sase.cloud

SASE & SSE for
people who deploy it.

Architecture guides, vendor comparisons, deployment playbooks. No bullshit.

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01 — Definition

What is SASE?

Secure Access Service Edge converges networking and security into a single cloud-delivered service. Instead of backhauling traffic to a data center, SASE pushes policy enforcement to globally distributed PoPs close to users.

SASE = SD-WAN + SSE
SD-WAN

Application-aware routing, path selection, WAN optimization. Replaces MPLS.

SSE (SWG + CASB + ZTNA)

Cloud-delivered security: web gateway, SaaS broker, zero trust access. Plus FWaaS, DLP, and DEM.

Remote usersBranch officesMobile / BYODSOURCESSASE PoPSSESWGCASBZTNAFWaaSDLPDEMSD-WANSaaS appsCloud workloadsPublic internetDESTINATIONSAll traffic inspected at nearest PoP — single-pass, cloud-deliveredGlobal PoP mesh — 50-150+ locations typical

Gartner 2019 · $3B quarterly revenue Q3 2025, 21% YoY · Dell'Oro Group

02 — Security

SSE & Zero Trust

SSE

Security Service Edge is SASE minus SD-WAN. Three core pillars — SWG, CASB, and ZTNA — delivered from the cloud. Defined by Gartner in 2021. Most organizations start here because it secures remote users without rearchitecting the WAN.

Start with SSE when

Secure remote users now. SD-WAN already works. Budget constrained. Replacing VPN or legacy proxies.

Choose full SASE when

Network refresh. Branch connectivity + security. Unified policy. MPLS contracts expiring.

Zero Trust

Zero Trust is the philosophy — never trust, always verify. SASE is the architecture that delivers it. ZTNA is the specific component that bridges the two: identity-based, per-app access with continuous posture verification.

Zero TrustPhilosophyNever trust, always verify
SASEArchitectureNetworking + security, cloud-delivered
ZTNAComponentPer-app access based on identity + posture
03 — Where it fits

Five scenarios driving adoption

01
GenAI data governance

Employees use ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini daily. CASB + DLP inspect prompts inline, block sensitive data uploads, and enforce acceptable-use policies before they reach the model.

02
MPLS contract exit

MPLS renewals hitting 2026. SD-WAN + SSE replaces hub-and-spoke at 40–60% savings. Direct internet breakout for SaaS, encrypted overlay for private apps.

03
Cyber insurance compliance

Insurers now require ZTNA, MFA, and endpoint posture checks. SASE gives you all three from one platform with audit-ready logs for renewal evidence.

04
NIS2 / DORA regulatory deadlines

EU NIS2 and DORA mandate network segmentation, incident reporting, and supply-chain security. SASE centralizes policy, logging, and DLP across all traffic flows.

05
Post-breach Zero Trust mandate

After a breach, the board mandates Zero Trust. ZTNA eliminates lateral movement, SWG inspects all traffic, and DEM proves security isn’t degrading user experience.

04 — Architecture

Core components

Three SSE core pillars plus three extended capabilities. Click any to read the deep dive.

ZTNAZero Trust Network Access

Zero Trust Network Access brokers individual, authenticated connections between a user and a specific application, based on the user's verified identity and the device's real-time security posture. Unlike VPN, which grants network-level access to an entire subnet, ZTNA creates a one-to-one micro-tunnel from the user's endpoint to a single application endpoint.

Read deep dive →
SWGSecure Web Gateway

A Secure Web Gateway is a cloud-delivered web proxy that intercepts, decrypts, inspects, and re-encrypts all HTTP and HTTPS traffic between users and the internet. It replaces on-premises proxy appliances with globally distributed inspection points that apply URL categorization against databases of billions of classified URLs, real-time malware scanning using signature-based and behavioral engines, file sandboxing for zero-day threat detection, content filtering by category and risk level, and acceptable use policy enforcement.

Read deep dive →
CASBCloud Access Security Broker

A Cloud Access Security Broker is a security policy enforcement point positioned between enterprise users and cloud service providers. It provides visibility into cloud application usage, data protection for information stored in and transiting through SaaS applications, threat protection against cloud-based attack vectors like OAuth token abuse and account takeover, and compliance enforcement for regulatory requirements governing data residency, access control, and sharing.

Read deep dive →
FWaaSFirewall as a Service

Firewall as a Service is a cloud-delivered network security service that applies Layer 3 through Layer 7 inspection to all network traffic, not just web traffic. It performs stateful packet inspection, application identification, intrusion prevention and detection (IPS/IDS), DNS security, protocol enforcement, and network-level microsegmentation from globally distributed cloud Points of Presence.

Read deep dive →
DLPData Loss Prevention

Data Loss Prevention identifies sensitive data in transit across the network, at rest in cloud applications, and in use on endpoints, then enforces policies that prevent unauthorized disclosure, exfiltration, or mishandling of that data. DLP uses multiple detection techniques in combination: regular expression pattern matching identifies structured data like credit card numbers (PCI), Social Security numbers (PII), medical record numbers (PHI), and API keys.

Read deep dive →
DEMDigital Experience Monitoring

Digital Experience Monitoring provides end-to-end visibility into the performance of every network segment between a user's endpoint and the application they are accessing. It decomposes the path into discrete, measurable hops: endpoint to local network, local network to ISP, ISP to SASE PoP, SASE PoP to application, and application response time.

Read deep dive →
05 — Head to head

Vendor comparison

From deployment experience, not marketing decks.

05b — Quick reference

Which vendor for which scenario?

SSE-firstCisco
FortiGate infraFortinet
Fastest PoCCheck Point
Strongest SD-WANFortinet
Deepest securityPalo Alto
MSP multi-tenantCisco
AI / SaaS securityPalo Alto
GreenfieldPalo Alto or Cisco
06 — Playbook

Where to start

Deployment cheat sheet

Printable PDF — tasks, timelines, watch-outs per phase.

01DNS-layer securityBlock bad domains, baseline visibilityHours
02SWG web inspectionSSL decryption, URL policies, malwareWeeks
03VPN → ZTNAPer-app access, posture, pilot rollout1–3 mo
04CASB + DLPShadow IT discovery, data classification2–4 mo
05SD-WANMPLS audit, app-aware routing, failover3–6 mo
07 — FAQ

Frequently asked

Stay current
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