Cradlepoint SASE Solution Integrates Cellular SD-WAN and Enhanced Security

Cradlepoint recently unveiled NetCloud SASE, a single vendor solution that integrates cellular-centric SD-WAN and security into a unified offering for agile businesses. The cloud-delivered Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) platform enables lean IT teams to provision true zero-trust networks in as little as six minutes, the company claims.

The new offering focuses on covering more than just fixed sites. It allows organizations to extend their reach and move services closer to customers. It also helps protect the increased attack surface due to the influx of connected devices.

The explosion in such devices is driving the need for simplified, scalable, and specialized SASE solutions that extend beyond fixed sites to secure dynamic environments, such as shifting locations, roaming vehicles, multiplying IoT devices, and employees connecting from anywhere.

"The entry of a new SASE solution that emphasizes cellular/5G technologies underscores the dynamic and evolving nature of the SASE market,” said Mauricio Sanchez, Sr. Director, Enterprise Security and Networking Research at Dell’Oro Group, a market research and analysis firm. “Blending 5G capabilities with SASE architecture offers new options for agile enterprises to secure and manage their networks in an increasingly connected world.”

“Cradlepoint has more than a decade of experience simplifying cellular networking for enterprises operating in the most challenging environments on the planet,” said Pankaj Malhotra, Head of Enterprise Networking and Cybersecurity Products, Cradlepoint, part of Ericsson, in prepared comments. “We are now enhancing the simplicity of enterprise-class network security for even the leanest IT organizations by introducing a SASE solution that integrates cellular, SD-WAN, and security in a unified platform.”

What to look for in SASE offerings

As SASE solutions evolve, enterprises will be provided with a growing list of integrated capabilities into single vendor SASE solutions that expand into areas such as supporting flexibility with 5G service and network slicing.

Adding advanced capabilities to single vendor SASE solutions, Cradlepoint, and others have done bodes well for enterprises who market trackers have claimed are increasing opting for these solutions over multivendor approaches.

Cradlepoint pointed out Cellular Optimization as a key element as it delivers Wireless WAN optimizations that preserve bandwidth, improve performance, and deliver a 5G standalone slicing-ready solution. SD-WAN with intelligent bonding provides a zero-loss WAN for mission-critical communications from vehicles and sites.

Cradlepoint also noted its Zero Trust capability is built in as opposed to bolted on. This combines security with the network creation process to construct a zero-trust foundation that is deny-all by default. The solution also obscures all IP addresses and blocks east west traffic, minimizing the attack surface and preventing lateral movement, as the network grows and scales, according to the company.

The early access version of NetCloud SASE is available immediately. General availability will follow later in the second quarter of this year, the company said. This offering was discussed as part of the firm’s SASE strategy last summer.

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