How SASE addresses challenges with hybrid work

The ability to work remotely is a vital part of the modern workforce. Yet, the cyber security challenges that come with it can be difficult to manage. Enterprises need to embrace modern network architectures and solutions that place security and accessibility.

Secure access service edge (SASE) is a solution that helps organisations embrace remote work while continuing to protect their networks and data from various cyber threats. To understand how SASE works, we first need to understand what makes hybrid work so challenging for IT teams and businesses as a whole.

SASE addresses particular challenges by offering a secure way of working remotely without compromising your company’s security posture. As more enterprises embrace remote work, IT teams are met with the challenge of enabling a secure hybrid work environment for employees. SASE is an approach to implementing network security that can help companies embrace remote work going forward.

What is SASE and how does it address the challenges of hybrid work?

SASE is a network architecture that places security and accessibility at its core. It’s a cloud-based model that ensures all business applications are available to employees, no matter where they’re working from. Since SASE uses a single, integrated platform to secure both on-premises and cloud applications, it addresses key challenges with hybrid work:

• It allows IT teams to focus on securing applications instead of securing networks and data centres.
• It simplifies management by centralising all infrastructure components in one location (the cloud).
• It provides visibility into all components of the hybrid environment, from on-premises applications to cloud services.

These key features make SASE a well-suited network solution for large businesses or companies with remote workers. In the modern era of hybrid work, employees need to have reliable access to various programmes and business software in order to collaborate and communicate effectively.

Why is effective network security key for enabling hybrid work?

Many enterprises have adopted hybrid work models to enable employees to work from anywhere, at any time. While this approach has many benefits, it also presents some specific challenges for cyber security professionals and IT departments. The following are two of the most common challenges:

1. More employees working remotely - Employees working from home still need to have access to corporate resources, like email and files. If they can't trust that these resources are secure while they're accessing them on their own devices, they may not be as productive or even decide not to take advantage of the opportunity at all.
2. More devices that access corporate resources - To be effective with hybrid work models, IT departments must make sure that users can access all necessary applications and data wherever they are, without having too many security requirements imposed on them. For example, having additional layers of authentication when using mobile apps or software-as-a-service (SaaS) products from other companies outside your company.

This is not to say that cyber security needs to be toned down. Rather, employees’ devices need to be able to access the cloud servers and network in a secure and efficient manner. If security protocols impede performance and productivity, then they probably need to be addressed.

How to improve the security of your data in a hybrid work environment

A company can improve its data security by implementing the following processes. Firstly, they need to identify and classify sensitive data. This process involves identifying data that could potentially be used to breach an organisation's security or compromise its operations, then classifying it accordingly.

Next, IT teams need to define a security control framework for hybrid environments. This framework should clearly outline what is needed for securing the information at rest, in transit and in use. It should also include guidelines for implementing these controls across all business units, including IT teams along with other key stakeholders, such as legal and compliance teams.

This will help ensure that everyone involved understands how they are expected to handle data within their departments, so they can take the necessary measures when interacting with external parties, like vendors who may not have access to all secure channels.

Businesses should also implement SASE security and other measures, such as encryption and anti-malware, to secure their data. These security tools need to have centralised management capabilities and be included across multiple devices in the hybrid environment.

Lastly, it’s important to create awareness of the risks associated with using non-secure channels, like email attachments without encryption, in order to educate employees on the potential consequences of any breaches. This user awareness training needs to be implemented across the company and at every level of the hierarchy.

SASE network security can help enterprises embrace remote work

SASE can help businesses embrace remote work going forward. South African enterprises should consider SASE security to protect their data and infrastructure from cyber-attacks, which will become increasingly sophisticated in the future.

This is just one of the many ways that IT teams can address the growing challenge of hybrid work. SASE is a powerful tool that enables organisations to reap the benefits of remote work without compromising their security. For more information about our network and security services or to get a quote, email us at marketing@seacom.com or leave us a message.

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