In the era of generative AI, how does SASE reshape the new architecture of cybersecurity? Pursue new quality productivity

China Times

2024-08-07 17:28Posted on the official account of Beijing China Times

According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, in the first half of 2024, the mainland's software and information technology service industry will operate well, with double-digit growth in software business revenue and profit, and the growth rate of key software products such as industrial software and basic software will increase. Cloud computing, big data, integrated circuit design and other information technology services are growing rapidly. Among them, cloud computing and big data services achieved a total revenue of 654.5 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 11.3%.

With the acceleration of digital transformation, technologies such as cloud computing and big data analysis have become key tools for enterprises to improve efficiency and reduce costs, but with them new challenges such as data privacy and information security: the development of artificial intelligence will continue to enhance its tools and means to attack networks, which makes the implementation of cyber attacks more flexible and more hidden, making it more difficult to detect and trace threats. The traditional security architecture is no longer able to cope with complex and changing security requirements, and new solutions need to be found.

"As a transformative technology in the field of network security, SASE came into being to solve the access challenges brought about by fuzzy network boundaries and integration of business resources, and meet the security needs of enterprises in transformation and upgrading. SASE's core strengths of integration, unity, centralization, flexibility, and security make it a security champion that supports the development of new quality productivity. Dr. Lu Ziyi, senior vice president (CTO) of NOVA Technology, said in an interview with a reporter from the China Times.

The safety guard of new quality productivity

What is SASE? Lu Ziyi pointed out that Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) is a cloud-native architecture that integrates network and security services, which has become the mainstream mode of network border security through comprehensive, integrated, cloud-native, identity- and context-based access control, and unified network and security management, which can better adapt to the needs of modern network environments and provide more flexible, efficient and integrated security solutions.

What are the characteristics of SASE architecture compared to traditional network security architecture?

"The first is unified security and network services, and traditional network security architectures are often composed of multiple independent security devices and services, which are complex to manage and maintain. The SASE architecture integrates network and security services into one, providing a unified security and network services platform. By integrating multiple security functions, such as firewalls, network access control, threat detection and protection, and more, the SASE architecture simplifies security management and operations, and provides more consistent, collaborative, and efficient security protection. Lu Ziyi analyzed to this reporter. The second is centralized policy and control, and the SASE architecture centralizes security policies and control functions in the cloud for unified management in a cloud-native way. This allows enterprises to develop and enforce consistent policies across all networks and users through a centralized control platform. This centralized policy and control mechanism provides better visibility and monitoring, and supports real-time security decision-making and response.

With the development of cloud computing and edge computing, the SASE architecture moves security functions from traditional data centers to cloud and edge nodes to achieve distributed deployment of security services. "This architecture can better support new network usage models such as remote work, mobile users and multi-cloud environments, and adapt to the changing needs of modern enterprises," Lu said. ”

It is worth mentioning SASE's zero trust model, the SASE architecture adopts the security concept of zero trust (Zero Trust), that is, no user or device is trusted, and strict authentication and authorization of all access is required. By implementing technologies such as multi-factor authentication, access control, and behavioral analysis, the SASE architecture can provide stronger security and reduce the risk of internal and external threats to the network. In addition to this, the SASE architecture can provide elasticity and flexibility based on actual needs. Enterprises can purchase and use security services on demand based on factors such as the number of users, business needs, and geographic location. This on-demand approach reduces costs and automatically adjusts and adapts as the business expands and changes.

The demand for compliance drives the rapid development of the industry

As a Sino-foreign joint venture, GCI has multiple branches in different regions, and the demand for remote and mobile work for employees is becoming increasingly significant. Zhang Zhao, manager of the information technology department of Zhongyi P&C Insurance, told the China Times: "Before accessing NOVA's Lingyun SASE, there was no management of security and online behavior in various parts of Zhongyi P&C Insurance, and the online behavior and security in various places were not effectively controlled, the bandwidth was often congested, the network latency was high, and there was no network and network security data management. ”

He pointed out that after the implementation of the Lingyun SASE project, the network and security issues have been effectively improved, the Internet speed has become faster, the network latency has been reduced, the bandwidth traffic has been optimized, and the network security performance has increased.

"In the era of digital economy, network security has risen to the strategic level in the mainland, with the injection of new quality productivity, especially the integration of cloud computing and artificial intelligence and other technologies, the network security industry is ushering in a two-wheel driven transformation from policy-driven to 'regulatory demand + market demand', which indicates that network security is not only the forefront of technological development, but also a key area to promote the growth of new quality productivity." Lu Ziyi said.

It is understood that before 2005, the demand for network security mainly relied on policy requirements, but with the popularization of the mobile Internet, the graded protection 1.0 system was gradually established, the importance of personal data and enterprise data became increasingly prominent, and the protection of user privacy and compliance with data security compliance became a challenge that enterprises must face, and also accelerated the growth of network security segments such as intrusion detection, antivirus software, and firewalls. In addition, in recent years, with the rapid development of a new generation of information technology, various industries have entered the era of Internet of Everything, the complexity of the network environment has continued to increase, and the demand for network security in various industries has risen rapidly. At the same time, the MLPS 2.0 system has been continuously improved, and a series of laws and regulations in the field of cybersecurity, such as the Cybersecurity Law and the Data Security Law, have been continuously introduced, and compliance needs have driven the rapid development of the cybersecurity industry.

According to Gartner, a market research firm, the total global SASE revenue will reach $11 billion in 2024, and at least 40% of enterprises will have a clear strategy to adopt SASE in the future. The wind is hot, and many domestic security vendors have announced that SASE has begun to land.

Lu Ziyi pointed out that in terms of market demand, on the one hand, all walks of life are accelerating digital transformation, and a large number of enterprises' key businesses and data are online, which increases the importance and demand for cybersecurity; On the other hand, the proliferation of mobile devices and remote work has made edge security and remote access management a key issue, which is also driving the demand for mobile security and cloud security solutions. In addition, the development and application of artificial intelligence has also boosted the development of the field of cybersecurity, and at present, artificial intelligence has also been widely used in the field of cybersecurity, which not only enhances detection and response capabilities, but also improves the efficiency and accuracy of security operations. Dr. Lu Ziyi emphasized that SASE, as the embodiment of new quality productivity, is helping enterprises to upgrade their cybersecurity in digital transformation to ensure their business continuity and data security.

Cyber security is an important guarantee for the digital transformation of various industries. Different industries have different needs for cybersecurity, such as finance, telecommunications, energy, healthcare, and other industries have their own specific security requirements. With the advancement of digital transformation, the demand for cybersecurity in various industries will further increase. The cybersecurity industry needs to provide tailor-made solutions according to the needs of the industry to meet the security needs of different industries.

At the same time, Lu Ziyi also said that SASE is still in the early stage of growth, and there will be obstacles in various aspects in the implementation process, mainly reflected in the following aspects: First, policy: SASE involves the processing of data and traffic at the edge and in the cloud, and security and compliance have become important issues. Regulatory requirements and internal security standards need to be met during data transmission and storage, which may require the involvement of additional technical and legal counsel.

Second, in terms of implementation environment, complex network architecture changes: the implementation of SASE requires major changes to the network architecture, including redesigning the network perimeter and integrating security services, which may require a lot of time and resources. Compatibility of existing infrastructure: Existing network equipment, security appliances, and applications may not be fully compatible with the SASE architecture and need to be upgraded or replaced, increasing the complexity and cost of implementation; Third, cost considerations: SASE implementation may involve a high initial investment, including the cost of hardware, software, and human resources. Organizations need to evaluate the long-term returns and cost-benefits to determine if such a technology transformation is worthwhile.

In the wave of digital transformation, SASE, as a new network security service model, is also a concrete embodiment of new quality productivity in the field of enterprise office security, integrating the two models of network as a service and network security as a service.

Editor-in-charge: Xu Yunqian Editor-in-chief: Gong Peijia

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