SSE, SASE, and Zero Trust

Gustavo Medina, CCIE #51487, is a Senior Solutions Architect who is passionate about helping enterprise customers design and implement secure and scalable architectures. Known for his ability to solve complex problems and connect the dots across technologies, teams, and business requirements, he takes great pride in contributing to the security industry in meaningful and lasting ways. Beyond his customer work, he mentors engineers around the world and enables Cisco partners on emerging technologies. His influence extends across the company through his involvement in reviewing Cisco official certification exams, presenting at Cisco Live, and developing technical content published on cisco.com.Since joining Cisco in 2009, Gustavo has been recognized as a trusted advisor and respected member of the global security community. Over the course of his career, he has built deep expertise in network security technologies and has served in roles based in Heredia, Costa Rica; Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; and Mexico City, Mexico. He remains committed to excellence, innovation, and advancing the practice of secure network design through clarity, collaboration, and a problem-solving mindset.Oscar Ramirez, CCIE #68457, is a Senior Solutions Architect with more than 5 years of specialized experience in SASE and more than 15 years in network and security technologies. He excels at bridging business needs with cutting-edge solutions by delivering impactful technical presentations, guiding proof-of-value deployments, and addressing complex pre-sales challenges.Leveraging industry-leading credentials, including CCIE Security, CISSP, and CCSP, Oscar specializes in competitive positioning and aligning advanced security architectures such as Zero Trust and SD-WAN to customer requirements. His work reflects a commitment to driving innovation, adoption, and measurable business outcomes.Through close collaboration with stakeholders and cross-functional teams, he ensures technical alignment and strategic value for enterprise clients. Passionate about secure cloud connectivity and multi-domain architectures, Oscar actively contributes to shaping security strategies that empower organizations on their digital transformation journey.Ryan Shoemaker, CCIE #7405, is a Senior Solutions Architect from Chicago, Illinois, with more than 30 years of technical expertise in cybersecurity, networking infrastructure, and cloud integrations. He enjoys helping customers utilize networking technologies to accomplish meaningful goals. Leveraging his CCIE and CISSP certifications, along with his MBA, he has found success in connecting new capabilities with accomplishing his customers’ business goals. Networking is all about connecting, while security is all about protecting, and as such, he has found it critical to implement the right set of capabilities to provide both. He is a passionate content creator who has authored whitepapers, documents, and presentations that he has delivered at different tradeshows throughout his career. He also holds a patent for “Optimizing Application Path Selection for Cloud Apps from a Client.” This book marks his first attempt at authorship of this scale, and he hopes readers enjoy reading it as much as he did in helping write it.

• Introduction xxChapter 1 The Evolving Landscape of Edge Technologies 1A History of Network Security 2The Proliferation of Remote Users and Application Placement Options 7Case Study: A Healthcare Provider’s Shift to Cloud Security 9Self-Managed and SaaS Edge 10The Triad of Modern Edge Security Concepts: SSE, SASE, and Zero Trust 12Bringing It All Together: How SSE, SASE, and Zero Trust Work in Unison 15Summary 15References 16Chapter 2 Secure Service Edge (SSE) Unveiled 17Core Capabilities of SSE 17Recommended and Optional Capabilities of SSE 30Methods to Connect and Secure Remote User Access Via SSE 31Methods to Connect and Secure Edge Access Via SSE (Owned Branch Location) 42Methods That Connect the Application Environment to SSE 45Use Cases: Bringing It All Together 51Summary 68References 68Chapter 3 Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Unveiled 71What Is SASE? 71Building Blocks of SASE 73SSE 74SD-WAN 74Site-to-Site Communications 85Middle Mile Overview 93Optional Capabilities of SASE 100Elements of SASE 104SASE Implementation Options 106Methods to Connect and Secure Edge Access Using SASE 109Methods to Connect the Application Environment Using SASE 113How to Integrate CoLo and Carrier Neutral Facilities 115Use Cases: Bringing It All Together 116Summary 125References 125Chapter 4 The Essence of Zero Trust Network Security 127Introduction to Zero Trust 127Zero Trust Principles 131Critical Technologies for Implementing a Zero Trust Architecture 139Core Pillars of Zero Trust Architectures 148Zero Trust Frameworks and Maturity Models 151Zero Trust Strategy Example 161Summary 167References 168Chapter 5 Integrating Zero Trust with SSE and SASE 171Strategies for Synergy 171Comprehensive Security Integration 175Bringing It All Together 179Lessons from Misalignment: The Risk of Silos 179From Fragmentation to Convergence 180Applying Zero Trust Principles Across the Network Diameter 181Case Studies of Successful Integration 184Summary 193References 193Chapter 6 Evaluating and Selecting the Right Solution 195Assessing Organizational Requirements 195Outlining the Decision-Making Process 200Planning and Executing Implementation 213Sustaining the Zero Trust Program 225Summary 225References 226Chapter 7 Managing and Maintaining the Edge Solutions 227Understanding Edge Deployment Options 227Determining Operational Structure 245SASE Troubleshooting 255Scalability and Growth Considerations 275Summary 279References 280Chapter 8 Future Trends in SSE, SASE, and Zero Trust 283Emerging Technologies and Innovations 283Evolving Threat Landscape 302The Path Forward 305Summary 305References 306Glossary 309  9780138344955, TOC, 2/4/2026