Securing the Hybrid Workforce: How a Unified SASE Solution Closes Critical Security Gaps

The hybrid workforce is here to stay. With employees working from diverse locations—whether it’s the corporate office, home, or a coffee shop—securing your organisation’s assets has never been more challenging. The traditional security models that once worked for on-premises environments are now struggling to keep pace with the complexities introduced by remote and hybrid work.

Challenges in Safeguarding a Hybrid Workforce

As organisations adapt to this new way of working, several critical pain points have emerged:

1. Security Gaps: The shift to hybrid work has introduced significant security gaps. Disjointed security policies, inconsistent enforcement, and a lack of centralised management have left many organisations vulnerable. Traditional solutions, like VPNs and standalone firewalls, are simply not equipped to handle the dynamic nature of today’s network environments. This fragmented approach often results in security policies that are unevenly applied, leading to gaps in protection that cybercriminals can exploit.

2. VPN Performance Issues: VPNs have long been the go-to solution for securing remote connections, but they are increasingly failing to deliver. Performance issues, coupled with the all-or-nothing access they provide, mean that once a device is compromised, the entire network is at risk. Moreover, VPNs are not optimised for cloud-based resources, leaving critical applications and data exposed. The traditional VPN setup, often dependent on split tunneling to balance performance, introduces serious security risks, as some traffic bypasses the secure tunnel altogether. 

3. Shadow IT: The rise of shadow IT—where employees use unsanctioned tools and applications—poses a significant threat to security. Without proper visibility into these activities, IT teams struggle to enforce security policies, leading to potential data breaches and compliance issues. Shadow IT creates a parallel IT infrastructure, unmanaged and unsanctioned, that can easily become a breeding ground for security vulnerabilities, as these tools often lack the robust security features mandated by corporate policies.

4. Increased Complexity: Managing security across a hybrid workforce is complex. Organisations often rely on multiple vendors, each providing different tools with their own management interfaces and licensing models. This not only increases the risk of misconfigurations but also drives up operational costs and reduces efficiency. The complexity is further exacerbated by the need for security teams to manually correlate data from various systems, increasing the likelihood of human error.

The Impact of These Challenges

The consequences of these security challenges are far-reaching:

• Inconsistent Security Enforcement: With different policies applied across various environments, vulnerabilities are more likely to go unnoticed, leading to potential breaches. The lack of a unified approach means that security measures may vary in effectiveness depending on the user’s location or device, creating weak points that can be exploited.
• Increased Risk Exposure: The lack of visibility and control over shadow IT and inadequately secured VPN connections exposes organisations to heightened risks. These risks are amplified by the growing sophistication of cyber threats, which can exploit even the smallest gaps in security.
• Operational Inefficiency: Managing a complex web of security tools from multiple vendors is time-consuming and costly, detracting from more strategic initiatives. This inefficiency not only increases the workload for IT teams but also slows down response times during security incidents.
• Decreased User Experience: Performance issues with VPNs and other outdated solutions can frustrate employees, particularly those working remotely, leading to decreased productivity. The need to balance security with user convenience often results in a compromise that satisfies neither, leading to dissatisfaction and potential security workarounds by users.

How a Unified SASE Solution Addresses These Challenges

To effectively secure a hybrid workforce, organisations need a more integrated approach—enter Secure Access Service Edge (SASE). A unified SASE solution brings together networking and security functions into a single, cloud-delivered service that simplifies management, improves security, and enhances the user experience.

Key Benefits of a Unified SASE Solution:

1. Comprehensive Security Coverage: By converging network and security services, SASE provides consistent security enforcement across all environments—whether on-premise, remote, or in the cloud. This eliminates the gaps caused by disjointed point solutions. A single-vendor SASE solution ensures that all traffic, regardless of source or destination, is subject to the same rigorous security protocols, reducing the likelihood of security breaches.

2. Optimised Performance and Security: Unlike traditional VPNs, SASE optimises network performance  by routing traffic through the best available path, ensuring that employees have seamless access to applications and data, regardless of their location. This not only improves productivity but also enhances the overall user experience by reducing latency and ensuring that critical applications remain responsive. From a security perspective, SASE utlises continual security posture checks over the one time check that the traditional VPN offers, this ensures application protection based on realtime changes in end point posture. 

3. Full Visibility and Control: With a unified SASE solution, IT teams gain complete visibility into all network traffic, including shadow IT activities. This allows for more effective enforcement of security policies and reduces the risk of unauthorised access. The integration of advanced analytics and AI-driven insights enables IT teams to detect and respond to threats in real-time, significantly improving the organisation’s security posture.

4. Simplified Management: A single-vendor SASE solution reduces complexity by consolidating security tools into one platform. This not only streamlines management but also lowers operational costs, allowing IT teams to focus on strategic initiatives. The use of a unified management console enables centralised policy enforcement, reducing the risk of misconfigurations and ensuring consistent security across all endpoints.

5. Improved User Experience: By integrating security directly into the network, SASE ensures that security measures do not hinder performance. Employees can work securely and efficiently, without the disruptions caused by legacy solutions. The seamless integration of security and network functions eliminates the need for multiple logins or complex authentication processes, making it easier for employees to access the resources they need while maintaining robust security. SASE solutions include Digital Experience Montoring (DEM) tools meaning access to SaaS applications are monitored on a network access level and end point performance basis providing IT Teams with the visibility to determine a users digital experience. 

Redefining Security with Unified SASE

At Formation Tech, we recognise that the transition to a hybrid workforce is not just a temporary shift but a fundamental change in how businesses operate. This new reality demands a security approach that is as dynamic and flexible as the workforce it protects. A unified SASE solution is not just a nice-to-have; it’s a vital component of any modern security strategy.

By adopting a single-vendor SASE solution, organisations can achieve a level of security that is consistent, comprehensive, and adaptable to the ever-changing threat landscape. This approach allows IT teams to move away from the piecemeal security strategies of the past and towards a more integrated, efficient, and effective solution.

At Formation Tech, we believe that the key to securing the hybrid workforce lies in simplicity and integration. A unified SASE solution offers the best of both worlds—robust security combined with optimal performance and ease of management. This not only protects the organisation’s assets but also empowers employees to work more effectively, no matter where they are.

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, so too must our approach to security. Formation Tech is committed to staying at the forefront of this evolution, providing our clients with the tools and solutions they need to secure their operations today and in the future. Whether you are just beginning your journey towards a more secure hybrid workforce or looking to enhance your existing security infrastructure, we are here to help guide you every step of the way.