SASE is a security model, while Zero Trust is a security framework. Can the two solutions help unify networking/security teams?
Against a backdrop of escalating global geopolitical unrest and the rise of advanced technologies such as generative AI, protecting against cyber threats has come to occupy the discussions of world leaders across public and private sectors.
At the heart of a robust modern cybersecurity strategy is the Zero Trust framework that considers all devices, users, or network segments as inherently untrustworthy and a potential threat.
In a Zero Trust framework, organizations must facilitate increased collaboration between networking and security teams, which typically operate fairly distinctly with somewhat conflicting goals. Where security teams tend to want to protect systems by limiting access to minimize risks, networking teams strive to make connectivity across a system as streamlined as frictionless as possible, creating possible points of entry for threats.
Merging networking and security
In an organization, the objectives of a networking team are typically to deliver reliable, fast connectivity to users and devices across the network. Their priority is to ensure quick and convenient network access.
On the other hand, the focus of a security team lies in cyber risk management and mitigation, prioritizing data protection and compliance by enforcing security measures.
While the functions of networking and security teams are not inherently contradictory, the two teams may sometimes step on each other’s toes. An overzealous security implementation may make it slow or impossible for users to access the data they need. Meanwhile, a networking team that allows compromises in security measures to boost accessibility can open the doors to potential infiltration and ransomware.
Either way, the lack of alignment between networking and security can hurt user experience and business outcomes. Considering modern organizations’ increased exposure to security risks brought on by hybrid working, IoT devices and cloud adoption, security and networking two teams must work together towards a shared objective: to enable fast, convenient and secure access to critical applications from anywhere using any device at any time.
Zero Trust as a collaboration catalyst
In a Zero Trust network access framework, all users, devices, and applications must prove their identity and level of authentication before being given access to specific IT resources needed. In fact, Zero Trust is a key feature of the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), where network segmentation and identity-based access control are applied across wired, wireless, WAN, remote, campus and branch networks to provide secure remote access to applications, no matter where users and devices connect.
In a SASE solution, the network functions as an enforcement layer for security rather than as a barrier — bringing together networking and security tools in one single management console, allowing users to connect seamlessly and securely to applications in an increasingly distributed environment.
A unified SASE solution built on a Zero Trust network access framework is appealing because it provides networking and security teams with the right level of shared visibility, automation, and a clear delineation of security policy and enforcement.
Security and networking teams alike can then benefit from facilitated cross-functional collaboration and reduced roadblocks, helping their organization to enhance end-user experience while reducing complexities, resources, and costs.
