SSE vs SASE: How Are They Related?

In order to take advantage of cloud-centric business models, many organizations are considering developing a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) architecture. But how do you choose the right solution? There is no shortage of vendors selling tools to secure interactions between devices, applications, on-premises resources and infrastructure. As a result, it can be challenging to select the right mix of security technologies that best suits your organization.

Today, many organizations deploy multiple security tools that don’t always work well together. Consequently, additional security professionals are brought in to fine-tune their security solution and security policies in an effort to close any gaps.

That’s where the functionality of Security Service Edge (SSE) intersects with that of SASE, as both technical frameworks are fundamental to building the cloud-centric security and networking architectures of the future.

SASE: A security and networking architecture

SASE combines a software-defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN), a secure web gateway (SWG), Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS), a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) into a single, unified architecture.

Introduced in 2019 by Gartner, SASE provides a framework for designing a converged security and networking architecture in a world where the use of cloud apps is ubiquitous and fundamental to business. The SASE framework outlines all the essential technologies as well how they should be integrated and delivered.‍‍

SASE transitions key networking and security capabilities to the cloud, eliminating the need for perimeter-based appliances and legacy products. It provides safe and reliable access to web services, apps and data, with zero trust principles applied throughout to achieve continuous adaptive trust during every interaction.

Key SASE capabilities include:

• Consistent policy enforcement, regardless of location, with support for local decision-making and covering all types of access.
• Ease of administration via a consolidated policy control plane.
• Transparent and simplified end-user experience.
• Complete data visibility and control and threat detection.
• Security for SaaS, IaaS and PaaS services.

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SSE: The Security Foundation to SASE

Gartner defines SSE as a collection of integrated, cloud-centric security capabilities that facilitates safe access to websites, SaaS apps and private apps. A comprehensive solution incorporates a complete set of technologies organizations need to provide employees, partners and contractors secure remote access to applications, data, tools and other corporate resources, as well as the ability to monitor and track behavior once users access the network.

SSE capabilities

SSE provides the security service elements of a comprehensive SASE strategy. SSE capabilities combine access control, threat protection, data security, security monitoring and acceptable use control functionality into a single strategy. When combined with SD-WAN, SSE capabilities form a comprehensive SASE platform and provide monitoring and policy enforcement with integrated network controls and application APIs augmented by endpoint-based controls.

A successful SSE implementation reduces infrastructure complexity and improves the user experience by consolidating multiple, disparate security capabilities into a single-vendor, cloud-centric converged capability. Implementations are typically anchored by core solutions, including CASB, SWG, and ZTNA.

How to evaluate a Security Service Edge Vendor

SASE and SSE: Partners in cloud security and networking

In today’s cloud-first, work-from-anywhere world, organizations need to continuously protect their most valuable asset — data — regardless of when it's stored or how it's accessed.

Working seamlessly with SSE functionality, Lookout’s industry-leading SASE platform delivers the highest level of contextual data awareness and all key features required to address critical issues in cloud security, networking and the application of Zero Trust principles at every point where data is accessed in the cloud.

The Lookout Security Platform enables you to consolidate your SASE strategy into a unified solution that reduces cost and complexity while simplifying management of security and access across your endpoints, clouds, and on-prem infrastructure.