Why SSE Speaks to Both the Network and Data Security Buyer

By Thyaga Vasudevan - EVP of Product

June 23, 2025 2 Minute Read

In today’s enterprise, securing access is not enough—you must also secure what happens after access. That’s why Security Service Edge (SSE) has become a strategic pillar in modern security architecture: it bridges two critical, and often siloed, priorities within security teams—Network Security and Data Security.

Two Buyers. One Platform.

Let’s break it down.

The Network Security Buyer: Access Is Everything

For this persona, Zero Trust is the name of the game. The focus is on enabling and controlling access—securely and seamlessly. Whether it’s…

• A corporate employee accessing intranet resources from inside the office,
• A remote user reaching internet or private applications,
• Or third parties accessing specific workloads,

… the objective is the same: 

Authenticate. Authorize. Enforce least privilege. Ensure identity, device posture, and continuous trust evaluation without falling back on legacy VPNs or perimeter-based models.

For the network security buyer, SSE provides Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), Secure Web Gateway (SWG), and Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS) to replace old school connectivity models with cloud-delivered, policy-based access.

But stopping at access isn’t enough.

The Data Security Buyer: What Happens After Access?

Once access is granted, the real concern begins. How is sensitive data being used, moved, or shared? That’s where the data security buyer steps in. Their questions are more nuanced:

• Is the right user accessing this data?
• Are they on a trusted device?
• Is this file being downloaded, shared externally, or copied into a generative AI tool?
• Are we in compliance with data residency laws, industry regulations, and internal policies?

Here, SSE shines again—through Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Data Loss Prevention (DLP), Digital Rights Management (DRM), and increasingly through DSPM (Data Security Posture Management).

This enables real-time inspection and enforcement across SaaS, private apps, and web traffic, so that sensitive data stays protected, compliant, and auditable.

Unified SSE: Meeting at the Intersection

What makes SSE powerful is that it doesn’t force a trade-off between network control and data protection. It unifies these priorities into a single platform that:

• Delivers Zero Trust access to users anywhere,
• Provides deep visibility and control over data usage post-access,
• Helps security teams stay compliant with regulations across verticals and geographies.

Why It Matters Now

In today’s environment of increasing regulatory pressure, data sovereignty laws, and generative AI risks, the value of SSE goes far beyond access control. It’s about enabling secure productivity, reducing risk, and ensuring compliance without friction.

SSE is no longer just a network play. It’s a data-first imperative.

 

Learn more about our award-winning SSE capabilities here: https://www.skyhighsecurity.com/products/security-service-edge.html

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