What is SASE, What is SSE — And What’s the Difference?

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?

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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:

 

• • Securely connect users to apps wherever they are

• • Use identity, device, and risk to control access

• • Replace VPNs, firewalls, and proxies with a single cloud-delivered service

Core ingredients of SASE:

 

• • SD-WAN (smart routing)

• • Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS)

• • Secure Web Gateway (SWG)

• • Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)

• • Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)

It’s networking + security, delivered as one cloud platform.

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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:

 

• • Securing access to apps (like ZTNA)

• • Protecting web usage (via SWG)

• • Controlling cloud data (via CASB)

• • Monitoring user behaviour (via DLP and analytics)

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.

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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

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Real-World Scenarios

If you’re…

 

• • A global firm with outdated MPLS or VPN

• • Ready to modernise both network and security

👉 You need SASE

If you’re…

 

• • Already on SD-WAN or DIA

• • Just want to upgrade security and access control

👉 You need SSE

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Where Teknow Comes In

We help companies:

 

• • Understand where SASE or SSE fits into their existing setup

• • Select and deploy vendor-neutral solutions (Cisco, Fortinet, Palo Alto, Zscaler)

• • Build Zero Trust frameworks that are simple to manage

• • Phase the rollout — no “rip and replace”

Whether you’re going full SASE or starting with SSE — we design for security, scale, and simplicity.

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Final Thought

SASE and SSE aren’t just acronyms. They’re:

 

• • Smarter ways to secure your users and data

• • Delivered from the cloud, not a rack

• • Built for how we work now — remote, hybrid, cloud-first

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🛡️ 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 →

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#TeknowSecurity #SASE #SSE #ZeroTrust #CloudSecurity #ZTNA #SWG #CASB #RemoteWorkSecurity #ModernInfrastructure