This month kicks off another National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM), and to say important lessons in cybersecurity have been learned over the last year would be an understatement. With the rapid increase in hybrid work adoption as well as the notable increase in cyber threats throughout the course of the pandemic, many organizations are faced with an important choice about their cybersecurity strategy: adapt and bolster security or accept increased vulnerability to preventable cyber threats. Due to the growing need for robust networking and security at literally any location in the world, the significance of the secure access service edge (SASE) has become abundantly clear.
SASE combines networking and security functions in the cloud to deliver secure access to applications in any location – an understandably appealing concept for the hybrid workforce. “Work is no longer a place we go. It’s an activity we do to be productive,” stated Kinney Yee, Solutions Architect with Cisco. Yee explained in a recent interview with EDGE360 how hybrid work is driving the demand for comprehensive security, no matter the location or device.
Yee covered how SASE plays a role in the modern work environment and keeping work environments secure, regardless of what they look like. “With the adoption of more cloud applications and hybrid infrastructures, more people are moving their work to external networks and, in turn, broadening the necessary scope for security,” Yee stated. “That security perimeter expansion is where SASE comes in.”
But beyond a straightforward security mechanism, Yee also explained how a strong SASE framework by nature should help deliver a superior customer experience. SASE supports visibility into application functionality and any potential performance bottlenecks. “Within that SASE framework, we are able to complete device health checks to help ensure that their security profiles meet our standards and maintain that experience they’ve come to rely on.”
Solutions like Cisco Duo and SD-WAN are delivering on those security needs and experience expectations, according to Yee. Between layered, Zero Trust security approaches and the immense reach of that security, customers are able to benefit from an applied SASE framework.
“SASE truly is a foundational approach,” concluded Yee. “We’re ready to help partners show their customers how to build that foundation and create a holistic strategy for securing their organization, no matter how far and wide it reaches today.”
You can learn more about SASE here.
