SASE vs CASB: Difference, Function and Benefits of Working Together

Published on: September 2, 2024

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14 min read

The commercialization of clouds has surged in the last few years. Almost all businesses adopt cloud solutions, with most having installations across multiple cloud platforms. These intricate cloud infrastructures can pose serious problems for an organization's security and usability. The cloud infrastructure, services, and apps are exploited if security is not properly set. Safeguarding sensitive data can be handled by technologies like Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE). As it constantly safeguards access to cloud resources, CASB acts as a security barrier between users and the cloud service. CASB is intended to address the difficulties associated with safeguarding cloud applications for an enterprise. Since CASB can offer business entities visibility and control over the systems, it is particularly helpful in securing SaaS services. When evaluating specialized cloud security systems to uphold their security standards and protect their apps, comparisons between SASE and CASB are made naturally. In contrast, SASE is a framework that combines security and networking features into a unified design. SASE provides a fully integrated WAN networking and security solution that links branch offices and remote users to corporate and cloud applications as well as the Internet. Although SASE and CASB are distinct services, CASB is frequently incorporated into a SASE framework. Organizations secure cloud-based resources and guarantee network management with a comprehensive strategy through the integration of secure access service edge and cloud access security brokers. Companies can leverage both approaches to boost their security capabilities.

The topics discussed in the following sections of the article are general information about SASE solutions, the CASB functions and CASB comparison, CASB tools, and CASB security. The following subjects will be discussed in this article:

• What does SASE do?

  • How does SASE work?

• What does a CASB Do?

  • How does CASB Security work?

• What are the Top CASB Solutions in the Market today?

• What is the difference between SASE and CASB?

• What are the key features of SASE compared to CASB?

  • When should an organization use SASE over CASB?

  • Can SASE and CASB be integrated together?

• What are the benefits of using SASE in conjunction with CASB?

• What are the limitations of SASE and CASB?

  • How do SASE and CASB address data protection and compliance?

  • How does CASB Support Zero Trust?

  • Is SASE the same as CASB?

What Does SASE Do?

All remote traffic, including traffic going to the cloud, is backhauled to a firewall in a hub or headquarters data center over a typical WAN. The performance of the network and applications is impacted by these delays and bottlenecks. This issue is resolved by SD-WAN, which connects branch offices and remote users directly and securely to your software as a service (SaaS) and cloud resources through sophisticated and application-aware routing. This enhances the end-user experience and boosts the speed of your cloud and business apps. “Software-defined WAN" refers to the way in which SD-WAN operates: by disentangling the control and management functions from the underlying WAN hardware, they become available as software. If your SD-WAN architecture is already in place, you may add SASE's security stack on top of the SD-WAN backbone. However, some prefer to adopt SASE concurrently with SD-WAN management since it makes managing security easier. This is due to the fact that, in a standard SD-WAN architecture, each branch office and data center must still have security appliances and solutions installed in order to maintain the security of that traffic. SASE saves you time and money by combining network security features and SD-WAN capability into a single, cohesive solution. This eliminates the need to install security controls at each distant location.

How does SASE work?

SASE is a cloud-native architecture that converges network connectivity with network security functions. It shifts the focus from traffic-flow-centric to identity-centric security and delivers functions as a unified service. SASE access policies are based on the following four key factors:

• Identity of the entity requesting access

• Context of the session (e.g., user/device health, resource sensitivity)

• Security and compliance policies

• Continuous risk assessment

SASE creates a single cloud-based service by combining your network architecture with network security techniques like SaaS or Zero Trust. There are two different types of technology utilized in SASE: network traffic management and network security management. SASE moves the controls for network traffic management off of the data center and onto the cloud edge. With this advantage, you can extend the reach of your network to distant users, devices, and apps, all without using VPNs. The services are more streamlined and integrated with this approach of network traffic control, which can lower latency. The sessions are usually made with a number of crucial network security characteristics, like identity-based access and zero trust regulations, among others. Prior to providing access, pre-established compliance and security regulations are enforced after the user's or device's identification has been confirmed. To make sure security is maintained, a continuous risk assessment is conducted, keeping an eye on things like the device's condition or the sensitivity of the resource accessed.

SASE provides a secure connecting fabric between Software-Defined Perimeter(SDP) client and the service edge. This includes public/private clouds, data centers, offices, mobile users, IoT devices, etc. Access is granted based on identity, not location.

What are the steps of the SASE Process?

The general steps of how SASE works are listed below:

1. A user from the workplace, home, or mobile connects to the internet.

2. The user's traffic is directed to the nearest SASE point of presence. This is a cloud-based infrastructure that is geographically distributed.

3. The SASE platform inspects the user's traffic for malware, viruses, and intrusions. This is done by employing a variety of security technologies, like firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and content filtering.

4. If the traffic is considered safe, the SASE platform directs it to the appropriate application or data. This could be a cloud-based application, a data center, or a SaaS service.

5. SASE enforces security policies and access controls to ensure that only authorized users can access specific resources.

What Does a CASB Do?

The creation of the CASB gave enterprise security professionals access to more information on the cloud, especially about software-as-a-service (SaaS) usage. Many IT managers were taken aback by the insights that CASB offered, and they quickly realized that cloud usage was far more widespread and profound in their organization than they had previously thought. Reducing the risks brought on by SaaS is one of the main use cases. Switching from on-premises data centers to cloud-based data storage increased the importance of CASB. This is due to CASB safeguarding data transportation and contents through encryption and access and sharing privilege restrictions. The danger in the environment changed over time too. Malware has become more widespread, phishing has become more sophisticated and focused, and even seemingly insignificant errors can result in a security flaw that might cost millions of dollars. Using a CASB is now considered a crucial component of company security since CASB security measures contain features created especially to address these problems. When compared to other security controls like enterprise/web application firewalls and secure web gateways, CASB security characteristics are distinct and include the following features:

• Risk assessment and cloud governance

• Integration of SSO and IAM

• Key management and data encryption

• Preventing data loss

• Control over cloud service and threat prevention

• User and entity behavior analytics (UEBA)

• Auditing configurations

• Malware identification and protection

• Control over contextual access

What are the Main Features of CASB?

The four main aspects of CASB include visibility, data security, protection, and compliance. Details are as follows:

• Visibility: IT departments can identify all cloud services in use and evaluate associated risk issues with the use of CASBs. CASBs provide a full understanding of all cloud-based applications that employees are using, which is helpful for organizations that are struggling with shadow IT. The data from risk assessments is subsequently used to inform IT's access policy, which includes more intricate controls based on particular employee and device requirements.

• Threat Protection: CASBs are able to detect suspicious activity and identify harmful actions by compiling and comprehending normal usage patterns. Malware mitigation, adaptive access control, and other features aid in shielding the company from external and internal risks. All contemporary threats are protected from CASB threat protection, including malevolent and careless ones.

• Data Security: Data loss prevention (DLP), an essential part of a cloud-based access security base (CASB) system, lowers the risk of expensive data breaches by extending an enterprise's protection to all data going to, inside, and stored in the cloud. A CASB safeguards the flow of the data as well as the data itself.

• Compliance: For businesses that must conform to regulatory standards like HIPAA or PCI DSS, CASBs assist in monitoring compliance and ensuring adherence to data privacy and safety rules.

How does CASB Security work?

All users, devices, and cloud services are subject to protocols that are enforced by CASB and a set of security regulations. CASB solutions automatically identify and flag personally identifiable information from shared data by scanning it. They identify instances of account takeover, such as when a person logs in to a service from two separate countries on the same day. SSO and MFA are mandatory for specific users and applications in CASB.

Complete visibility and control over all organizational data across all cloud services will be established via CASB. They recognize and separate malware and ransomware, among other cloud-based risks. An anomalous behavior detector (CASB) uses artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and other intelligent automation methods to identify threats like malware and ransomware. They are always updating to keep up with new threats and guarantee prevention.

Key components of CASB solutions include API Connectors, Proxies, and Agents. In order to obtain visibility and control over cloud operations, cloud service provider Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are frequently used by CASB systems. API connections create a link between cloud apps and the CASB system, enabling security policy enforcement and data flow monitoring. Proxies provide the CASB solution the ability to examine and manage traffic by serving as inline middlemen between end users and cloud services. There are other ways to use proxies, such as forward and reverse proxy modes. To offer visibility and control over data transported between end-user devices and the cloud, CASB agents are frequently installed on these devices. Enforcing security policies on devices outside the corporate network can be accomplished with the help of agents. While employing CASB, the precise procedure for developing and implementing security policies is as follows:

1. Discovery: A CASB gathers all cloud-based apps and services and determines who is accessing the data.

2. Classification: Based on the sensitivity of the data it contains and the manner in which it is exchanged, the CASB assesses each cloud service's risk factor.

3. Remedial: Each cloud service is subject to access rules and security policies implemented by the CASB.

Among the other security measures that CASB can implement are those related to malware detection, encryption, and logging. When a violation occurs, CASB can act quickly and notify administrators of the situation as soon as an organization has established its security standards.

What are the Top CASB Solutions in the Market today?

Top CASB providers in the market are listed below:

1. Cisco Cloudlock: A strong and dependable cloud security solution, Cisco Cloudlock is made to keep an eye on and protect confidential information in the cloud. Some of the platform's many highly regarded features include Zero Trust, Cloud Discovery, Data Loss Prevention, User Behavior Analytics, Record Management, Encryption/Tokenization, Web Content Filtering, Access Control, Inspect Data in Authorized App, IAM Integration, and Policy Management. The system facilitates self-service procedures. There are a few false positives with DLP protection. Users don't need to switch portals because of its close integration with G-Suite.

2. Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps: As a CASB solution, Microsoft Defender for Cloud helps defend multi-cloud systems by enhancing visibility across app usage and defending them against sophisticated threats. It makes it possible to find cloud apps, categorizes and safeguards private data, enforces policies in real-time, and generates reports on applications that pose a danger.

   Microsoft 365 Defender's advanced hunting feature assists with prompt remediation and helps guard against anomalous behavior, malicious cloud apps, and user accounts that are at risk. For Shadow IT assessment, the CASB solution assists in tracking and managing the risks associated with employing both approved and unapproved SaaS apps. The app governance tool warns users of unexpected activities and helps prevent users from utilizing any high-risk, underused, or expired applications.

   With Microsoft Defender for Cloud, you can design unique rules and regulations to manage traffic. Decisions about access can be made with the use of insights regarding user behavior and connections. You may take advantage of all default policies thanks to the connectivity with other Microsoft applications.

3. McAfee MVISION Cloud: Today known as Skyhigh Security CASB, McAfee's CASB used to go by the name MVISION Cloud. Renowned for its thorough analysis and exceptional visibility into cloud apps, this security solution is both sturdy and intricate. It is a useful tool for companies using cloud-based services since it connects easily with other programs, especially Microsoft Office. A dependable and secure environment for data management is offered by Skyhigh CASB thanks to its sophisticated features, such as tokenization and alarm systems for unusual activity. Security teams can efficiently track and control unsanctioned services because of the platform's remarkable ability to identify high-risk services.

4. Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud; Palo Alto Networks provides Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) functionalities in addition to Cloud Access Security Broker capability. Because of its strong application visibility, issues can be found and fixed quickly by identifying and comprehending applications, protocols, and services. When it comes to serverless and container security, the solution shines. By including tests for multiple standards, including PCI, DSS, and HIPAA, and supporting configurable compliance frameworks using the RQL language, it streamlines compliance management. Its cloud solution is renowned for having strong warning and automation features along with an efficient Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM). It supports the majority of well-known PaaS and IaaS cloud platforms and is also cloud-agnostic. Top advantages of Prisma Cloud are listed below:

   • Complete cloud security for private, public, and hybrid clouds

   • Improved control and visibility for spotting errors and handling risks

   • AI and machine learning for advanced threat prevention

   • Automated remediation combined with simplified compliance management

   • Enhanced operational effectiveness via a single security platform

5. Netskope: A powerful cloud security platform, Netskope CASB is excellent at managing shadow IT, maintaining SaaS utilization, and offering basic Data Loss Prevention (DLP) features. Reporting has significantly improved, and integrations are now simpler. It is praised for its capacity to keep an eye on all traffic, safeguard end-user communication, and give insight into the use of cloud applications and the potential risks involved. The integrated website classification or safety ratings, together with the option to create security controls based on these ratings, are highly valued by users. Furthermore, it has garnered great feedback for its sophisticated reporting and tracking mechanisms, simplicity of initial setup, superior detecting capabilities, and cloud control features. The solution includes a unique Cloud Confidence Index that provides insights into the security confidence of providers in addition to a strong infrastructure.

6. Symantec CloudSOC CASB: Symantec CloudSOC CASB is commended for its extensive data protection features. In addition to providing coverage across all channels, including cloud, email, and data at rest, in-use, and in-motion, it excels in the detection of a wide range of data types across numerous use cases. These use cases include GDPR-related, source code, designs, financial plans, SSN, IDs, etc. This system excels at handling a wide range of data formats, including image forms, descriptive data, and both structured and unstructured data. Its significant data loss prevention (DLP) features, machine learning capabilities, and UEBA integration further improve its adaptation to policies and detection skills. The system offers good cloud service and is well-suited for hybrid environments. It enables consistent policy application both on-premises and in the cloud. It provides excellent cloud service discovery and usage functionalities.

What is the Difference Between SASE and CASB?

SASE is a framework that unifies several security features, including CASB, into a single platform, whereas CASB is a solution for securing cloud services. Cloud visibility and compliance are the main focus of CASB. CASB is essential to SASE because it allows security controls to be extended to cloud-based resources. SASE offers complete protection by combining networking and security into a cloud-based service paradigm. Both Secure Access Service Edge and Cloud Access Security Broker provide cloud and network security solutions for businesses. SASE added tools and capabilities to safeguard vital data, building on the foundation established by CASB.

The security integration that SASE and CASB provide with the assets they safeguard is the primary distinction. CASB can be included in an organization's security stack and is commonly used to safeguard Software as a Service (SaaS) applications.

SASE connects workplaces and remote workers to cloud apps and the public internet by offering fully integrated WAN networking and security. CASB tackles security flaws in legacy systems, such as local area networks (LANs), which were formerly utilized by businesses. The outer reaches of an organization's network were frequently unprotected because LANs only provided protection for the network's perimeter. CASB surfaced as a solution to improve network visibility and secure all cloud data. It can be used as a stand-alone physical device or integrated into a SaaS model. SASE improved traffic performance and strengthened network security by utilizing these ideas. It permits thorough security inspections of the network and guarantees complete visibility of traffic that travels to the WAN.

The problems with safeguarding enterprise cloud apps are best addressed by CASB. It makes it possible for enterprises to safeguard their cloud-based deployments using the same safeguards found in conventional perimeter-focused security models. Businesses can take advantage of a completely integrated security stack, which includes CASB, through SASE. It utilizes a highly secure next-generation firewall (NGFW) to optimize SD-WAN, going beyond the security characteristics of CASB. The following table includes the main differences between SASE and CASB ;

Feature	CASB	SASE
Main Goal	Protecting data and apps in the cloud.	Protecting networks, cloud, and connectivity
Visibility and Control	Fine-grained control over cloud computing	Command over user access and network traffic
Data Loss Prevention	Specializes in preventing data loss	Provides DLP tools and capabilities
Connection Security	Offers rather secure connectivity	Enhances and safeguards network access
Integration	Able to be incorporated into the current security framework	Combines several security services into a single, cohesive solution.
Scalability	Scalable, but might need more gear or software to be installed	Employs software-defined networking and cloud-native architectures to achieve scalability.

Table 1. Differences of SASE and CASB

What are the key features of SASE compared to CASB?

The main features of SASE are listed below:

• Integration of Networking and Security: SASE combines network functions (like SD-WAN) with security services (like CASB, SWG, and FWaaS) into one platform.

• Zero Trust Architecture: Implements a Zero Trust model. Guarantees that no user or equipment is by default trusted. Enforces strict access controls based on identity and context.

• Data Loss Prevention (DLP): Protects sensitive data from unauthorized access and leaks across all network edges and cloud services.

• Threat Intelligence and Detection: Offers advanced threat detection capabilities using real-time data analytics and threat intelligence to identify and mitigate risks.

• Scalability: Designed to scale easily with the organization’s needs, accommodating a growing number of users and devices without significant infrastructure changes.

• Centralized Management: Provides a single management console to oversee all network and security functions, simplifying policy enforcement and operational efficiency.

The main features of CASB are listed below:

• Visibility and Control: Offers detailed visibility into cloud application usage. Enables organizations to monitor and control access to sensitive data.

• Data Security: Implements security measures like encryption, tokenization, and DLP specifically for cloud environments.

• Compliance Management: Assists organizations in meeting regulatory requirements by ensuring that cloud applications adhere to necessary compliance standards.

• Threat Protection: Protects against threats specific to cloud services, such as malware and data breaches. Employs techniques like secure web gateways and anti-malware engines.

• Integration with Existing Infrastructure: CASBs can be integrated into an organization's existing security stack. Provides additional cloud security without overhauling current systems.

Feature	SASE	CASB
Scope	Comprehensive (network + security)	Focused (cloud security only)
Zero Trust	Yes	Limited (depends on integration)
Data Protection	DLP for all data across networks	DLP for cloud-specific data
Threat Detection	Advanced threat intelligence and detection	Cloud-specific threat protection
Network Access Control	Integrated with SD-WAN and ZTNA	Limited to cloud application access
Scalability	Highly scalable with cloud architecture	Scalable but may require additional tools
Management	Centralized management for all functions	Typically requires separate management

Table 2. Key Features of SASE and CASB

When should an organization use SASE over CASB?

SASE and CASB both aid in securing cloud resources for businesses. SASE surpasses CASB by incorporating networking capabilities alongside security characteristics. The decision to use one tool over another is based on the needs of the business. Because of its significance, CASB is one of the key security services. Businesses can solve some cloud security issues with CASB. However, SASE goes above and beyond by taking care of every demand that an enterprise-wide area network must satisfy. IT must still take care of certain network and security requirements, though. While it can assist meet those criteria, combining CASB with point solutions that provide ZTNA, WAN optimization, and SD-WAN features increases costs and complexity. By providing all of the CASB functionality in addition to those additional network and security services within a single comprehensive network fabric, SASE resolves this issue.

SASE does this by abstracting away the intricacies of many point solutions through a cloud native design. The necessity of handling several gadgets, utilizing various interfaces, and carrying out intricate integrations has vanished. Consequently, IT can devote more time to essential business duties and less time to WAN upkeep.

Enterprise IT receives a strong network feature set together with visibility, data security, threat protection, and compliance for cloud, mobile, and on-premises systems with SASE. Businesses benefit from more security, better performance, less network complexity, lower costs, and a single cloud-native multi-tenant platform that combines all the main network and security services.

Businesses may pick CASB if they wish to simplify compliance obligations, enhance threat prevention, and gain more cloud visibility. Businesses that desire a complete networking and security solution may find it more advantageous to use SASE. However, the choice to put SASE or CASB into use should only be made once businesses have a solid grasp of both solutions and how they fit in with their unique network, security, and operational needs.

Factor	CASB Employment	SASE Employment
Business Goals	Suitable for protecting data and apps on the cloud	Ideal for improving remote access and network connectivity
Adoption of Cloud	Ideal for businesses with significant cloud application investments	Better suited for companies with dispersed workforces and several branch offices
Resources and Budget	Can necessitate the installation of extra hw or software	Utilizes cloud-native designs to lower initial costs
Integration Skills	Able to interact with security infrastructure already in place, such as SIEM systems	Offers comprehensive security features right out of the box.
Vendor Knowledge and Assistance	Evaluate the level of experience and assistance offered by the provider.	Seek out suppliers who have a history of providing high-quality products and first-rate customer service.

Table 3. Consideration CASB vs SASE

Can SASE and CASB be integrated together?

Yes, SASE and CASB can be integrated together. SASE and CASB can be integrated to provide a unified threat management and a unified security approach. The advantages of both systems are combined through their compatibility. SASE offers a more comprehensive, network-centric security framework, whereas CASB concentrates on cloud-specific security. This combination works especially well for businesses that want to protect their cloud environments, guarantee uninterrupted connectivity, and provide thorough protection for every network endpoint. Businesses may want to think about taking a comprehensive strategy to solve their cloud security issues. They ought to modify the strategy in accordance with their own operational requirements, cloud adoption plans, and general IT security specifications. Browsers are required to access enterprise systems on the majority of current infrastructure. One trend that has surfaced in the SASE and CASB markets is the utilization of browser security services. Browser security services offer remote access, data leak protection, and inline security features. These domains have the potential to converge in the future, despite the fact that they are still a ways from reaching complete development.

What are the benefits of using SASE in conjunction with CASB?

Integrating SASE and CASB provides a unified approach to security that covers both network and cloud environments. While SASE offers a broad range of network security features, CASB specifically focuses on cloud applications. Together, they provide end-to-end security, ensuring protection from data breaches, malware, and other threats across the entire infrastructure. With the rise of remote work, employees are accessing cloud applications from various locations and devices. CASB security policies such as data loss prevention (DLP) and user behavior analytics (UBA) in cloud devices. When combined with SASE's network security controls, this integration provides secure, reliable, and compliant access to cloud applications for remote workers.
CASB offers robust data protection features like encryption, tokenization, and DLP specifically for cloud environments. SASE, when integrated with CASB, ensures these data protection policies are enforced uniformly across both cloud and network traffic. This combination helps organizations comply with regulatory requirements like GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS by providing a unified framework for data governance and risk management. SASE's threat protection capabilities (such as SWG, ZTNA, and FWaaS) work alongside CASB's cloud-specific threat detection and response to provide a unified threat protection strategy.
SASE provides a centralized platform for applying consistent security policies across distributed networks. When paired with CASB, organizations can extend these consistent security policies specifically to cloud applications. By integrating SASE with CASB, a single, integrated solution simplifies management, reduces operational overhead, and streamlines incident response.

What are the examples of SASE and CASB integration?

Some real-world examples SASE and CASB cooperation are listed below:

• Healthcare: Healthcare organizations leverage SASE and CASB to secure patient data accessed through cloud-based electronic health record (EHR) systems. SASE provided secure access to the EHR systems for healthcare professionals working remotely or from various branches, while the CASB enforced data loss prevention (DLP) policies and monitored access to sensitive patient data to ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations.

• Retail Cloud Services: Multinational retail companies adopt SASE and CASB to protect their cloud-based e-commerce platforms and customer data. SASE ensured secure access to these platforms from various global locations, while CASB monitored cloud service usage, prevented data breaches, and ensured PCI DSS compliance.

What are the limitations of SASE and CASB?

For some use cases, such as those where an organization still depends on legacy multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) connections, SASE may not be the ideal choice.

Due to the possibility of deduplication, the introduction of additional inefficiencies, and the difficulty of debugging, SASE might complicate network configuration. There is deployment complexity.

SASE solutions have some cost implications. They cost more than alternative security measures, and they may require employees to be aware of the requirements for network security. They are too complicated for businesses who merely need to secure their cloud apps. Certain SASE capabilities might be in their infancy or have few features, while other solutions might need to be adjusted or might be extremely sensitive, necessitating that security personnel receive additional training. Thus, it is essential to recognize the value of data and to only use appropriate access levels.

In the CASB case, there is an integration complexity issue. Integrating CASB with other security solutions is a major difficulty. When it comes to providing capabilities for solutions like ZTNA, WAN optimization, and SD-WAN, CASB falls short. CASB forces businesses to understand the requirements for cloud application security. No increase in network performance in CASB. Although CASB functions at the application layer and provides support for SaaS application security, it doesn't deal with more general network performance problems or route optimization difficulties.

CASB comes with restricted protection and security gaps. SaaS apps are the main target of CASB protection. Unless it interfaces with other technologies that are part of the entire security architecture, other parts of the IT environment may remain vulnerable.

How do SASE and CASB address data protection and compliance?

Both Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) play important roles in protecting sensitive data and ensuring compliance, but they take different approaches.

How does SASE address Data Security and Compliance?

SASE provides a unified security framework that combines multiple security functions, including encryption, access control, and compliance enforcement. Some key ways SASE addresses data protection and compliance are as follows:

• Encryption: SASE enables encryption of data in transit, ensuring that sensitive information like electronic protected health information (ePHI) is protected from unauthorized access. This helps meet requirements like the HIPAA encryption standard.

• Dynamic Access Control: SASE allows for context-aware access control based on user identity, device, and location. This aligns with compliance mandates like HIPAA's focus on access controls, ensuring only authorized personnel can view protected data.

• Scalable Security: The cloud-native architecture of SASE enables security measures to adapt to evolving compliance requirements and the changing threat landscape. This flexibility is crucial for maintaining continuous compliance.

• Unified Visibility: By integrating multiple security functions, SASE provides a consolidated view of security policies, access controls, and data protection. This simplifies compliance audits and reporting.

How does CASB address Data Security and Compliance?

CASBs specialize in protecting data in cloud applications and services. CASB reports on recognizing policy violations for correction by applying frameworks including SOX, GDPR, PCI DSS, HIPAA, NIST, and ISO 27001. Key CASB capabilities for data security and compliance are as follows:

• Cloud Data Protection: CASBs offer features like encryption, tokenization, and anonymization to protect sensitive data in cloud apps, without disrupting functionality. This is important for meeting regulations like GDPR.

• Compliance Enforcement: CASBs enable setting and enforcing compliance policies across cloud services, providing audit trails and compliance reports. This helps demonstrate adherence to standards like HIPAA.

• Real-time Visibility: CASBs monitor cloud application usage and data transfers in real-time. This visibility is critical for identifying potential compliance violations and data breaches.

• Adaptive Access Controls: CASBs use context-aware access policies to ensure appropriate levels of access to protected data based on user, device, and activity. This aligns with the principle of least privilege.

How does CASB Support Zero Trust?

Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) play a crucial role in supporting Zero Trust security architectures, particularly in cloud environments. By acting as intermediaries between users and cloud services, CASBs enforce security policies. They enhance visibility and provide control. Below are key areas where CASB supports Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) principles.

• Granular Access Control: CASBs enable organizations to implement granular access controls based on user identity, device, location, and behavior. This means that access to cloud resources is the specific context of each request. CASB can enforce policies that allow access to sensitive data only from trusted devices or locations.

• Data Protection: Data protection is done by features like Data Loss Prevention (DLP) and encryption. They monitor data movement to and from cloud applications. By applying DLP policies, CASBs can block sensitive data from being uploaded to unauthorized applications. Zero Trust protects data regardless of its location. Data remains secure and compliant with regulatory requirements.

• Continuous Monitoring and Threat Detection: CASBs facilitate continuous monitoring and threat detection by analyzing user behavior and cloud activity in real-time. They leverage User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) to establish baselines for normal behavior and identify anomalies that may indicate security threats. If a large volume of sensitive data is accessed from an unusual location, the CASB can trigger alerts or automatically restrict access. Zero Trust framework assumes that threats can originate both from outside and within the organization. That's why the process should be ongoing.

• Unified Policy Enforcement: With CASBs, unified policy enforcement across multiple cloud services can be achieved. CASBs centralize security policies. This means consistent application of access controls, data protection measures, and compliance requirements through the cloud.

• Visibility into Shadow IT: CASBs provide critical visibility into shadow IT, which refers to the use of unauthorized cloud applications. CASBs enable IT teams to assess the risks associated with unsanctioned tools and take appropriate action, such as banning or securing them.

Is SASE the same as CASB?

No, SASE is not the same as CASB. While both Secure Access Service Edge(SASE) and Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) are designed to enhance cybersecurity, they serve different purposes and operate at different levels. SASE is a comprehensive framework that integrates multiple security functions, including network security and WAN capabilities, into a single cloud-based service. SASE provides a complete approach to secure access across an entire network. It covers a variety of security services. These include CASB but also include features like SD-WAN, firewall, and zero-trust network access. Users can safely connect to applications and data from any location.

CASB, in contrast, is a specialized tool focused on secure cloud applications. It was created to address the difficulties associated with safeguarding cloud applications for businesses. It serves as a go-between for customers and cloud services. It provides visibility, compliance, and security policy enforcement specifically for cloud environments. It provides control and protection for cloud services by enforcing data loss prevention policies, threat detection, and compliance measures. In essence, CASB can be part of a SASE solution, but SASE encapsulates a broader range of functionalities beyond what CASB offers. Organizations often use both together to achieve a more robust security posture, with SASE addressing overall network security needs and CASB focusing on cloud application security.

What are the similarities between SASE and CASB?

Although SASE is not the same as CASB, there are common features of both CASB and SASE. These features include;

• Both improve cloud-based service security.

• They provide the ability to recognize and lessen risks.

• Every one of them encourages adherence to regulations.

• Assist in creating a cohesive security stance.

• They are able to be combined with the current IT framework.

• Pertinent to protecting access to remote workers.

• Aid in the control and management of risk.

• Pay attention to safeguarding vital company assets.