SASE: How New Technology Can Help Secure Cincinnati Companies

Cyber threats are always evolving. While you are working on your business, hackers are working on exploiting your company’s safety measures. What was once considered secure technology has become one of your company’s biggest cyber risks.

Traditional Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have become outdated and vulnerable. Hackers are attacking VPN’s trying to bypass your corporate firewalls.

This VPN vulnerability problem has plagued several firewall providers this year. This means technology is the target. That’s where Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) comes in. If you’re looking to improve your company’s cyber security and provide a seamless remote working experience for your employees, SASE might be the solution your business needs.

What Is SASE?

SASE, pronounced “sassy,” was introduced by Gartner in 2019 and has quickly gained traction among enterprise organizations. It combines various network security services into a single, cloud-based framework. This modern approach enhances security, improves remote work capabilities, and boosts overall connectivity.

Unlike traditional VPNs, which often create vulnerabilities and bottlenecks in a network, SASE offers a more robust, scalable, and secure way for employees to connect to company resources. At its core, SASE integrates technologies like SD-WAN (software-defined wide-area networking), Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), and cloud security to provide seamless and secure connections to corporate networks.

The Vulnerability of VPNs

Why are business leaders shifting away from VPNs? Quite simply, VPNs have become one of the most targeted entry points for hackers. In 2023 alone, there were 133 reported vulnerabilities in VPNs, a 47% increase from the previous year. Major companies like Cisco, Citrix, Fortinet, Palo Alto, SonicWall, Ivanti, and Check Point have all faced VPN vulnerabilities in 2024 putting countless businesses at risk of a cyber-attack.

VPNs were once a go-to solution for remote access, but their centralized nature and reliance on firewalls make them a prime target for hackers. These vulnerabilities often allow attackers to bypass firewalls and gain direct access to sensitive resources within a network.

The Advantages of SASE Over VPNs

SASE offers several advantages over traditional VPNs. Let’s break down why this technology is quickly becoming the gold standard for secure remote access:

1. Enhanced Security SASE provides multiple layers of security, starting with Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), which requires users to verify their identity before accessing network resources. It also includes always-on enterprise-grade firewalls that protect your devices regardless of where they connect. Additionally, SASE encrypts all data traffic, providing secure browsing on public Wi-Fi networks.
2. Improved Useability SASE doesn’t just improve security, it enhances the end user experience as well. In most cyber security solutions, there’s a trade-off between security and usability. SASE is one of the few technologies that improves both.

Employees can log in with familiar Office 365 credentials, creating a smoother experience compared to VPNs.  In fact, after implementing SASE, our internal employees and many of our customers have reported that working from home feels just as fast and efficient as being in the office.

1. Scalability and Flexibility Originally developed for enterprise-level organizations, SASE has since been adapted for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) as well. Its cloud-based architecture makes it easy to scale, allowing you to add or remove users as your business grows. Whether you have ten employees or a thousand, SASE can be tailored to fit your needs.
2. Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) One of the key components of SASE is its zero trust policies, which means that no device or user is trusted by default. The system differentiates access levels based on user roles, ensuring that, for example, a front desk employee cannot access the same resources as someone in HR or finance. For example, a QuickBooks server.
3. Future-Proofing Your Network As cyber threats continue to evolve, SASE offers a forward-thinking approach to security. By decentralizing access and incorporating advanced logging and monitoring features, SASE allows businesses to stay ahead of cyber criminals. With tools to track and analyze activity on your network, your IT team can identify potential threats before they become full-blown attacks.

A Real-World Example: How SASE Transformed Our Business

At 4BIS, we made the switch to SASE for our remote workers, and the results have been nothing short of remarkable. Employees who previously struggled with sluggish VPN connections report that their laptops now perform as if they were directly connected to our in-office network.

The always-on security features give our team peace of mind, knowing that they’re protected no matter where they work. By eliminating our corporate VPN, we’ve been able to close potential attack vectors on our firewalls.

Installation

Our setup process is straightforward. Our IT team pushes out the software to employees’ devices. We send our clients instructions on how to authenticate using Microsoft Office 365 credentials and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). Many individuals can authenticate themselves without assistance. For anyone that wants help we offer full support. The end-user experience is seamless, fast, and secure.

Key Considerations

While SASE is an incredibly powerful tool, there are a few considerations to keep in mind:

1. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policies SASE is best suited for company-owned devices, as it assumes that any unknown device may be compromised. We recommend using corporate devices with the full suite of cyber security protections. Solutions such as SASE or traditional VPNs open a direct connection to your corporate network. You want to make sure that the device you give access to is secure.
2. Captive Portals When connecting to public Wi-Fi networks (such as at a coffee shop or hotel), SASE may have difficulty interacting with captive portals. Fortunately, this is a minor inconvenience as users can easily work around it by temporarily disconnecting from SASE before reconnecting once they’re online.

Conclusion: Is SASE Right for Your Business?

If your business is still relying on traditional VPNs for remote access, now is the time to make a change. SASE offers better security, faster performance, and greater flexibility. Remote access will always be necessary, securing your network with cutting-edge technology like SASE is no longer optional; it’s essential.

Ready to learn more? Contact us today at 4BIS to discuss how we can implement SASE to protect your business, boost employee productivity, and eliminate VPN vulnerabilities.