SASE combines network access and security controls to limit exposure from compromised users, devices, and cloud services; enforce least privilege.
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Background for this topic.
Secure access service edge (SASE) is an architecture that delivers network connectivity and security controls from cloud points of presence. It commonly combines SD-WAN with secure web gateways, firewall-as-a-service, cloud access security broker functions, and zero-trust network access. Requests are evaluated using identity, device posture, application, and other context rather than trusting a user solely because they are on a corporate network.
SASE concentrates enforcement and visibility in identity systems, policy engines, connectors, and provider infrastructure. An overprivileged administrator, compromised identity, incorrect access rule, or exposed connector can therefore permit broader access or bypass inspection; TLS inspection and centralized logging also create privacy and data-retention obligations. Mitigate these risks with phishing-resistant MFA, separate and least-privileged administrative roles, tightly scoped application-level access, tested policy changes, continuous connector and device-posture validation, and independent monitoring of administrative and access logs. Validate provider isolation, outage behavior, logging retention, and incident-support processes before consolidating critical controls.
Cathay, a travel lifestyle brand that includes the Cathay Pacific airline, had a growing cybersecurity problem made worse by its aging technology infrastructure. It solved part of the problem by replacing legacy technology with a modern one that has security built in.