What Is Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)?

Secure access service edge (SASE) overview

SASE is a modern way to deliver both networking and security through a unified, cloud-based solution—whether through a single platform or a dual-vendor model. Built for distributed workforces, it helps simplify infrastructure and enforce consistent protection across users, devices, and locations. By combining tools like software-defined wide area networks (SD-WANs), secure web gateways (SWGs), and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), SASE helps organizations protect data, secure access, reduce complexity, and adapt to evolving business needs.

Key takeaways

SASE integrates networking and security into a single cloud-delivered platform, helping organizations simplify infrastructure and improve agility.
It supports hybrid work and modern cloud environments by providing secure, high-performance access to applications and data—anywhere users are.
Built on Zero Trust principles, SASE continuously evaluates user identity, context, and risk to enforce adaptive security policies.
The model reduces cost and complexity by consolidating security tools, streamlining management, and eliminating the need for traditional perimeter defenses.
SASE adoption is accelerating with innovations like AI-assisted threat detection, automation, and integration with Internet of Things (IoT) and edge environments.

Why more organizations are shifting to SASE

SASE is a cloud-based architecture that unifies wide-area networking (WAN) and network security services into a single, unified platform. It’s built for remote teams, cloud-native environments, and modern security demands.

As organizations shift away from traditional, data center-based models, SASE is gaining traction. Rather than routing traffic through centralized appliances, SASE delivers security and connectivity at the edge—closer to users, devices, and cloud services.

SASE integrates networking and security service edge (SSE) functions—such as SWGs, cloud access security brokers (CASB), ZTNA, and firewall as a service (FWaaS)—into one cloud-delivered service. This move from disconnected tools to integrated, real-time protection helps IT teams respond quickly and reduce operational overhead.

How SASE supports modern IT demands

SASE addresses the growing demands of hybrid work, cloud migration, and distributed infrastructure by aligning security and connectivity with how people access applications and where data is stored. Here’s how it does so:

Facilitates hybrid work by providing consistent security and performance across users, locations, and devices.
Simplifies infrastructure by combining networking and security into a single platform.
Improves scalability and agility with a cloud-native foundation that adapts to changing needs.
Strengthens security posture with real-time inspection, adaptive policy enforcement, and threat prevention.

Deployment and architecture options

SASE architecture is designed for flexibility, delivering services closer to users, apps, and resources while maintaining strong security controls. Organizations can choose the deployment model that best fits their operational and performance needs:

Edge-to-edge connectivity: SASE connects users, sites, and cloud resources securely through a global network of distributed service nodes—improving performance while reducing reliance on central data centers.
Cloud-native functionality: SASE delivers networking and security services through a distributed cloud platform, minimizing latency and scaling with demand.
Unified management: A single, cloud-based platform simplifies network and security administration across technologies—streamlining policy enforcement, access controls, and visibility.

By converging security and networking in the cloud, SASE helps organizations reduce complexity, improve performance, and adapt more easily to the demands of an evolving IT environment.

Components

Key components of SASE

SASE brings together essential security and networking technologies in a single platform or a dual-vendor approach. Explore how each component helps protect access, apps, and data.

Software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN)

A software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) is an overlay architecture that uses routing or switching software to create virtual connections between endpoints—both physical and logical. SD-WANs provide near-unlimited paths for user traffic, which optimizes the user experience, and allows for powerful flexibility in encryption and policy management.

Secure web gateway (SWG)

A secure web gateway (SWG) is a web security service that filters unauthorized traffic from accessing a particular network. The goal of a SWG is to zero in on threats before they penetrate a virtual perimeter. A SWG accomplishes this by combining technologies like malicious code detection, malware elimination, and URL filtering.

Cloud access security broker (CASB)

A cloud access security broker (CASB) is a software as a service (SaaS) application that acts as a security checkpoint between on-premises networks and cloud-based applications and enforces data security policies. A CASB protects corporate data through a combination of prevention, monitoring, and mitigation techniques. It can also identify malicious behavior and warn administrators about compliance violations.

Firewall as a service (FWaaS)

Firewall as a service (FWaaS) moves firewall protection to the cloud instead of the traditional network perimeter. This allows organizations to securely connect a remote, mobile workforce to the corporate network, while still enforcing consistent security policies that reach beyond the organization’s geographic footprint.

Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)

Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) is a set of consolidated, cloud-based technologies that operates on a framework in which trust is never implicit and access is granted on a need-to-know, least-privileged basis across all users, devices, and applications. In this model, all users must be authenticated, authorized, and continuously validated before being granted access to company private applications and data. ZTNA eliminates the poor user experience, operational complexities, costs, and risk of a traditional VPN.

Centralized and unified management

A SASE platform allows IT administrators to manage SD-WAN, SWG, CASB, FWaaS, and ZTNA through centralized and unified management across networking and security. This frees IT team members to focus their energy on other more pressing areas and boosts the user experience for the organization’s hybrid workforce.

Benefits of SASE

SASE helps organizations move away from siloed tools and traditional infrastructure by offering a unified, cloud-delivered model for network security and access. It’s designed to simplify management, enhance security, reduce risk, and improve performance across distributed environments.

SASE supports both growing businesses embracing the cloud and large enterprises managing hybrid workforces by adapting to evolving needs and reducing complexity. By combining security and networking into a single platform, SASE removes barriers to modern access and gives IT teams greater control over user experience, policy enforcement, and overall security posture.

Key SASE advantages include:

Reduced complexity and simplified management: IT operations are streamlined by consolidating networking and security functions, making management easier across locations and devices.
Scalability for any size organization: The platform supports both small and medium-sized businesses as well as large enterprises with flexible deployment models and usage-based scaling.
Cost efficiency: Infrastructure and maintenance costs are lowered by replacing previous hardware with cloud-native services that adapt to business needs.
Improved flexibility: Secure, reliable access to applications and data is enabled—whether users are on-site, remote, or mobile.
Better user experience: Security is optimized in real time, reducing latency when connecting to cloud apps and minimizing the organization’s attack surface.
Stronger security posture: Consistent policies are enforced across locations and devices, threats are detected in real time, and secure access is granted based on user identity and context.

SASE also supports faster incident response and recovery by providing centralized visibility into network activity, user behavior, and threat signals. This makes it easier to detect anomalies, apply policy changes, and scale protections across the entire organization. For security leaders, that means fewer blind spots and more applicable insights.

By unifying security and networking under a single strategy, SASE helps organizations stay agile while meeting high standards for performance, compliance, and resilience.

Closing gaps in earlier models

Many traditional network and security systems were designed when applications lived in data centers and teams worked mostly on-site. As organizations adopt cloud services and support remote workforces, these traditional models can’t keep up with modern demands.

SASE integrates networking and security into a unified, cloud-delivered framework that removes the fragmentation, latency, and risk that come with traditional approaches to network access and security.

How SASE addresses limitations in traditional models

Fragmentation: Traditional setups rely on multiple tools with separate policies and management. SASE consolidates these into one platform, simplifying management and improving visibility.
Cloud compatibility: Traditional models route traffic through central data centers, causing delays and slowing cloud app access. SASE connects users and branches directly to cloud services, boosting speed and performance.
Security posture: Perimeter-based defenses don’t fit today’s distributed environments or advanced threats. SASE applies a Zero Trust approach, securing access based on identity, context, and continuous risk assessment—wherever users or data reside.

While not the primary use case, SASE can support compliance efforts—especially in regulated industries. Its integrated approach helps enforce consistent policies, secure access controls, and enable real-time monitoring across users and locations. Built-in tools like data loss prevention and activity logging make it easier to meet requirements such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). And because of its flexible architecture, businesses can adapt more easily to evolving regulations without overhauling their infrastructure.

How to implement SASE

Adopting SASE is a strategic shift that helps modernize your network and security architecture. A phased approach can ease the transition and ensure that the framework aligns with business goals, your team’s needs, and compliance requirements.

Steps to implement SASE

Assess your current environment. Map out your existing network, security tools, user access patterns, and cloud applications.
Define business and security goals. Identify key outcomes—like reducing costs, improving remote access, or supporting Zero Trust policies.
Prioritize use cases and sites. Start with high-impact areas, such as remote workforces or branch offices with traditional systems.
Choose a vendor or platform that supports full integration. Look for unified solutions that include SWGs, ZTNA, FWaaS, and cloud access security.
Test and troubleshoot. Before going live with a SASE deployment, test SASE functionality in a staging environment and experiment with how your multicloud security stack integrates with the SD-WAN and other tools.
Plan for phased rollout. Migrate users, locations, and applications in stages to avoid disruptions and simplify adoption.
Monitor and optimize. Use built-in analytics and policy controls to refine performance and strengthen your security posture over time.

Tips for successful deployment

Focus on identity-driven access. Connect policies to user roles and device status instead of relying on IP addresses or physical location.
Keep policies consistent globally. Apply the same rules across users, apps, and regions to avoid gaps.
Make sure SASE works with your current identity providers. Seamless integration with single sign-on (SSO) and multifactor authentication helps keep things smooth.
Automate where you can. Use AI-assisted tools to ease policy setup, spot threats faster, and respond more efficiently.
Get everyone involved early. Bring security, networking, and compliance teams together from the start to prevent silos and streamline the rollout.

Implementing SASE can come with challenges, especially if you’re dealing with traditional systems or a distributed environment. Getting new and old systems to work together, plus limited in-house expertise, can slow things down. Tackling these early with training, vendor support, and clear team alignment can help smooth the way.

It’s also useful to connect your SASE rollout to bigger digital transformation goals. Whether you’re consolidating vendors, supporting hybrid work, or expanding into new markets, SASE can boost security and give you more operational flexibility.

On top of that, SASE makes auditing and reporting simpler by centralizing visibility into traffic, user behavior, and policy enforcement. That makes compliance easier to prove and cuts down on audit time and costs.

How organizations are using SASE

SASE delivers practical benefits across industries by addressing unique security and connectivity challenges. These examples illustrate how organizations could use SASE to streamline access, enhance security, and support distributed teams in real-world settings.

Retail: A global retail chain replaces former VPNs with SASE to give in-store employees secure, high-performance access to cloud-based inventory and point-of-sale systems—without backhauling traffic through data centers.
Healthcare: A regional health provider adopts SASE to support telehealth services and remote workers, enforcing HIPAA-compliant data access policies across endpoints and cloud apps.
Manufacturing: A distributed manufacturing company uses SASE to securely connect remote plants and contractors to operational systems while maintaining strict access control and visibility.
Education: A university system implements SASE to support hybrid learning and campus operations, providing secure, scalable access to cloud-based tools for students, faculty, and staff—across campuses and remote locations.
Financial services: A national credit union deploys SASE to protect sensitive financial data as employees access systems from branches and remote environments, ensuring secure connectivity and consistent policy enforcement across all access points.

Emerging SASE trends

As organizations modernize their networks and security strategies, SASE continues to evolve alongside new technologies and use cases. Advances in automation, analytics, and edge intelligence are expanding what SASE can do, making it more adaptive, efficient, and responsive.

Here are some key trends shaping the future of SASE:

AI and machine learning: AI-assisted tools are improving threat detection, traffic analysis, and policy recommendations. By learning from patterns over time, they help security teams respond faster and more accurately.
Predictive analytics: SASE platforms are starting to spot potential performance or security issues before they affect people, letting teams take proactive steps to keep systems running smoothly and risks low.
Automation at scale: Automating policy enforcement, incident response, and network setup reduces manual work and keeps protection consistent—even in complex, distributed environments.
IoT integration: As businesses connect more IoT and operational devices, SASE is adapting with identity-aware access and risk analysis tailored to these endpoints.

The growth of 5G and edge computing is also shaping SASE innovation. With computing moving closer to users and devices, SASE must support faster, decentralized connections without sacrificing security. Vendors are responding by delivering SASE services through regional hubs and lightweight edge nodes.

You’ll also see tighter integration between SASE and cloud-native observability platforms. Combining network telemetry and security insights into one place gives IT and security teams a clearer, more complete picture of performance, usage, and risk.

SASE solutions for businesses

As SASE adoption grows, staying informed is essential to shaping a strategy aligned with your organization’s goals. As you define your SASE strategy, the right tools and insights can help you make informed decisions. Start by assessing your existing infrastructure to identify gaps and opportunities. Look for solutions that integrate smoothly with your established tools and reinforce Zero Trust practices to maximize your current investments.

For organizations focused on integrating identity-first security within a SASE framework, Microsoft Entra provides a strong foundation. Part of the Microsoft Security portfolio, Entra supports Zero Trust principles with secure access for any user, app, or resource—delivering real-time risk analysis and unified policy enforcement across your environment.

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