SASE considered optimal solution for network security in the hybrid work era

SASE is considered an optimal solution for network security in the hybrid work era

Fortinet, a global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security, unveiled the findings of a new Asia-Pacific SASE survey commissioned by Fortinet from the International Data Corporation (IDC) on June 7.

The report is based on a recent survey conducted by IDC across nine countries in Asia-Pacific and explores cybersecurity leaders’ perspectives on hybrid working, particularly how it has impacted their organisations over the last year and their strategies to mitigate the security challenges arising from its adoption.

The report highlights the rise of the Branch-Office-of-One. According to the survey, 70 per cent of respondents in Vietnam have a hybrid or fully remote working model, with 78 per cent of them having at least 20 per cent of their employees working in hybrid mode.

This shift to remote work has resulted in employees becoming branch offices of one, working from their homes or other locations outside the traditional office. This is expected to compound the complexity and risk of security breaches, placing additional strain on already overburdened IT security teams.

Through the survey, it shows that with cloud computing and remote work becoming more prevalent, an increasing number of users and devices and huge amounts of data are located outside of enterprise's networks.

Currently, 30 per cent of devices connecting to networks in Vietnam are unmanaged, raising the possibility of security breaches. Survey respondents in Vietnam expect this figure to rise, with 66 per cent predicting a 50 per cent increase by 2025.

In addition, with hybrid work increasing, employees require multiple connections to external systems and cloud applications to remain productive. Survey respondents indicated that their employees in Vietnam need more than 30 connections to third-party cloud applications, increasing the risk of security breaches.

Over the next two years, all respondents in Vietnam expect this number to double, while more than 44 per cent feel that this number will triple, further exacerbating the risk. Maintaining network security while ensuring employee connectivity to third-party and cloud-based services is a significant challenge as traditional security measures are inadequate.

Rashish Pandey, Vice president of marketing and communications for Asia and ANZ said, "As the world shifts to hybrid work, organisations face the challenge of securing a branch-office-of-one environment where employees and devices operate outside traditional office boundaries."

"The Survey underscores the urgency for organisations to adopt a comprehensive security strategy that addresses the complexity and risk posed by the growth of remote work. Single-vendor SASE, with its converged networking and security capabilities, is proving to be a game-changer for many organisations seeking a simplified and consistent security posture for users both on and off the network," added Pandey.

To tackle the challenges of hybrid work, many organisations across Vietnam plan to invest in a single-vendor SASE solution. The need for a comprehensive solution that offers consistent security for users on and off the network, while simplifying security policy management and enhancing the user experience for remote employees, is driving many organisations to explore SASE.

The report also shows the preference for a single vendor. As organisations adopt SASE to manage networking and security services, they are seeking a converged platform to streamline their operations. According to the survey, 70 per cent of respondents across Vietnam prefer a single vendor for networking and security capabilities, with 70 per cent consolidating their IT security vendors.

Around half of the respondents prefer a single vendor for cloud-delivered security services and software-defined wide area networks, citing various benefits such as reduced security gaps, improved network performance, ease of deployment, and the ability to more easily address integration and scalability challenges.

Nguyen Gia Duc, country manager at Fortinet Vietnam said, "As Vietnam continues to embrace the digital future and becomes a leader in the digital economy, it is essential that we acknowledge the increasing frequency and sophistication of cyber-attacks and data breaches. The shortage of skilled talent in the cybersecurity industry only makes this issue more challenging."

"At Fortinet, we are committed to bridging the skills gap and providing the necessary cybersecurity knowledge and awareness to all employees in an organisation. With our single-vendor SASE solution, we aim to simplify security policy management and enhance the user experience for remote employees, helping Vietnam's businesses to address the security challenges of the changing workforce," Duc concluded.

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