SASE, or the secure access service edge, is a term coined by analysts at Gartner in 2019 representing a framework that describes the necessary branch WAN edge network functions combined with cloud-delivered security services and all managed in the cloud. The proper integration of these network and security functions is now commonly referred to as SASE.
Security leaders should view SASE favorably for its capabilities to better support Software as a Service (SaaS), cloud computing and colocation-based, or identity-centric computing. SASE enables security functionality to embed into a global network fabric and have it scale for users who may be anywhere. Instead of a complex and endless line of software agents on each endpoint, the SASE approach offers a new dimension to identity-based protection and policy enforcement throughout enterprises.