To secure remote employees, organizations have to find a way of securing hybrid environments where employees can access data and applications. You can do this by using a service edge.

SSE, a cloud-native platform that integrates security and networking into one platform, is a cloud architecture. It provides continuous security across SaaS, cloud and private applications using a unified policy framework.

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 secures end users against malicious attacks, allows them to securely access cloud, private and web applications, and provides monitoring of their digital experiences.

SSE is an integrated cloud-based platform for networking and security. This includes SD-WAN (software-defined wide area networks), firewalls-as-a-service, secure Web Gateways (SWG), the Cloud Access Security Broker, and Zero Trust Network access (ZTNA). It allows for consistent application and network security across users and locations, while also providing central visibility.

SSE includes an identity-based zero trust access control system that never puts users on the corporate network. It ensures reliable and fast WAN connections, without the use of a VPN. SSE is also based on a solid defense-indepth strategy to detect and prevent malware and other security 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 enables hybrid-work for employees, secures data and cloud connectivity, accelerates migrations to the cloud, and simplifies M&A integration.

A single cloud platform delivers security services that follow app-to-app connectivity, regardless of device or location. It reduces risk because it eliminates gaps in point products, and also removes the need to update legacy appliances manually.

Zero trust: SSE Systems should provide least-privileged access in accordance with a zero-trust policy. This includes user role and behavior as well as device, application, or content. This reduces the attack surface by preventing lateral movement, protecting applications from discovery and preventing lateral movements.

SSE combines unified Threat Prevention capabilities with CASB & ZTNA Technologies to enforce policies on end users no matter what device or location they may be in. This helps mitigate the risk of insider threats, ransomware and other threats that can occur when employees connect to sensitive data or use cloud applications that are not compliant with corporate policies.

Data Security

Protecting information is essential for organizations that allow remote and mobile workers to access data and applications via the internet. Secure service edge delivers protection by integrating web gateway, cloud access security broker and zero trust access (ZTNA).

SSE provides centralized cloud data protection (DLP), allowing sensitive data be quickly found, classified, then secured in an unified manner. This can support compliance policies such as Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard and GDPR.

SSE solutions should also include advanced threat prevention features, including cloud firewalls as a service, CASB inspections of data within SaaS apps and adaptive access controls. SSE solutions must include adaptive access control, which identifies and adjusts access based on changes in device posture.

Monitoring

It is crucial to monitor Internet sessions when you are working with a Secure Service Edge. This allows you to see how your network is performing and what apps are being used.

Monitoring will help you identify problems before they occur and safeguard your business. It can also improve user experience and lower costs.

SSE platforms capable of inspecting web and data trafic on a large scale are critical. 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 includes enforcing internet and access control policy for corporate compliance or mitigating risks through content blocking and malicious isolation.