Savvy business leaders know that network and security go hand-in-hand. Protecting modern businesses from cyberthreats has become more challenging than ever, as the frequency and sophistication of the attacks continue to grow. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, the projected damage from cybercrime will hit $10.5 trillion annually by 2025.
Networks today are becoming more sophisticated and harder to manage, with many of today’s businesses moving to hybrid setups with both cloud and on-premises architecture. This environment requires the next generation of network security technologies and approaches, like Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), which unifies connectivity performance and security in one cloud-native solution.
But what is network security’s role in today’s business landscape? In this article, we’ll explore some specific benefits of network security and discuss how frameworks like SASE help organizations adapt, protect, and grow.
What is SASE?
In simple terms, SASE is a modern approach to network security that converges networking and security services into a unified, cloud-delivered platform. It’s designed to enhance and protect networks, their resources, and the people who use them from unauthorized access, cyberattacks, and data breaches, no matter where they connect.
To achieve this, a combination of technologies, policies, and procedures is employed to ensure the protection and integrity of the network. SASE integrates tools like Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Secure Web Gateway (SWG), Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), SDWAN for quality performance, and Firewall as a Service (FWaaS) to enable secure access across distributed environments.
The digital landscape is rife with cyberthreats like viruses, malware, ransomware, and phishing attacks. These can compromise sensitive data and valuable information, disrupt services, put people at risk, and can also lead to costly lawsuits and long-term reputational damage for organizations. As the digital world continues to advance and evolve, SASE, security, and comprehensive network protection are becoming more critical than ever.
6 Key Benefits of SASE for Network Security
Network security is a critical focus for all organizations. But what is SASE and network security’s main advantage to help organizations in the modern business landscape? While there are many benefits of network security here are six key advantages to consider when evaluating how SASE can help your business.
1. Ensures End-to-End Security
Modern networks span on-premises systems, cloud environments, remote workers, and mobile devices. Each endpoint creates a potential vulnerability that cybercriminals can exploit to breach the network. Secure Access Service Edge addresses this complexity by delivering a single unified cloud native solution that integrates networking and security services across all environments.
By moving away from fragmented hardware-based security tools and toward a flexible and scalable cloud architecture, SASE provides consistent policy-driven protection for users and data, whether they’re in the office or halfway around the world. With dynamic traffic routing and identity-based access controls, SASE ensures your organization benefits from true end-to-end security without the bottlenecks or blind spots of traditional setups.
2. Protects Customer Data
According to an IBM report, the average cost of a data breach in 2024 was a whopping $4.88 million — and this figure is only expected to rise in the coming years. That’s why network security is critical in protecting user data.
Today’s expanding mobile and hybrid workforces require organizations to extend security to edge devices and cloud environments without sacrificing visibility or control. SASE enables this by embedding tools like CASB, SWG, and ZTNA directly into its cloud native architecture.
Firewall-as-a-service also plays a key role in this model, making it harder for hackers and cyberthieves to access and exploit sensitive information for malicious intent. These technologies allow IT teams to monitor data flow, apply consistent security policies, and protect customer information across any device or location.
3. Builds Trust
Network security plays a pivotal role in fostering trust between businesses and consumers. By implementing robust security measures, organizations demonstrate their commitment to safeguarding sensitive data and maintaining the privacy of their customers. The visible presence of security protocols such as encryption and regular security updates communicates a proactive approach to risk mitigation, reassuring consumers that their online experiences are secure and reliable.
With Secure Access Service Edge solutions, businesses can deliver consistent protection and visibility across users, devices, and applications. Integrated features such as zero trust network access and secure web gateway provide a more adaptive approach to threat prevention, supporting compliance and confidence at every level.
As news of data breaches and cyberattacks becomes increasingly prevalent, businesses that prioritize network security not only protect themselves from potential liabilities but also establish a foundation of trust that is essential for long-term customer relationships and brand credibility.
4. Improves Customer Experiences
By establishing a secure environment, businesses provide customers with better overall experiences. Robust security measures contribute to the prevention of downtime and disruptions caused by cyber incidents, ensuring that customers can access services and information whenever they need to.
A major part of delivering this reliability is SD-WAN, a foundational element of the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) model. SD-WAN intelligently routes traffic based on real-time conditions, reducing latency and improving application performance across locations. This translates into faster load times, more responsive digital platforms, and smoother customer service delivery.
Understanding the SASE definition means recognizing how it brings together SD-WAN, security, and cloud capabilities to support seamless connectivity and peace of mind. Among the many SASE benefits is the ability to optimize performance without sacrificing protection. That’s a significant win for both the business and its customers.
5. Improves Network Performance
By implementing effective network security measures, organizations can mitigate the risks of unauthorized access, data breaches, and malicious activities. This reduction in security threats leads to fewer network disruptions and downtime, allowing network resources to be fully utilized.
Within the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) model, SD-WAN dynamically manages traffic routing to prioritize performance and reduce latency. This ensures a seamless data flow, especially across hybrid environments with cloud-based and on-premises systems.
Optimized security measures also prevent bandwidth bottlenecks caused by malware or denial of service attacks, ensuring a consistent user experience. Denial of service attacks overload the network with traffic and make it unresponsive. DDoS Protection can prevent these breaches from happening and maintain a healthy network performance.
Furthermore, network security services can segment traffic based on metrics like priority and secure access. This prevents unnecessary traffic from flowing in, minimizing congestion and improving data flow.
6. Provides Cost-Savings
Preventing costly breaches and hacks is the primary purpose of network security and management. When companies implement SASE, meaning they take measures to mitigate risks and prevent breaches, they can prevent devastating financial catastrophes. A well-protected network prevents the loss of sensitive information, intellectual property, and customer data, avoiding potential legal penalties, regulatory fines, and damage to brand reputation.
By combining networking functions with built-in security capabilities, SASE eliminates the need for separate appliances and software licenses across your infrastructure. This simplification reduces both capital expenditures and the operational burden on IT teams. Instead of managing multiple vendors and tools, organizations can rely on a unified platform that streamlines provisioning, policy enforcement, and threat detection. The flexible and scalable nature of SASE’s cloud-native platform allows organizations to seamlessly grow their network as their business expands.
SASE minimizes downtime caused by security incidents, ensuring uninterrupted operations and preventing revenue losses associated with service disruptions. Additionally, many administrative tasks are automated, freeing IT teams to focus on high-priority initiatives like threat response and strategic planning while maximizing the value of your network investment.
Network Security Types
SSE
Security Service Edge (SSE) is the security-focused component of the broader SASE framework. While SASE includes both networking and security capabilities, SSE concentrates specifically on delivering cloud-based security functions such as secure web gateway, firewall as a service, zero trust network access, and cloud access security broker without relying on traditional hardware.
As organizations grow more distributed and adopt hybrid and remote work models, SSE helps enforce consistent access policies and threat protection across users, devices, and locations. It enables companies to move away from legacy systems and toward a more agile and scalable architecture built for the cloud.
MetTel’s network security services include integrated security service edge capabilities to ensure data protection and access security wherever work happens, all through a single cloud native platform.
ZTNA
Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) is a network security protocol based on the “never trust, always verify” approach. That means ZTNA assumes that no one, whether inside or outside the network, should be trusted by default. Thus, they must be continuously verified before accessing specific resources. Unlike traditional VPN, which authenticates users only at sign-in and then provides broad access to the network, ZTNA enforces continuous authentication and restricts lateral movement, significantly reducing the risks posed by unauthorized access by hackers.
ZTNA is a great option for networks that involve third-party access. This allows vendors or partners to access only the resources they’re authorized to without compromising more sensitive sectors of the network.
Firewall as a Service
Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS) provides the functionality of a firewall without being constrained by physical hardware or on-premises systems. FWaaS allows organizations to implement and manage firewall policies in the cloud.
FWaaS is especially crucial for organizations with wide-area networks (WAN) that are predominantly cloud-based because traditional firewalls only work with a defined perimeter.
DDoS Protection
DDoS Protection is a security measure designed to defend against Dedicated Denial of Service attacks. It identifies abnormal traffic patterns from legitimate ones and then tries to redirect that traffic away from the network.
DDoS Protection is crucial for any large network. However, it’s especially vital for mission-critical businesses (such as financial institutions, governments, and hospitals) that need to service large groups of people without interruption. It’s also key protection for high-profile websites that attract hackers’ attention.
SASE from MetTel
MetTel provides a comprehensive suite of managed network services that does all the heavy lifting for you. From SASE to DDoS protection and ZTNA security, our powerful network security solutions ensure you’re always one step ahead.
When you partner with MetTel, you’re backed by a trusted name that exceeds industry standards. In fact, we’ve been named a 5X Leader in Gartner’s 2024 Magic Quadrant for Managed Network Services.
Want to learn more about how MetTel network security services can help protect your organization? Contact us today to learn more!