Importance and Need for Certification in SASE Adoption

  • By
  • May 28, 2024

In today’s dynamic landscape, the evolution of the digital economy serves as a compelling catalyst for organizations to revamp their networks, facilitate remote work, enhance cloud connectivity, reinforce cybersecurity, and maximize productivity. In particular, the shift to cloud computing and remote work has increased the need for secure access for any user from any device and any cloud to network resources. As a result, security and risk management leaders are adopting secure access service edge (SASE), which converges networking and security into a unified, cloud native platform that streamlines connectivity and access control across distributed environments.

The SASE market currently is one of the most promising in the communications industry. A recent Gartner report illustrates this point. In its 2024 CIO and Technology Executive Survey, Gartner found that 39% of the participating enterprise professionals said their organization had deployed or plans to deploy SASE within 24 months.

As enterprises embrace the adoption of SASE more widely to integrate networking and security, they need the confidence that the underlying components meet the highest industry standards for enterprise-grade performance, protection, and security. By requiring certified SASE solutions, enterprises gain the assurance that their SASE implementations will deliver expected capabilities.

How to Get SASE Certified?
As a global association of network, cloud, security, and technology providers powering the digital economy, MEF offers the industry’s first SASE certification program which validates reliable and consistent outcomes of SASE products and services, bolstering market confidence in cybersecurity solutions. MEF’s comprehensive SASE certification evaluates solutions against strict methodologies and test programs and includes software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN), security services edge (SSE) and zero-trust certifications. It also ensures compliance with MEF’s SD-WAN, SASE and Zero Trust Framework standards.

SASE certification improves interoperability between vendors, reduces integration friction, and promotes reliability of a SASE architecture. Based upon CyberRatings’ methodologies and test programs, MEF issues a rating on product and service effectiveness, performance, functionality and management of SD-WAN, SSE threat protection, and Zero Trust. The rigorous testing verifies security effectiveness and reduces risks while validating that the SASE services and solutions work as expected. This third-party validation tests the SASE offering of service or technology providers and gives a report card and rating. The MEF certification registry will list the report card with attributes and additional details including vendor name, hardware model, software version, data tested and scorecard categories. MEF’s SASE certification accommodates both single-vendor and multivendor SASE providers by breaking the certification up into standalone certificates for SD-WAN, SSE and Zero Trust.

With SASE certification, enterprises will be able to select the best SASE technologies or managed services with the lates features and functionalities. Whether a single SASE solution or a disaggregated SASE solution, they are getting the best of breed security functions for their organization. Certification provides confidence that solutions and services meet industry standards and are continuously validated with an evolving test methodology that keeps up to date with the latest security threats. Certified SASE solutions will help adopters reduce the probability of productivity and other losses due to cyber threats, comply with regulatory mandates, and protect corporate reputations. As SASE adoption continues to grow, it is important for enterprises to choose certified SASE services and solutions.

Featured

  • Evolving Cybersecurity Strategies: Uniting Human Risk Management and Security Awareness Training

    Organizations are increasingly turning their attention to human-focused security approaches, as two out of three (68%) cybersecurity incidents involve people. Threat actors are shifting from targeting networks and systems to hacking humans via social engineering methods, living off human errors as their most prevalent attack vector. Whether manipulated or not, human cyber behavior is leveraged to gain backdoor access into systems. This mainly results from a lack of employee training and awareness about evolving attack techniques employed by malign actors. Read Now

  • Report: 1 in 3 Easily Exploitable Vulnerabilities Found on Cloud Assets

    CyCognito recently released new research highlighting critical security vulnerabilities across cloud-hosted assets, revealing that one in three easily exploitable vulnerabilities or misconfigurations are found on cloud assets. As organizations increasingly shift to multi-cloud strategies, the findings underscore significant security gaps that could provide attackers with potential footholds into networks. Read Now

  • Built for Today, Ready for Tomorrow

    Selecting the right VMS is critical for any organization that depends on video surveillance to ensure safety, security and operational efficiency. While many organizations focus on immediate needs such as budget and deployment size, let us review some of the long-term considerations that can significantly impact a VMS's utility and flexibility. Read Now

  • Paving the Way to Smart Buildings

    In today's rapidly evolving security landscape, the convergence of on-prem, edge and cloud technologies are critical. The physical security landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the rapid digitalization of buildings and the evolving needs of modern organizations. As the buildings sector pivots towards smart, AI and data-driven operations, the integration of both edge and cloud technology has become crucial. Read Now

  • The Cybersecurity Time Bomb

    If you work in physical security, you have probably seen it: a camera, access control system, or intrusion detection device installed years ago, humming along without a single update. It is a common scenario that security professionals have come to accept as "normal." But here is the reality: this mindset is actively putting organizations at risk. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.