PodChats for FutureCIO: Drawing the most value from SASE

Coined in 2019 by Neil McDonald, Gartner defines single-vendor secure access service edge (SASE) offerings as those that deliver multiple converged-network and security-as-a-service capabilities, such as software-defined WAN, secure web gateway, cloud access security broker, network firewalling and zero trust network access.

In today's hybrid multi-cloud environment where touchpoints comprise of fixed and mobile, virtual and physical, what is the value proposition of SASE?

I had the good fortune of meeting Kunal Jha, Regional Director for Asia, Netskope and I took the opportunity to get clarity on the value proposition of SASE in a hybrid, multi-cloud environment.

What follows is the dialogue I had with Kunal during his visit to Hong Kong.

1.       What problems does SASE solve?

2.       When do I need a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)?

3.       Does SASE make VPNs obsolete?

4.       How has SASE evolved in the hybrid cloud and hybrid work environment?

5.       Are all SASE solutions created equal? What to look for?

6.       How does SASE enable business agility?

7.       Can you avoid vendor lock-in with SASE?

8.       Some say that delivered as a cloud is the single point of failure of SASE. Is this true?

9.       What does a successful SASE deployment look like?

10.   Where does SASE fit in an organisation that has decided to deploy zero trust?

11.   In this hybrid cloud environment, would a SD-WAN or CASB approach make better sense to securing the enterprise? 

12.   What is a cost-effective approach to integrating SASE into an existing network environment?

13.   What advice would you offer CIOs/CISOs as regards SASE?