Why Cloud Brink over Zscaler and others as next generation SASE

At its core, SASE is designed to deliver unified, consistent policies across all edges of the network, including branch offices, mobile workers, and cloud applications. However, as the network grows, so does the number of policies needed to secure various segments, devices, and applications. For organizations with complex environments, maintaining these policies can quickly become overwhelming.

Each component within a SASE solution—ZTNA, SD-WAN, DLP (data loss prevention), etc.—requires its own set of configurations. Many companies struggle to harmonize these policies, especially when they need to be applied across different geographies, regulatory environments, and business units. The challenge of creating and managing policies that apply universally while allowing flexibility for localized needs is often underestimated.

While SASE is marketed as a unified, single-vendor solution, in reality, many organizations find themselves deploying a hybrid of different vendors' technologies to meet their specific needs. Each vendor may excel at certain aspects of the SASE model—some are better at security, while others offer superior SD-WAN capabilities. This leads to organizations managing multiple vendor platforms, with distinct interfaces and management consoles, making the overall solution fragmented rather than truly unified.

This fragmentation complicates deployment, increases training costs, and adds complexity to ongoing management and troubleshooting. As organizations scale, the issue of vendor lock-in can become a major obstacle, limiting flexibility and forcing companies to rely on a single vendor for both networking and security—a risky move in a rapidly evolving market.

One of the main selling points of SASE is the promise of consistent performance and security, regardless of location. However, delivering on that promise at scale can be a significant challenge. Many SASE solutions rely heavily on cloud-based security services, which can introduce latency as traffic is routed through the cloud to apply security policies before reaching its destination.
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As the number of remote users and devices grows, network congestion and latency can increase, negatively impacting the user experience. This is particularly problematic for latency-sensitive applications, such as video conferencing, which are critical for remote workforces. Managing performance at scale often requires more granular control over traffic routing and prioritization, which can add another layer of complexity.

SASE solutions rely on cloud-native architecture to deliver security services globally. But scaling cloud infrastructure to meet the demands of a large, distributed organization can be difficult. The deployment process can vary based on the region, regulatory requirements, and bandwidth limitations, which can complicate efforts to maintain consistent security policies across all locations.

Moreover, not all SASE vendors are equal when it comes to cloud coverage. Some may lack sufficient Points of Presence (PoPs) or data centers to support global operations, leading to coverage gaps and forcing organizations to build out their own cloud infrastructure. Managing a hybrid solution that mixes the vendor’s cloud with private infrastructure adds to the complexity and reduces the simplicity that SASE promises.

Deploying a full-scale SASE solution often requires a considerable investment in time, money, and expertise. The shift to a SASE architecture typically involves rearchitecting a company’s existing network infrastructure, which can disrupt business operations and incur high migration costs. Additionally, managing and optimizing the solution post-deployment often requires specialized expertise in both networking and security, which many companies lack internally.

Moreover, many organizations face unforeseen operational expenditures (OPEX) due to the continuous monitoring, policy adjustments, and troubleshooting that are required to ensure SASE performs effectively at scale. These costs can erode the savings initially expected from adopting a unified SASE solution.

Despite the challenges, SASE can deliver on its promise of a unified, cloud-native security solution, but it requires careful planning and selection of the right vendor or combination of solutions. Organizations need to work closely with partners who understand the nuances of SASE deployments at scale, ensuring they choose a solution that aligns with both current needs and future growth.

The key to overcoming SASE complexity lies in adopting a phased approach to deployment, selecting modular solutions that can be quickly integrated, this is the reason after detailed anaylsis FortessSecure chose to work with Cloud Brink. With the right strategy in place, organizations can achieve the scalability, performance, and security they need—without getting bogged down in complexity.