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FEATURE: SASE SECURING A DISTRIBUTED WORKFORCE WITH SASE DANIEL BLACKWELL AT PULSANT EXPLAINS WHY SECURE ACCESS SERVICE EDGE (SASE) IS THE IDEAL SOLUTION FOR USER-CENTRIC SECURITY Despite the widescale shift towards dispersed working, many businesses still haven't addressed the long-term security risks associated with an expanded attack surface. The problem is employees are now working from uncontrolled environments. Personal devices and home networks don't have the same security protocols and controls as corporate devices and networks, making them more prone to cyber attacks. In a remote environment there is usually little control over what can be reached over the internet, with access often shared with other devices, posing further risks. Many home networks also aren't password-protected, use easily guessed or default passwords, or may be configured without encryption, providing a far easier avenue for an attacker to gain access to a corporate network. REMOVING THE IT HEADACHE For IT teams this presents a huge headache. Applying security policies to each remote worker can be a complex and expensive venture. For example, applying the same policies and controls could require deploying a firewall at each employee's home which is not only expensive, but creates huge management overheads. Alternatively, each employee could be provided with a remote VPN connection back to a central office location, but as organisations increasingly move to decentralised services with SaaS and public cloud, it doesn't make sense to route traffic back through an office location. THE ROLE OF SASE Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) is the ideal solution for user-centric security, where policies can be applied directly to employees, wherever they are working, using a centralised management policy. However, much of what SASE is, or isn't, is yet to be truly defined or standardised. Gartner defines SASE as an extension of SD- WAN to include other network security controls and services that can be centrally managed through the same SD-WAN management plane. Many vendors have jumped on the SASE bandwagon and are using it to describe cloud-based security solutions that are not managed by a single management dashboard and actually involve multiple separate products. Others are claiming to provide SASE even without an SD-WAN offering, while some offer elements of SASE but not the full product range. Currently there are very few vendors in who offer SASE as per Gartner's full definition, but this doesn't mean that SASE isn't something that organisations should consider. ZERO-TRUST POLICIES At its core SASE is about the application and the user. With SD-WAN, it's about having control over the application and applying routing policies to make sure that the right applications get the best possible path. This delivers a better end user experience and enables organisations to change or bring on new applications efficiently and quickly. SASE refers to applying the same principles of efficiency and agility to security controls. The application and the user are still considered, but more specifically the right user getting to the right applications and only those applications. This can even be broken down further to the right device, at the right time of day, from the right network, and access restricted to applications and web services based on the security posture of the user, device, and destination. The physical location of the SASE 'engine' should be considered. The term cloud implies that something is located everywhere, when in the UK this typically means it's hosted in one location. By having regional points-ofpresence, the enforcement of security policies is distributed closer to each user wherever they are working. Using this approach, organisations can stop employees from accessing known bad web services, regardless of location, removing the risk of downloading malicious files or applications. If malware does get through and a device is breached, access can be revoked, preventing attackers from gaining access to applications or services. SECURING THE EDGE SASE forms a comprehensive package that combines a variety of solutions, and as organisations move towards distributed and decentralised applications, SASE and SD-WAN provide agile and flexible central controls. Remote working policies are now permanent and widespread, and in the near future, SASE and SD-WAN will enable both IT and security teams to bring security protocols closer to users. The outcome will be a highly-resilient network that truly supports its users and protects them from emerging and increasingly sophisticated cyber threats - wherever they are. NC 10 NETWORKcomputing NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 @NCMagAndAwards WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK
NETWORKcomputing We introduced the Network Computing "Masterclass" into the magazine a few years back. A Masterclass series in the magazine run for at least a year. Some have successfully run for longer. This concept enables us, with the help of a an expert vendor, to cover a subject area in a far more detailed way than could ever be covered in a single article. We feel that the Masterclasses we have carried have done a valuable job in guiding readers through many of the issues that they need to be aware of - issues that are perhaps not being talked about elsewhere. Vendor branding appears on the Masterclass page to distinguish a Masterclass article from the many "one-off" articles that we carry in Network Computing. We have identified a number of key subject areas which we feel would benefit from a Masterclass. These are: Network Testing and Monitoring Cabling and cable management Network access control Powering a Network The transition to unified comms Desktop virtualisation Traffic management Using a Data Centre Advantages and challenges of relying on an increasingly mobile workforce Cloud security Education and training If any of these subject areas are to be covered in a Masterclass we will be seeking a Partner to work with. A Masterclass Partner will ideally be a vendor with a track record of expertise in the particular area. Are you a vendor who could help us in launching a Masterclass covering one of the subjects listed above ? Alternatively, could you recommend an organisation who could help us ? Your suggestions will be very welcome. Please contact david.bonner@btc.co.uk
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NC Nov-Dec 2021

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