but not all SASE clouds are created equal. SASE cloud refers to the underlying infrastructure used to host and power a SASE platform, which is critical to ensure that all traffic is securely inspected without negatively impacting the user experience. Furthermore, the quality, performance, and comprehensiveness of existing SASE solutions can differ greatly. It’s essential to assess each vendor’s infrastructure, security features, global reach, scalability, and service reliability to ensure they align with your organization’s requirements.
When choosing a SASE provider, it is crucial to thoroughly assess the key aspects of their infrastructure and network. Many vendors often fail to deliver the performance and reliability required to fulfill the SASE cloud promise, resulting in poor transaction performance that adversely affects end-user experience and overall productivity.
In Joe Skorupas’s view, “When it’s done right, a SASE cloud delivers highly available, reliable connectivity and secure access to applications r