Implementing a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solution that provides Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN) and Secure Web Gateway (SWG) features for both on-premise and cloud environments can be quite transformative. When done correctly, this convergence offers simplified management, enhanced security, and improved user experience. Emantra’s technical delivery team have come up with the following 12 success factors to consider before implementing SASE in your organisation.
- Clear Understanding of Requirements:
- Business Requirements: Understand your business drivers. Are you looking for cost reduction, agility, global reach, or a combination?
- Technical Requirements: This includes understanding bandwidth needs, application requirements, preferred cloud providers (eg. Azure, AWS, or private cloud), and the need for local points of presence.
- Comprehensive Security Strategy:
- Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA): Adopting a zero trust model can help ensure that users and devices are authenticated and authorized before accessing network resources.
- Consistent Policies: The policies for SWG, firewall, and other network securities should be consistent across cloud and on-premises environments.
- Seamless Integration:
- Legacy Infrastructure: Ensure the SASE solution can work well with existing infrastructure without causing disruptions.
- Cloud Services: Integration with public and private cloud services is critical.
- Quality of Service (QoS):
- Monitor and manage traffic to prioritize critical applications and ensure consistent performance.
- Endpoint Considerations:
- Devices should be able to connect seamlessly, whether they’re IoT devices, mobile devices, or traditional endpoints.
- Consider an endpoint security strategy that complements your SASE architecture.
- Scalability:
- The solution should scale horizontally to accommodate more users and vertically to manage increased data loads or advanced features.
- Vendor Evaluation:
- Proven Track Record: Opt for vendors with a good reputation and a history of reliability.
- Support and SLAs: Ensure the vendor offers adequate support and agreeable Service Level Agreements.
- Future-Proofing: Check if the vendor has a history of keeping up with technological advancements.
- Change Management:
- As with any significant IT transformation, ensure that you have a robust change management plan in place.
- Provide necessary training to IT staff and end-users about the new systems and any changes in the way they’ll access resources.
- Performance Monitoring and Reporting:
- Regularly review the performance metrics of the SD-WAN and SWG features to ensure that they’re operating optimally.
- Use feedback loops to continuously improve and adapt to evolving requirements.
- Regional and Compliance Considerations:
- Ensure that the SASE solution complies with data residency and privacy regulations specific to different regions where your business operates.
- Redundancy and Failover:
- Design the architecture to be resilient. Consider redundant connections and failover mechanisms to maintain uptime and availability.
- Cost Management:
- While migrating to a SASE solution might save costs in the long run, it’s essential to monitor and manage costs, especially in hybrid scenarios where you might be running both legacy and new systems side by side for a period.
Successfully implementing a SASE solution that incorporates SD-WAN and SWG requires a holistic approach that takes into account technical, operational, and business considerations. Collaboration between stakeholders, continuous monitoring, and iterative refinements are key to ensuring the successful deployment and operation of such a solution.
