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The benefits of having a service that provides an integrated cloud and network security approach includes the ability for these services to be delivered in the cloud and on-premises ( whether that be in the office , in the data centre or even in the home ). This is hugely beneficial to SMEs because it gives them the flexibility to enable these integrated services , such as SASE , in the cloud or onpremises , depending on location and / or type of application .

Having different networking security solutions within one integrated service can help to drastically simplify the IT infrastructure , making it easier to manage and reducing the burden of paying for multiple separate services .

Why should SMEs consider implementing this strategy ?

The reasons are two-fold . Many SMEs have already shifted to the cloud so any digital initiative that includes cloud transformation allows for the implementation of the SASE strategy . SASE will eventually become essential so if they do not implement it now , they will eventually find it to be a mandatory service .

Secondly , the threat vector has changed . Cybercriminals are always focused on the weakest link within a company ’ s system , so an SME must look at the entire network and identify the weakest links in order to protect it . However , as the move to remote working has occurred and more devices connecting from different locations has risen , the threat vector has become larger . SMEs need to identify their biggest threat and implement a strategy that can secure the device , mitigate risks and protect the company . This solution also works on a small or large scale , depending on the company .

What can SMEs do to adopt a SASE approach to their enterprise network security ?

It is very easy to implement a SASE solution as part of a network . We ’ ve already discussed that if an organisation already has SASE capabilities ( such as secure SD-WAN or FWaaS ), then it becomes even easier for them to adopt other SASE capabilities .

There are also SMEs who already have a Zero Trust network access ( ZTNA ) which is part of a SASE solution . Once one of these services is used and already integrated , it is much easier to expand and add more services which can be deployed either on-premises or in the cloud , which allows for flexibility .

However , even if an SME does not already have SASE-related capabilities in place , it is still easy to deploy . They can start by activating the service in the cloud which can be as simple as activating an email service and adding the number of users you would like to have access to that specific service .

Because this is a cloud-native model , it is easy to expand and add services and solutions that can offer improved performance and be tailored according to the networking experience that is needed for different individuals ( such as security teams and individual employees etc ).

How do you see SASE adoption becoming a game-changer looking ahead ?

I strongly believe SMEs who have adopted SASE early will grow their competitive and business advantage and lead over those SMEs and larger enterprises who have not deployed SASE .

If these solutions are implemented early , businesses in industries such as retail , banking , healthcare , education and the public sector can operate at a much higher performance level with much greater security .

If an SME can take advantage of the economy for cloud security services and implement it globally for those using their services , they will have an almost unfair advantage over the other businesses and organisations within their industry .

2021 for SASE will , in general , be a year where we can expect to see an influx in SASE adoption by companies big and small because the barrier to entry is low for this service .

Individual users within a business can use SASE services on their own , but the IT team can still maintain and control it , meaning everyone benefits . �

Michael Wood , CMO at Versa Networks

CYBERCRIMINALS ARE ALWAYS FOCUSED ON THE WEAKEST LINK WITHIN A COMPANY ’ S SYSTEM , SO AN SME MUST LOOK AT THE ENTIRE NETWORK AND IDENTIFY THE WEAKEST LINKS IN ORDER TO PROTECT IT .