Computer Networking

Identification-centric SASE with Cisco SD-WAN and Microsoft’s Safety Service Edge Answer

19 November 2024

In at the moment’s quickly evolving IT panorama, enterprise WAN necessities have advanced with hybrid work changing into the norm. Safety for each on-premises and cloud workloads is essential, particularly for safe entry to the web, Microsoft functions, and different vital workplace functions. Organizations want a versatile answer that protects in opposition to superior threats, optimizes software efficiency, and simplifies community administration.

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN affords unparalleled selection, assembly clients the place they’re of their safety journey and supporting an open ecosystem. Catalyst SD-WAN permits clients to construct safe entry service edge (SASE) architectures tailor-made to their enterprise wants by seamlessly integrating with a broad spectrum of third-party safe service edge (SSE) distributors and, now, Microsoft.These integrations assist organizations maximize their funding in cloud safety by simplifying the combination course of with Catalyst SD-WAN.

Bridging the Hole Between Networking and Safety

With Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN and Microsoft, companies can take pleasure in a extra unified and constant expertise for networking and safety, all managed by means of a single dashboard.

The brand new integration with Microsoft’s Safety Service Edge answer (SSE) bridges the hole between connectivity and safety, making certain that information transmitted throughout the community is just not solely optimized for efficiency but additionally safeguarded in opposition to threats. Combining Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN with Microsoft’s SSE answer delivers a resilient, high-performance, and scalable WAN alongside a complete suite of cloud-based safety companies designed to guard information, handle dangers, and guarantee compliance.

Key Advantages of the Microsoft’s SSE Answer Integration

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN and Microsoft’s SSE answer integration offers safe entry to the web and SaaS functions with an identity-centric safe net gateway (SWG). This integration enhances the safety of department web site visitors by effectively redirecting it by means of Microsoft Entra Web Entry, a part of Microsoft’s SSE answer, for safe inspection, serving to be certain that site visitors from department edges to the general public web or SaaS functions is completely protected. The result’s a safe networking answer that gives peace of thoughts and operational effectivity for enterprise clients.

Enhanced safety posture: Department web site visitors is securely redirected to Microsoft’s Safety Service Edge answer for superior inspection and safety in opposition to internet-based threats, serving to to make sure safe entry to public web and Microsoft SaaS functions. IT groups achieve AI-powered visibility into community site visitors and safety occasions, enabling quick detection and response to threats.
Improved cloud safety: The combination leverages Microsoft’s superior safety capabilities to guard in opposition to malicious web site visitors and different cyberthreats with a complete, cloud-delivered community safety toolset that features net content material filtering, risk safety, info safety, and id administration.
Seamless deployment and configuration: This integration simplifies the deployment and administration course of by offering an built-in answer for each networking and safety. A single answer lets you scale back operational complexity by eliminating the necessity for a number of level merchandise, simplifying administration, and serving to you ship a unified expertise to your customers. With a number of clicks customers can deploy hundreds of branches, offering ease of configuration and the added benefit of utilizing a Cisco validated design. Templatized workflows utilizing SIG templates makes setup straightforward with end-to-end validation and allows organizations to rapidly deploy new functions and companies.

How Microsoft’s SSE Answer Integration Works

Safe tunnels: Safe tunnels are created for superior inspection, serving to be certain that site visitors to the web and Microsoft SaaS functions is securely managed and enhancing bandwidth on the department. A number of tunnels with load balancing and ECMP give customers the flexibility to pick the closest PoP/DC, carry out an software well being verify by means of the tunnels, and steer site visitors by means of the fitting tunnel.
Site visitors redirection: Related site visitors from SD-WAN department edges is effectively redirected to Microsoft’s SSE answer. Customers are in a position to choose particular customers and site visitors, corresponding to functions or IP addresses, to be despatched to Microsoft through tunnels as a substitute of despatched on to the web. Enabling site visitors redirection provides customers granular management over site visitors and permits distant staff to hook up with the web securely.
Inspection and safety: Microsoft’s SSE answer inspects the site visitors to supply sturdy safety in opposition to threats. Microsoft Entra Web Entry enforces unified entry controls by means of a single coverage engine and leverages a number of Entra ID integrations, together with common conditional entry and steady entry analysis (CAE), token theft safety, and information exfiltration controls.

Wanting Forward

As enterprise WAN necessities proceed to evolve with hybrid work changing into the norm and functions unfold throughout hybrid cloud and SaaS environments, each on-premises and cloud workload safety are essential. Organizations want an answer that protects in opposition to superior threats, optimizes software efficiency, and simplifies community administration. The Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN and Microsoft’s SSE answer integration is a forward-looking response to this want, providing companies a strong device to navigate the complexities of contemporary networking and safety challenges.

Keep tuned for extra updates as Cisco and Microsoft proceed to innovate and push the boundaries of what’s doable on the planet of networking and safety. Wish to check out the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN and Microsoft’s SSE answer integration? Take pleasure in your first yr of cloud-delivered Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN totally free.