The SASE Market: Key Opportunities and Trends

What Is SASE?

SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) is a framework that combines security and networking technologies to provide secure access to applications and resources. It is designed to provide secure, reliable, and flexible connectivity for users and devices that need to access applications and resources over the internet or other networks.

SASE is based on the idea of providing a secure "edge" to the network that can authenticate and authorize users and devices before allowing access to applications and resources. This edge can be deployed in various locations, including on-premises, in the cloud, or at the network edge.

SASE provides a number of benefits over traditional networking and security approaches, including:

• Simplified management: SASE combines networking and security into a single framework, which simplifies management and reduces the complexity of deploying and maintaining these technologies.

• Improved security: SASE provides a secure edge to the network that can authenticate and authorize users and devices, reducing the risk of unauthorized access to applications and resources.

• Flexibility: SASE can be deployed in various locations, including on-premises, in the cloud, or at the network edge, which provides flexibility in how and where it can be used.

• Better performance: SASE can optimize network performance and reduce latency by routing traffic through the optimal path and by providing security features that are closer to the user.

SASE Market Direction

The SASE market is expected to experience significant growth in the coming years. The SASE market is expected to reach $4.1 billion by 2026, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.4%. 

The increasing adoption of cloud-based applications and services, along with the growing trend towards remote work, has driven the need for more flexible and scalable security solutions, such as SASE. As a result, many organizations are investing in SASE to secure their networks and protect against threats such as cyber attacks and data breaches.

The market for SASE is also evolving to meet the changing needs of organizations. For example, SASE providers are increasingly offering more advanced security capabilities, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to help organizations better detect and respond to threats. Additionally, SASE providers are focusing on providing more seamless integration with other security solutions and tools, such as security information and event management (SIEM) systems.

SASE Growth Statistics

SASE emerged in 2019 to define a new market, with exploding customer and industry interest since then. The main reason for the enthusiastic embrace of SASE is that many vendors fail to meet customer needs. Inquiries about SASE have almost doubled from one year to the next, and end-users will likely continue to show interest in SASE and related products in 2023.

By 2022, the Gartner CIO and Technology Executive Survey found SASE to be the third most popular technology for investment, with projects planned in a 12-month period, after artificial intelligence and distributed cloud computing. 

According to another Gartner survey, customers are increasingly looking to consolidate their security vendors, and 90% of them expect to implement vendor consolidation by the start of 2023. More than a third of survey respondents indicated that they planned to implement SASE before the end of 2022, with three-quarters of respondents saying they would have implemented SASE by 2024.

These trends indicate that the SASE market will continue to grow significantly in the coming years. This growth will likely reach an annual growth rate of over 30%, approaching $15 billion in 2025.

SASE Market Trends and Opportunities

SASE Evolution Can Help Integrate Security and Network Teams

Traditionally, network and security teams have operated in silos, with different tools and technologies for each function. This can lead to inefficiencies and difficulties in coordinating between the two teams. SASE can help pull security and network teams out of silos by providing a single platform that combines various security functions such as VPN, firewall, and zero trust security into a single service. This allows the teams to use a single set of tools and technologies, which can improve communication and coordination between them.

Integrating these functions can help improve the overall security posture of an organization. By having a single, integrated platform for both security and networking functions, organizations can more easily identify and address potential security risks and vulnerabilities. It can also help to streamline the process of deploying and managing security measures, which can reduce the overall cost of security for an organization. 

Digital Security Leaders Increasingly Rely on ZTNA

Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) is a top need for digital leaders because it helps to address the security challenges posed by the proliferation of remote work and the increasing complexity of modern networks. In a traditional network security model, employees are typically trusted to access corporate resources once they have authenticated onto the network. However, this model is no longer sufficient in today's environment, where employees may be accessing corporate resources from a variety of locations and devices.

ZTNA is a security model that assumes that all users, devices, and networks are untrusted by default. It requires users to authenticate and authorize every request for access to corporate resources, regardless of whether they are on the corporate network or not. This helps to reduce the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches.

SASE architecture is well-suited to ZTNA because it combines various security functions such as VPN, firewall, and zero trust security into a single service. This allows organizations to more easily implement ZTNA by providing a single platform for secure remote access to corporate resources. Additionally, because SASE is a cloud-based service, it can be easily deployed and managed remotely, which is particularly useful in the current environment where many employees are working remotely.

Integrating SASE with Existing Capabilities 

Businesses may want to preserve existing capabilities when adopting SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) because they may have invested heavily in their current security and networking infrastructure, and may not want to completely replace it. Additionally, they may have processes and procedures in place that rely on their existing capabilities, and may not want to disrupt them.

Preserving existing capabilities can be a challenge when adopting SASE because it is a new and emerging technology, and may not be fully compatible with all existing security and networking systems. It may require some level of customization to ensure that it works seamlessly with existing systems.

There are a few ways that businesses can address the challenge of preserving existing capabilities when adopting SASE:

• Work with a SASE vendor that offers integration and customization services: Some SASE vendors offer integration and customization services to help businesses integrate SASE with their existing systems.

• Use a hybrid approach: Businesses can use a hybrid approach by using SASE for some functions, while still retaining their existing systems for others.

• Implement a phased approach: Businesses can implement SASE in stages, gradually transitioning from their existing systems to SASE. This can help to minimize disruption and allow the organization to continue using its existing capabilities while it becomes comfortable with SASE.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the SASE market is expected to experience significant growth in the coming years, driven by the increasing adoption of cloud-based applications and services, the growing trend towards remote work, and the need for more flexible and scalable security solutions. 

Key trends in the SASE market include the integration of network and security functions into a single, cloud-based service, the adoption of ZTNA to secure access to resources from any location and device, and the trend towards preserving existing security capabilities when adopting SASE. As organizations continue to face new and evolving security challenges, the adoption of SASE is likely to increase, driving further growth in the market.