Why SASE is so important in the new, data-driven retail landscape
Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) offers retailers an unparalleled combination of control, security and scalability for the networks, powering the new breed of shopping experience.
With fundamental shifts in consumer behaviour, changing economic conditions, and a rapidly evolving regulatory environment, it's a challenging but exciting time for the UK's retail sector, and technology has a key role to play. In particular, advances in IT and networking solutions are empowering retailers to enhance their operational efficiency, improve the customer experience, and retain their competitive edge in an increasingly online and interconnected world.
As we have previously explored on this blog, the increasing convergence of online, in person, and click-and-collect shopping experiences means retailers must maintain the very highest level of cyber security, while still ensuring their data can deliver the deep insights that help transform first-time customers into loyal brand ambassadors. In this regard, Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) presents a highly attractive solution, bringing together the best of modern networking and security in a way that enables the free flow of customer data while minimising potential attack vectors.
SASE is a network architecture that combines network security and wide-area networking (WAN) capabilities into a single Cloud-based service. Built on leading edge Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN) and Security Service Edge (SSE) platforms, it allows corporate security policies to be consistently applied across all locations in which retailers are active, enabling a cyber security posture that is both highly effective and highly streamlined.
SASE provides advanced security features such as zero-trust access, identity-based authentication, and data encryption, which are crucial for safeguarding sensitive customer and transaction data. It enables continuous monitoring and threat detection, helping retail businesses quickly identify and respond to security threats, including malware and phishing attacks.
SASE offers centralised management and policy enforcement through a Cloud-based dashboard, making it easier for IT teams to configure and manage security and network policies across all locations.
Retailers often maintain highly distributed networks, including multiple stores, concessions, and warehouses. SASE can scale to accommodate these distributed environments, ensuring consistent security and network performance across all locations.
SASE eliminates the need for on-premises security appliances and reduces the complexity of managing multiple security solutions. This can lead to cost savings on hardware, maintenance, and operational expenses.
As more retail operations embrace Cloud transformation, SASE seamlessly integrates with Cloud services and applications. This enables retailers to adopt Cloud-first strategies without compromising security or performance.
SASE optimises network traffic and application performance, ensuring that both employees and customers enjoy a seamless and responsive experience when accessing applications and services.
Retailers must adhere to an increasingly complex range of regulatory requirements, such as PCI DSS for payment card data. SASE helps maintain full compliance by providing strong security controls and data protection measures.
SASE can be deployed quickly, making it ideal for retailers that need to adapt to changing market conditions, such as opening new stores or pop-up locations.
SASE provides redundancy and failover capabilities, ensuring that retail operations can continue even in the event of network or data centre outages.
SASE allows retailers to quickly adopt new technologies and innovations by providing a flexible and adaptable network infrastructure.
SASE potential benefits across the Retail sector should be readily apparent. With a world-class SASE solution in place, implemented with the support of a trusted technology partner, retailers will be well-placed improve the overall customer experience, streamline network management, and ensure full compliance with applicable industry regulations.
