What is SASE, What is SSE — And What’s the Difference? (No Jargon)
Let’s Keep It Simple
If you’ve been hearing about SASE and SSE and thought,
“Is this just another security acronym I need to pretend to understand?”
You’re not alone.
The good news? These aren’t just buzzwords. They’re real solutions to a real problem:
How do you keep users, apps, and data secure — when nothing sits in one place anymore?
What is SASE (Secure Access Service Edge)?
SASE (pronounced “sassy”) is a way to deliver networking and security from the cloud — instead of from a central data centre.
Think of it like this:
Imagine building a company with remote staff, multiple cloud apps, and zero physical offices.
Do you really want everyone backhauling through a single firewall in your HQ?
SASE lets you:
Core ingredients of SASE:
It’s networking + security, delivered as one cloud platform.
What is SSE (Security Service Edge)?
SSE is a subset of SASE — the security side only.
It skips the networking part (like SD-WAN) and focuses purely on:
In plain English:
SSE is like the “security-as-a-service” toolbox.
You can bolt it onto any network — whether you’re using SD-WAN, MPLS, VPN, or DIA.
So, What’s the Difference?
Feature | SASE | SSE |
Includes networking | ✅ (e.g. SD-WAN) | ❌ |
Includes security | ✅ | ✅ |
Use case | Full cloud-based network + security | Security add-on for any network |
Ideal for | Companies modernising both WAN and security | Orgs that already have WAN sorted |
Real-World Scenarios
If you’re…
👉 You need SASE
If you’re…
👉 You need SSE
Where Teknow Comes In
We help companies:
Whether you’re going full SASE or starting with SSE — we design for security, scale, and simplicity.
Final Thought
SASE and SSE aren’t just acronyms. They’re:
🛡️ Not Sure If You Need SASE or SSE?
Let Teknow run a quick assessment of your current access, risk, and cloud strategy — and recommend the right path.
Book a Security Architecture Review →
#TeknowSecurity #SASE #SSE #ZeroTrust #CloudSecurity #ZTNA #SWG #CASB #RemoteWorkSecurity #ModernInfrastructure