About Us

Importance of SASE in 2022!

SASE also called secure access service edge is a cloud-based system that combines networking and cloud security features. It connects people, systems, and endpoints to applications and services worldwide in a safe manner. These are available as a cloud service and can be managed centrally to meet the demands of today’s dynamic operations.

SASE is unconcerned about where applications live:

Applications can be hosted on-premises, in the cloud (private or public), or as a SaaS offering. Centralized network access and authentication are not ideal for this wide distribution of applications. SASE’s distributed architecture makes it simple to conduct security functions close to the end-user while also simplifying application communication.

Centralized, dynamic, role-based policies streamline operations:

Regardless of their location, central control of security policies facilitates remote workers’ networking and security aspects. In essence, the network perimeter is the endpoint’s location, even if it is on a network that is not under the authority of the organization’s personnel. Security is implemented dynamically, with policies dependent on the connecting entity’s role.

Reduces Costs and Complexity:

A single software stack replaces appliance sprawl, lowering CAPEX and OPEX expenditures. Removing backhauled traffic flows lowers transport costs, improves data center aggregation, minimizes client-to-cloud latency, and streamlines communication network operations. By safeguarding DIA, SASE lowers the cost of private circuits and allows for more cost-effective transportation options. SASE enforces policies consistently, reducing IT complexity and pressure on IT workers. SASE’s SaaS model enables rapid expansion and technological advancements at a lower cost. SASE provides simple models to purchase, manage, and run, including per-user pricing. SASE provides client security on all devices and operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and BYOD.

Threat Prevention and Reducing Risk:

The SASE architecture allows application and resource masking, segmentation, and isolation with dispersed control and data planes. The SASE architecture provides comprehensive security at numerous points along the access chain. SASE supports inline encryption and decryption. It also includes risk profiling and evaluation depending on the user, device, and location (UEBA). The SASE fabric has security built-in, guaranteeing that all connections are verified and secured.

Increased and Optimized Performance:

SASE enhances performance and reduces latency by safeguarding DIA, resulting in a better user experience. Applying security measures in a single-pass parallel processing technique reduces latency and enhances application and network performance. By removing backhaul traffic flows, client-to-cloud latency is reduced. SASE’s cloud-native design is scalable flexibly to support WFA and rapid deployment. During peak demand periods, the distributed SASE architecture grows readily to meet traffic fluctuations and reduces delays to the user experience.

Reduced WAN costs:

The route component of SASE works similarly to SD-WAN. You should anticipate reducing or eliminating the requirement for more expensive MPLS and leased circuits in favor of VPN access over the public internet, lowering WAN expenditures. To make the WAN more efficient, WAN optimization technologies can be used. By utilizing cloud connectivity to large SaaS vendors, cloud-based SASE implementations may further optimize traffic flows. Typically, these connections are redundant and extremely dependable. Application availability may improve.

Read More: SASE in 2022!

Current status of SD-WAN and SASE planning

Aryaka, the Cloud-First WAN and Security company, released a report that provided insights into global SD-WAN and SASE planning. The survey was completed by 1,600 information technology (IT) enterprise decision-makers worldwide.

Businesses all over the world are dealing with a rapid pace of change and unpredictability which has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Enterprise leaders are shifting to cloud-first models to meet the needs of a workforce that is not confined to the traditional office. To keep employees productive and able to collaborate in Hybrid workplace environments, the right connectivity and security technologies are required. The status quo of legacy telco-managed technologies and complex do-it-yourself solutions are being challenged.

The chief analyst of Futuriom, Scott Raynovich says, “This year’s Aryaka State of the WAN includes many valuable insights backing up trends we see in the industry. These include the effects of hybrid work, with 75% projecting a quarter of their employees to remain at least part-time remote, and cloud connectivity demands skyrocketing with 51% planning to move away from traditional data centers over the next two years. Both initiatives will require more sophisticated network-as-a-service (NaaS) solutions with integrated security offerings.”

Palo Alto Network CASB Helps Organizations Enable Safe Adoption Of Saas

The Next-Generation CASB (Cloud Access Security Broker) from Palo Alto Networks raises the bar in SaaS security to support today’s hybrid work solutions.

Security teams are striving to keep firm’s network secure as cloud apps, particularly modern collaboration technologies, fuel a fast expanding hybrid workforce. Many of today’s go-to technologies lack effective protections since legacy SaaS security solutions emphasize on compliance rather than security and were created when the universe of apps was considerably smaller and more predictable.

The Next-Generation CASB from Palo Alto Networks enables enterprises to safely deploy SaaS by automatically securing new apps, properly protecting critical data in real time, and blocking known and unknown attacks with best-in-class threat detection and prevention.

“SaaS applications have become far too important and popular for a superficial approach to security. In addition, while collaboration apps are now the lifeblood of hybrid and remote workforces’ productivity, traditional SaaS security has not focused on these apps or kept up with this change. Palo Alto Networks new Next-Generation CASB solves this using the latest technologies such as machine learning and natural language processing to find new apps and watch for potential security issues — giving organizations a modern, spectacular CASB designed for today’s SaaS environment,” said Anand Oswal, senior vice president of Network Security for Palo Alto Networks.

The Next-Generation CASB has been completely integrated with Prisma SASE, the industry’s most comprehensive SASE solution, as well as all form factors of Palo Alto Networks’ leading Next-Generation Firewalls, to deliver the following benefits:

Thousands of SaaS apps are automatically detected and secured, including the sector’s large number of unsanctioned, tolerated, and sanctioned apps, such as collaboration apps.

Protect sensitive data properly and in real time with the industry’s most comprehensive cloud-delivered business DLP, which now includes machine learning (ML), superior optical character recognition (OCR), and natural language processing (NLP).

Stop known, unknown, and zero-day threats with the industry’s most comprehensive cloud-based security technology, built on 15 years of malware analysis and prevention innovation.

“Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation CASB represents an updated approach to cloud access security brokers (CASB), designed to align with changing enterprise needs. “Through integrations with Palo Alto Networks Prisma SASE and Next-Generation Firewalls, Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation CASB provides a simpler and more cost- effective approach to CASB, while maintaining the broad application visibility and accurate threat and content inspection organizations require to secure the usage of cloud applications,” said ESG Senior Analyst John Grady.

AI Phishing Defense Firm SlashNext Raised $26 Million Series B Funding

SlashNext, the SaaS leader in spear-phishing and human hacking defence stated it has raised $26 million in venture capital funding Series B. The round brings total SlashNext funding to $ 43 million, thanks to new investors Tom and Matt Gallo, Telia Group and the Ayala Group ACTIVE fund, as well as early investor participation by Norwest, Wing and Alter Ventures. 

Majority of cyber breaches are successful like ransomware and theft of data. SlashNext’s patented AI cloud and device protection extends over and across popular communication and collaboration applications to stop spear phishing, the social engineering industry and other targeted human threats. SlashNext protects companies from the malignant user threats from legitimate, trustful sites that easily escape current SEG, proxy, SASE and endpoint security tools, with its pinnacle accuracy and 48 hour detection time.

“When cybercriminals launch successful multi-channel phishing and social engineering attacks, the results are massively disruptive to people, organizations, and the economy. This is the number one cyber challenge that organizations face globally, and bad actors are only increasing their attacks in Linkedin, MS Teams, Messenger and Slack and becoming more sophisticated at taking advantage of the most vulnerable part of organizations – its people. This is why we saw considerable growth this past year with over 600% increase in customers and a 750% growth in ARR since the introduction of our multi-channel AI defense service,” said Patrick Harr, SlashNext CEO.”

SlashNext will scale-up its domestic and international acquisition and operations with new investments. Besides driving important distribution partnerships with MSSP, embedded OEMs and carriers, including their new strategic investors Telia Telecom and APAC Globe Telecom, representing over 40 million mobile subscribers in Europe. SlahNext will further lead the AI cloud and multi-channel, multi-language device detection of any type of phishing targeting — SMiShing, Vishing, BEC, fraudulent banking, scams, scam browsers, credential stealing, ransomware, social engineering or other malicious digital user attack from legally hosedt or trusted supply chain vendors.

SlashNext has the potential to prevent billions of dollars in damages to organizations by combatting the rise of spear phishing and other targeted attacks,” said Promod Haque, Senior Managing Partner at Norwest. “This funding will enable SlashNext to expand its footprint globally, making it the clear choice for organizations looking for protection against malicious digital attacks that current SEG, proxy, and endpoints solutions cannot defend.”

“The many recent headlines about ransomware attacks continue to confirm that no industry is immune to cybercriminal spear phishing attacks and the results of a successful attack are incredibly disruptive to operations. We consider these threats daily in all our operations – from transportation to production to growth. Our strategic investment in SlashNext strengthens our defenses, and we are excited to partner with them to grow and innovate to stop this multi-billion-dollar cybersecurity problem,” said Thomas Gallo.

“Unlike in the past, where cybersecurity breaches mainly focused on email through business devices, attacks now occur on different applications installed on endpoint devices like mobile phones and tablets, which can be personal and less protected. The ACTIVE Fund investment in SlashNext recognizes the evolving nature of communication for work and life – data-driven and digital, collaborative, and accessible anywhere any time and on any device. SlashNext’s superior technology will fortify enterprises’ defenses, allowing them to operate with speed, scale, and security, protecting both their customers and their shareholders. We’re keen to support SlashNext’s mission to stop this global problem,” said Minette Navarrete, President of Kickstart Ventures.

CyberRatings Introduces First-of-its-Kind Cloud Test on Firewall as a Service and Zero Trust Network Access

CyberRatings.org, a non-profit firm dedicated to making cybersecurity product efficacy transparent, has released its first Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) rating. Zscaler’s Firewall as a Service (FWaaS), including its Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) capabilities, were tested independently by CyberRatings utilising Zscaler Internet Access and Zscaler Private Access. Overall, Zscaler received a ‘AA’ rating, with individual test components receiving ‘AA’ to ‘AAA’ ratings.

SASE technology is a relatively new addition to the market. It’s a new technology package that’s supplied as a service:

  • Data security (Cloud Access Security Broker and Data Loss Prevention)
  • Access control (FWaaS and ZTNA)
  • Threat protection (Secure Web Gateway, anti-malware, and intrusion prevention)

“The pandemic accelerated adoption of new technologies such as SASE that securely enable a distributed workforce. This first-of-its-kind test provides the cybersecurity industry with a reliable and independent way to evaluate SASE offerings,” said Vikram Phatak, CEO of CyberRatings.org. 

Because these technologies are so new, CyberRatings spent several months developing the apparatus to test FWaaS and ZTNA alongside Keysight’s network and cloud product teams. Keysight offered CyPerf to test application stability, performance, reliability and TLS / SSL functionality.

“The distributed nature of hybrid/cloud networks calls for a new way of testing. Keysight developed its industry-first cloud-native CyPerf test solution to help users validate services like SASE, software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN), and cloud network firewall. We are excited to partner with CyberRatings in this first independent test of SASE technology,” said Ram Periakaruppan vice president and general manager, Keysight’s Network Test and Security Solutions.

CyberRatings has a three-phase approach for assessing SASE solutions, with the first phase focusing on FWaaS and ZTNA. The discovery and handling of exploits, malware, and evasions will be tested in phase two. The cloud access security broker (CASB) and data leak protection will be addressed in the third phase (DLP).