I’ve been blogging about what should be the “big 3” topics at this week’s (virtual) RSA conference. I started with a blog about XDR followed by another about Zero Trust. My final blog of this series looks at what CISOs want to hear about SASE at RSA.
Why SASE? Because:
- Security at the network edge isn’t getting any easier. Sixty-four percent of organizations claim that network security at the edge is much more, or somewhat more difficult than it was just 2 years ago due to factors like an increasingly dangerous threat landscape, growing attack surface, and the need for more granular network security policies. Like other security areas, CISOs are moving toward replacing today’s army of security point tools with an integrated platform—in this case, SASE.
- The SD-WAN foundation is already in place. According to ESG research, one-third of organizations already use SD-WAN extensively while another 47% are using it selectively. Since SD-WAN acts as a SASE foundation, it is logical that CISOs are ready to build up from an evolving SD-WAN base.
- SASE supports the transition of security controls to the cloud. Driven by remote workers and an increasing use of IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, many organizations are migrating security controls to the cloud or deploying hybrid on-premises/cloud-based security technology architectures. ESG research indicates that while one-quarter of organizations report that at least 40% of their network edge security controls are cloud-delivered today, nearly half (48%) of organizations will have at least 40% of their network edge security controls cloud-delivered in 2 years’ time. SASE goes with this flow.
There’s little debate that the SASE train has not only left the proverbial station but it’s moving down the tracks and gaining speed. Therefore, security pros are ready to conduct a more in-depth SASE investigation. Based on lots of research and conversations, my unquestionably brilliant colleague, John Grady, and I believe CISOs want to hear SASE details at RSA like:
