To secure remote employees, organizations have to find a way of securing hybrid environments where employees can access data and applications. This can be done using a secure service edge.

SSE is an architecture built for the cloud that combines security and networking in one platform. The unified policy allows for continuous security coverage of cloud, SaaS applications and private apps.

Access Control

Secure Service Edge (SSE) solutions are essential as more employees, partners, and customers access content, data and applications via the internet and mobile devices. SSE protects against unauthorized or malicious access and allows users to access web, cloud, private, and other applications securely.

SSE, a cloud platform, integrates networking functions and security, including software-defined wide-area network (SDWAN), firewalls as services, secure web portals (SWG), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA). It provides consistent application and security enforcement for users and locations while providing centralized visibility of traffic.

SSE has a zero-trust approach to access control, which is based on user identity. Users are never placed on the corporate networks. This provides fast and reliable WAN connection without the requirement for a VPN. SSE includes a strong defense-in-depth approach for detecting malware and other threats.

Threat Protection

SSE offers protection against threats for internet sessions. It ensures users securely connect to critical applications regardless of where they are. This facilitates hybrid work, protects private and cloud data connectivity, speeds cloud migrations, simplifies integrations during M&As, and enables hybrid working by employees.

Security services are delivered from a single cloud platform that can follow user-to-app connections regardless of location or device. This reduces risk by eliminating gaps between point products and eliminates the need for manual updates to traditional legacy appliances.

Zero trust access: SSE systems should allow least-privileged access based on a zero trust policy, including user role and behavior, device, application and content. This prevents lateral movement and protects applications from being discovered, reducing the attack surface.

SSE enforces policies: SSE combines unified threats prevention capabilities with CASB/ZTNA technologies in order to enforce corporate policy on all end-users, no matter where they are located within the network or which devices they use. This reduces the risk of ransomware, insider threats and other threats when employees access sensitive data or use cloud apps that do not comply with corporate policies.

Data Security

As remote and mobile users connect to applications and data over the internet, organizations need to protect that information. Secure service edge delivers security by unifying web gateway (SWG), cloud access security broker (CASB), and zero trust network access (ZTNA) technologies.

SSE also offers centralized cloud data loss protection (DLP) capabilities, enabling sensitive data to be easily found, classified, and secured in a unified way. This can support compliance policies such as Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard and GDPR.

SSE solutions must also have advanced threat prevention capabilities, such as cloud firewall as a service (FWaaS), CASB inspection of data in SaaS apps, and adaptive access control. Adaptive access control is a key element of SSE that identifies device posture and adjusts access as it changes.

Monitoring

When working with a secure service edge, it's important to monitor internet sessions. This allows you the ability to track how your network performs, and which apps have been used.

Monitoring will help you identify problems before they occur and safeguard your business. You can improve the user experience while reducing costs.

SSE platforms which can monitor web and data traffic on a global level are essential. Vendors should have strong service-level agreement (SLAs), and experience evaluating inline traffic at major multinationals.

One of the primary use cases for a security service edge is enforcing policy control over internet, cloud, and mobile access. This could include enforcing access and internet control policies within the company to ensure compliance or reducing risk via content blocking and malware isolate.