The security services edge (SSE) architecture provides a unified framework to help organizations simplify management and gain consistent visibility and protections for users, devices, applications and data – no matter where they connect. SSE capabilities include secure web gateway (SWG), zero trust network access (ZTNA), CASB and more.
Look for an SSE provider that offers a full collection of integrated security capabilities in one platform. This approach eliminates integration headaches and simplifies troubleshooting.
1. Unified Security
At a time when attackers are continuously bombarding businesses with attacks designed to exploit gaps in their security, it’s never been more critical to consolidate and harmonize the security of network environments, users, and devices. Fortunately, it’s now easier than ever to do just that with a unified security platform.
Unified security combines diverse security functions and delivers them as a service from the cloud. It includes security services like secure web gateway, zero trust network access (ZTNA), firewall-as-a-service, DNS security, multimode DLP and SSE Alarms.
The resulting platform reduces complexity and costs, improves visibility, simplifies management, and makes it easier to comply with industry standards. It also protects against data and security breaches by ensuring that endpoints are secure. That’s a crucial protection in the age of remote work and increasing device connections to corporate networks. This approach is also more scalable and flexible, which helps meet business needs as they evolve.
2. Enhanced Visibility
As anyone knows, visibility is key – from seeing an alley-oop pass in the NBA to landing an airplane in the fog. Visibility is also essential in cybersecurity, and SSE (Security Service Edge) delivers just that.
Using SSE, IT can monitor and control the security policies of their users’ devices, apps and data, regardless of where they are located in the cloud. SSE components include Secure Web Gateway, CASB and Zero Trust Network Access.
SWG filters web traffic to detect and block malware, phishing, and data exfiltration. CASB prevents unauthorized access to cloud services by applying corporate security policies for both authorized and unauthorized cloud applications.
SSE Alarms offers professional installation to ensure every element of your security system works as it should, without the risks of DIY installations. Plus, SSE customers can get a state-of-the-art security system with 24/7 monitoring and a response time to alarm activations of just 12 seconds.
3. Flexibility
Security Service Edge (SSE) provides a cloud-native security architecture that eliminates the need to install appliances in specific locations or impact user experience by backhauling traffic for inspection in regional hubs or corporate locations (“the trombone effect”). SSE delivers high performance transport layer security/security sockets layer (TLS/SSL) inspection capabilities, ensuring secure access to all web applications including SaaS.
Flexibility is the ability to adapt easily to different circumstances or needs. It is a key component of the problem-solving mindset. Team members who are flexible can quickly change their plans and rework their projects to meet new challenges and overcome unanticipated obstacles.
SSE combines converged, zero trust security with AI-enhanced visibility to radically improve cybersecurity for organizations. It makes it easier for administrators to configure policies and safer for users, regardless of device, location or network. Contact Proofpoint today to start your SSE journey.
4. Scalability
Scalability is an important factor when choosing a security solution. The right system should be able to meet your business’s growing needs without experiencing lag or downtime. If your system isn’t scalable, you may run out of resources or experience other issues that affect performance.
SSE is designed to address this challenge by converging security technologies into a single cloud-native platform. SSE includes CASB/DLP, SWG and FWaaS to create an all-in-one solution that makes it safer for remote workers to access cloud apps and internal systems.
With SSE, you can get a more comprehensive view of your property and receive instant alerts no matter where you are. This remote monitoring capability provides a more holistic approach to security that is helpful for businesses in digital transitions and those with large, distributed workforces. It reduces risks, enhances threat monitoring, protects data and cuts costs. The best SSE platforms also offer scalability to accommodate evolving security threats and user demand.
5. Reliability
With SSE, monitoring services keep your business protected around the clock. This helps ensure that threats don’t have a chance to escalate and prevents the potential loss of critical assets or sensitive data.
A reliable SSE solution will have a global backbone and multiple Points of Presence (PoP) networks. This means that your service will be available from various locations, providing low latency and a high level of security.
SSE solutions allow remote users to access company resources, apps and tools without the risk of exposing internal infrastructure. This allows for a hybrid workforce and can help you manage the risks of your digital transitions. SSE also provides visibility to data and better methods to monitor threats. The solution can also include Data Loss Prevention (DLP) capabilities that scan for and alert on sensitive data in cloud services and infrastructure. This protects the data from unauthorized access and exfiltration. The DLP solution can also detect and prevent malware attacks that bypass traditional security controls.
6. Cost-Effectiveness
With cybercriminals constantly evolving, effective cybersecurity solutions need to be resourceful. Zero trust and security service edge (SASE) are proven tools for eliminating cybersecurity threats while delivering a great user experience.
By consolidating security functions into a single platform, SSE reduces infrastructure costs. Additionally, by implementing a cloud-delivered solution, SSE minimizes the impact on network resources.
Finally, by integrating with SD-WAN technologies, SSE can deliver better performance for applications by bringing security services closer to users. This reduces latency and delivers a faster and more consistent experience.
When choosing a SSE partner, look for one with a holistic approach to security that incorporates CASB, SWG, ZTNA, and cloud data loss prevention into a unified architecture. Avoid vendors with fragmented architectures that lead to management complexity and data sovereignty concerns. Also, look for a vendor with a low total cost of ownership and scalability to adapt as business needs change. Lastly, choose a partner that offers 24/7 monitoring to ensure that your property never takes a break.
7. Flexibility
Security needs change, and so do networks. SSE reduces costs and complexity, increases threat detection and prevention and provides a flexible architecture to keep pace with network growth.
It includes Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS) with advanced threat detection to identify abnormal traffic patterns and malware files that might indicate a possible cyber attack. It also enables zero-trust network access by validating every user request for data access and stopping attackers from moving laterally within your network.
It uses Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) capabilities to identify and classify sensitive data, and it inspects TLS/SSL encrypted traffic at line speed and at scale to detect data exfiltration, ransomware and other threats. In addition, it helps organizations to manage their network edge with SD-WAN technologies for high-performance remote access and a consistent application experience.
8. Scalability
Scalability is an essential business characteristic that allows companies to adapt to continuously changing environments. It also allows them to grow without needing to increase staff or refactor their systems, making it easier to manage growth and reduce risk.
SSE can offer a range of scalability benefits, including the ability to deliver security services closer to users. This reduces latency and improves performance, ensuring that employees can access applications quickly and securely.
Zero trust: By enforcing business policies in a zero-trust environment, SSE protects data and networks from threats that exploit weaknesses. This approach also stops attackers from moving laterally after they have compromised a user or network resource.
SSE enables organizations to monitor and track remote access to their environment, ensuring compliance with various security standards and regulations, such as HIPAA and PCI DSS. This ensures that businesses remain compliant and can avoid penalties from regulators.
9. Enhanced Security
Security Service Edge provides a complete set of security tools for organizations to detect threats, prevent attacks and monitor user activity. It typically includes features like cloud sandboxing, malware detection, inline encryption and masking, Zero Trust Network Access and software-defined WAN (SD-WAN). When combined with a cloud SWG, CASB or firewall-as-a-service, SSE solutions can offer comprehensive protection for users, data and apps as they move between network connections.
If your organization is experiencing a rise in security incidents, latency issues or frustrated end users, it may be time to consider a more robust SSE solution. Look for a vendor that offers easy deployment and unified management.
SSE solutions also improve visibility, help manage digital transition risks and reduce risk of data breaches by locating security inspection processes closer to users and cloud-based assets. This helps to avoid creating security gaps caused by backhauling traffic to a central data center for inspection, which can result in delays and lower performance.
