A Security Service Edge (SSE) is type of enterprise cybersecurity that allows organizations to enable secure end user access to the web, cloud services, and private applications. Then, once access has been authorized, SSE solutions monitor behavior and interactions, helping IT and security teams to quickly identify and remediate web-, cloud-, access-, and application-based threats.
To achieve this, SSE solutions combine four key capabilities: Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), a Secure Web gGateway (SWG), a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), and a cloud firewall or Firewall-as-a-service (FWaaS). These capabilities are typically delivered via a single, purpose-built cloud platform that admins can manage via a central management portal. This removes the need to manage multiple disparate or siloed tools, helping to streamline threat detection and policy configuration, and minimizing the risk of an attack slipping in between any gaps.
By delivering these core security capabilities at the network edge, SSE solutions extend protection not only across an organization’s main headquarters, but also across branch offices and remote users. In other words, SSE solutions allow admins to implement and enforce universal security policies across the entire network—rather than just focusing on data centers or the network perimeter, like legacy security architectures.
In this shortlist, we’ll explore the top SSE solutions designed to help you secure your network against some of today’s most prevalent cyberthreats. We’ll highlight the key use cases and features of each solution, including secure remote access, web traffic monitoring, application protection, continuous monitoring, and alerting.
Based in San Jose, California, Cisco is a global provider of digital communications, software-defined network, and security solutions that enable help businesses to embrace digital transformation. Cisco Secure Access is their cloud-delivered SSE solution, designed to deliver seamless, secure access between remote users and network resources, whilst mitigating cyber risk.
Cisco Secure Access Features:
Plans And Pricing: Pricing is available upon request.
Expert Insights’ Comments: Cisco Secure Access offers all of the capabilities you’d expect from a full-featured SSE solution, plus a cloud firewall to block non-web threats and digital experience monitoring to ensure that various components across the network are operating optimally. This enables the platform to not only secure the network against cyber threats, but also help streamline network connectivity and improve user experiences. Overall, we recommend Cisco Secure Access as a strong SSE solution for any organization prioritizing security and performance optimization.
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Forcepoint is a software provider that specializes in cybersecurity and data protection. Forcepoint ONE is their cloud-native, consolidated SSE/SASE platform that delivers a secure web gateway (SWG), zero trust network access (ZTNA), and a cloud access security broker (CASB) within a zero trust framework.
Forcepoint ONE Features:
Pricing: Forcepoint ONE is available via four plans: CASB Edition, ZTNA Edition, Web Edition, and All-in-one Edition. Pricing is available upon request.
Expert Insights Comments: Forcepoint ONE collates multiple powerful security tools into a single, flexible platform; organizations can deploy the modules that they need to meet their specific use case, and then manage each of those modules centrally. This allows them to simplify their security infrastructure and management. The platform’s focus on behavioral analytics, combined with its integrations with threat intelligence feeds, ensures that organizations are protected in real-time against unknown threats, as well as the most current known threats. Overall, we recommend Forcepoint ONE as a strong SSE solution for larger enterprises.
Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, iboss is a cybersecurity company that focus on cloud-based, zero trust network security. Zero Trust SSE is iboss’ security service edge solution, which was designed to replace legacy VPN tools, proxy appliances, and virtual desktop infrastructure with a single, unified platform.
iboss Zero Trust SSE Features:
Plans And Pricing: iboss Zero Trust SSE is available via three plans: Zero Trust Core delivers resource access, compliance policies, adaptive access, and logging; Zero Trust Advanced adds on access to onsite resources and malware protection; Zero Trust Complete adds on deep content data loss prevention. The platform is delivered via a per user subscription model, and pricing is available upon request.
Expert Insights’ Comments: Zero Trust SSE is iboss’ flagship security platform. It combines all the capabilities you’d expect of an SSE solution into a single, streamlined platform that’s much easier to deploy and manage than a series of segregated, legacy tools. Zero Trust SSE offers comprehensive security and robust reporting, with lots of customization available in terms of compliance and DLP policy creation. Overall, we recommend iboss Zero Trust SSE as a strong security service edge platform for larger enterprises.
Lookout is a security software company headquartered in Boston. Their flagship, cloud-native security platform delivers zero trust security, enabling businesses to reduce their cyber risk and protect corporate data across all users, endpoints, and locations. Lookout’s platform converges zero trust network access (ZTNA), a secure web gateway (SWG), a cloud access security broker (CASB), and threat intelligence services to facilitate secure access to network resources.
Lookout Features:
Plans And Pricing: Pricing is available upon request.
Expert Insights’ Comments: Lookout offers a series of powerful security products that can be combined seamlessly to deliver robust SSE functionality. The platform offers strong monitoring and alerting capabilities that enable IT teams to quickly and accurately identify genuine threats. Thanks to all this, we recommend Lookout as a strong SSE provider.
Netskope is a California-based software company that specializes in cloud, network, and data security. Built on the Netskope Security Cloud, Netskope Intelligent Security Service Edge is their SSE solution that combines a SWG, CASB, ZTNA, cloud firewall, and remote browser isolation to give IT and security teams visibility into activity across their cloud, web, and application infrastructure.
Netskope Intelligent Security Service Edge Features:
Pricing: Pricing is available upon request.
Expert Insights Comments: Netskope’s Intelligent Security Service Edge is a robust SSE solution that offers comprehensive threat detection and analytics capabilities. The platform’s granular policy configurations are a real stand-out feature, enabling organizations to apply consistent practices across the entire network and ensure compliance with data protection standards. Overall, we recommend Netskope’s platform as a strong SSE solution for any enterprise looking for high levels of customization when it comes to DLP and access controls.
NordLayer is a remote access solution offered by Nord Security, a leading security and privacy provider based in Lithuania. The cloud-based solution provides zero trust access to all areas of a network, with user authentication, network segmentation, and traffic encryption, to help prevent threat actors gaining access to corporate data and applications.
NordLayer Features:
Plans And Pricing: NordLayer is available via four plans: Lite, Core, Premium and Custom. Pricing starts at $8 per user, per month for the Lite plan.
Expert Insights’ Comments: NordLayer is a powerful zero trust network access solution that enables businesses to secure user access to all areas of the network. Delivered as-a-Service, NordLayer is highly scalable and is easy to deploy and integrate alongside other third-party security tools. This makes it suitable to larger enterprises. However, the platform’s extensive technical support options and inclusion of a dedicated account manager for ongoing support also make NordLayer accessible for, and well suited to, SMBs.
Palo Alto Networks is a California-based cybersecurity company that offers cloud-based, zero trust security solutions for enterprises and development teams. Prisma SASE is their secure access service edge (SASE) solution, which combines SD-WAN with zero trust network access (ZTNA) and AIOps in order to provide connectivity and security for on-prem and remote end users.
Palo Alto Prisma Access Features:
Pricing: Pricing is available upon request.
Expert Insights Comments: A SASE solution, Prisma SASE extends the capabilities of SSE by enabling connectivity across the network via its SD-WAN, as well as security. The platform provides powerful data protection features, but its AIOps functionality also enables IT teams to streamline their network management, automating repetitive tasks so they can focus on more complex issues. Overall, we recommend Prisma SASE as a strong edge security solution for mid-size and larger enterprises looking for robust security, without demanding too much hands-on operational management from IT/security teams.
Skyhigh Security is a cloud security company based in San Jose, California, that offers a range of cloud, web, data, and network security solutions for the enterprise. Skyhigh Security Service Edge is their cloud-native SSE solution designed to secure data across the web, cloud, email, and private apps, whilst enabling connectivity for end users—all via a single, centrally-managed platform.
Skyhigh Security Service Edge Features:
Pricing: Skyhigh Security Service Edge is available via three plans: Essential offers a SWG and CASB; Advanced adds on endpoint DLP; Complete adds on ZTNA and a cloud firewall. Pricing is available upon request.
Expert Insights Comments: Skyhigh Security Service Edge is a comprehensive, cloud-native solution. It offers complete visibility into all network usage, data, devices, users, and services with extensive security coverage. Overall, we recommend Skyhigh’s SSE platform as a strong solution for any organization looking for robust security designed in the cloud, for the cloud.
Twingate, based in Redwood City, CA, has developed a secure network access platform that unifies access, authentication, and controls in a single streamlined solution. Rather than using a VPN to ensure secure access, Twingate establishes direct peer-to-peer connections between devices, ensuring that data is protected before it is shared. The platform ensures compliance with CPRA, GDPR, PCI DSS, and SOC 2 regulations.
Twingate Features:
Plans And Pricing: In addition to a Free plan, Twingate offers two subscription plans: $5/user/month and $10/user/month. The $5 plan is designed for up to 100 users with up to 3 admins, working across 20 remote networks. The $10 plan is for up to 500 users with 10 admins and up to 100 remote networks.
Expert Insights’ Comments: Twingate is a robust and powerful zero trust network access solution. The platform is easy to deploy and integrates well within your existing technology stack. Admins and providers can configure specific policies with granular controls to be deployed across specific network areas, ensuring that your organization is protected as necessary. We would recommend Twingate for small- to medium-sized organizations that require an effective, robust, and secure network access solution.
Zscaler is a cloud security company headquartered in San Jose, California, that offers enterprise cloud security solutions. Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange is their cloud-native SASE platform that enables businesses to provision network access for their end users, whilst securing the network—including workloads, IoT/OT devices, and business customers—against web threats, data leakage, and unauthorized access.
Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Features:
Plans And Pricing: Pricing is available upon request.
Expert Insights’ Comments: Security is built into the heart of the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform, with the solution offering powering protection against numerous network threats—including encrypted attacks. The platform also enables fast user connectivity, with its 150 points of presence worldwide enabling optimal bandwidth and low latency. Overall, we recommend Zscaler’s Zero Trust Exchange as a strong solution for any organization looking to secure their network, whilst providing streamlined, secure connectivity across their entire network infrastructure.
A security service edge (SSE) is a network-based form of enterprise cybersecurity that protects users’ access to the web, cloud services, and private applications. It enables organizations to enable remote user access, then monitors and tracks behavior and interactions one access has been granted.
To achieve this, SSE solutions often combine and integrate a range of capabilities, including network access controls, web traffic monitoring, browser isolation, API-based application protection, and cloud firewalls. These capabilities are typically delivered via a unified, purpose-built cloud platform—though some may include on-premises or agent-based components—that can be managed centrally via a single management console.
However, it’s also possible to implement SSE by utilizing the above tools from different vendors, then using internal or third-party resources to integrate those tools to provide consolidated, holistic SSE. It’s important to note that this method of implementation requires more hands-on deployment and integration, and a more substantial management overhead in terms of managing vendor relationships and ensuring the tools operate effectively together.
As organizations are embracing software- and infrastructure-as-a-service (SaaS and IaaS) and other cloud services, as well as remote/hybrid and BYOD work models, their data is being distributed outside of traditional, on-premises data centers. Unfortunately, traditional, perimeter-based security services are unsuitable for securing data across such diverse environments because they don’t have visibility into connections between users and cloud apps, they slow down traffic by relaying it to a data center for inspection, and they involve managing multiple disparate or siloed tools—leaving lots of gaps for attackers to sneak through.
SSE provides more consistent security at the network edge, which enables it to extend protection across branch offices and remote users. This allows admins to implement and enforce comprehensive, universal security policies across all of their applications and users.
Additionally, SSE doesn’t slow down network traffic like traditional remote access tools (such as VPNs) do, because it doesn’t relay traffic to a data center for inspection. This enables it to deliver optimized, low-latency performance, improving the end user experience and empowering productivity.
Finally, all of these capabilities are delivered and managed via a single console, removing the risk associated with juggling multiple siloed tools, streamlining policy management, and aggregating reporting.
There are four key capabilities that make up an SSE solution. These are:
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Laura Iannini is an Information Security Engineer. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity from the University of West Florida. Laura has experience with a variety of cybersecurity platforms and leads technical reviews of leading solutions. She conducts thorough product tests to ensure that Expert Insights’ reviews are definitive and insightful.