By Chris Werpy

Chris Werpy

If you work with networking and connectivity, by now you’ve witnessed countless appeals from various providers to consider the benefits of software-defined wide area networks. There’s no question SD-WAN improves network management, and any organization attempting to connect a bunch of distributed sites should consider it.

But beware of too much of a good thing. Some SD-WAN solutions are better than others, and some providers are making claims about security that bear close scrutiny. A year or so ago, Gartner coined an acronym for a new approach to network security. The acronym is SASE, and it’s pronounced “sassy,” which I’ve taken plenty of shots at in the past, but actually stands for secure access service edge. Hey, I respect Gartner’s great work, but as acronyms go, this one is begging for derision.

Let’s put that aside for a moment. What exactly is SASE? Basically, it combines the capabilities of software-defined networks with network security practices such as zero trust, managed firewalls, Secure Web Gateways and cloud-based security. SASE recognizes securing the perimeter is pretty much a thing of the past. If you’re truly going to protect the network environment, you must take into account that it now consists of hybrid, multicloud infrastructures providing users access from anywhere, anytime.

Choose Wisely

The main point I want to make about SASE, though, is you must take any claims by SD-WAN providers that they have a full SASE solution with a handful of salt — a grain just won’t do it. You know what happens in this industry. As soon as someone introduces a new technology, or service model, everybody rushes to claim they have it. Some say they have had it all along and some truly have. Others have simply shifted the marketing to reflect the new buzz.

Claims don’t always reflect reality. So, nice guy that I am, I will share a few pointers so you can figure out if an offering is truly founded in SASE principles or not. It should include the following attributes:

So SASE is a good thing, no doubt. You just want to make sure the claims that providers make are supported by facts and can be implemented without excessive complexity. Don’t be fooled by pretenders.

As chief operating officer for PlanetOne, Chris Werpy takes ownership of the strategic direction, plan and performance of PlanetOne’s overall operations. He also contributes to the company’s competitive “work hard, play hard” culture, as well as the experience of PlanetOne’s rapidly expanding North America partner base and more than 250 providers. Werpy previously was part of the executive leadership team at Masergy Communications. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado, Leeds School of Business. You can follow him on LinkedIn or @PlanetOneComm or @Werpytowne on Twitter.