How to Determine SASE ROI

Given the shift to the cloud and the rise of remote work, more organizations are turning to SASE to deliver secure access to data, resources, and applications from any location. SASE reduces the complexity of securing modern enterprise networks for increased performance, scalability, and flexibility while reducing costs.

But how do you prove SASE lowers costs and provides a positive return on investment (ROI)? To make the business case, you need to assess SASE implementation costs vs the savings it generates to determine SASE ROI. As we will discuss, this is not a simple calculation.

First, let’s clearly define SASE and consider the secure access service edge benefits that are attracting organizations.

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SASE란?

SASE is the next form of the zero trust security model, moving away from perimeter-based models to deploy protections wherever your network requires. Rather than securing a data center with all of your internal resources, SASE is a cloud-based solution delivered at the network edge. Combining a Software Defined-Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) and security controls into a single solution, SASE streamlines security and networking for modern operations.

SASE integrates various cloud-based security functions, including:

With all these security features working together, you can implement consistent protections and advanced networking capabilities no matter how distributed your workloads and users are. SASE enables comprehensive networking and security capabilities, eliminating the need to configure multiple technologies with different security policies. For example, security policies for each cloud provider or SaaS application, as well as one defining your firewall usage.

Focusing on zero trust over traditional security methods, SASE users verify their identification and device to access the data they need for their work. Security is defined by user privilege, contextual data, and regulatory compliance rather than a fixed network perimeter.

As a cloud-based solution, SASE allows for scalable, high-performance networks that adapt to match your business needs and new threats. Built on a distributed network of Points of Presence (PoPs) located in strategic locations, SASE also removes the bottleneck issues associated with routing all traffic through centralized data centers. This improves the user experience and helps increase productivity through fast, secure access to business resources (data, applications, etc.).

Calculating SASE ROI

To remain successful, every business must scrutinize its spending – ensuring running costs are put to good use and every investment will produce a profit, even if it’s over a protracted timeframe. Enterprise IT is no exception. To justify moving on from your existing infrastructure and transitioning to a more modern approach, you need to be confident that you will see meaningful returns from your SASE investments.

SASE ROI or SASE investment return is the ratio of the money it saves vs the costs associated with implementing the solution. Expressed as a percentage, it is calculated as:

SASE ROI (%) = (Net Benefits Generated / Required Costs) x 100

However, writing a simple equation for SASE ROI masks the significant challenges associated with determining an accurate value.

While SASE solutions generate a range of benefits, it can be difficult to translate these benefits into quantifiable figures. Whether it is the reduced risk of data breaches, productivity gains, or new operational efficiencies, you must develop methods for estimating these savings.

Plus, you have to consider the SASE implementation cost and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for the new solution, while also taking into account the costs associated with your existing IT infrastructure and security tools. For example, if the transition to SASE costs more than your existing systems, do the additional cost savings and risk reduction associated with the new framework outweigh the difference?

To help answer difficult questions like these and improve our estimate of SASE ROI, let’s try to quantify specific benefits associated with SASE.

Quantifying Secure Access Service Edge Benefits

The benefits to consider when trying to estimate SASE ROI can be divided into three broad categories:

#1. Reducing Network Complexity and Delivering Enhanced Performance

Moving on from costly legacy systems while still enabling simplified network management and enhanced performance produces a range of benefits:

A centralized view of your entire network replacing the previous approach that included disparate systems and data silos. IT teams can properly allocate resources based on organizational needs and identify wasted funds due to instances of over-licensing software.
Productivity benefits from lower latency, less system downtime, and employees saving time while completing their tasks.
Automated patching based on enforcing a single security policy across all network assets and users.
Scalability through a cloud-based solution and eliminating the need for significant CapEx investments to meet new demands.

#2. Enhanced Security Postures

With SASE, you can implement comprehensive security policies across the entire network. This leads to enhanced protections and simplified security posture management thanks to:

Consolidating security tools into a single solution and subscription with easier management. This results in efficiency gains for IT teams overseeing the security posture of your entire organization.
Improved security team operations that save time and money, including a reduced number of incidents and investigations, quicker mean-time-to-resolution for less downtime, and easier compliance support.
Reduced risk associated with data breaches and the costs required to remediate them. Given the current threat landscape, every reasonably sized organization is being targeted by cyber attacks. SASE offers the best possible protection to limit the fallout from potential attacks, including significant reputational damage.
Improved visibility from managing a unified solution that covers the entire network helps IT teams identify security gaps and automated triggers that implement valuable incident response procedures.

#3. Driving Innovation through New Networking Capabilities

With enhanced network capabilities, you can innovate workplace operations and introduce new services. This helps identify new sources of income while identifying new, more efficient processes that save costs. Examples include:

Aligning and integrating SASE solutions with DevOps principles to enhance collaboration and reduce the time it takes to bring new services to the market.
Improving the customer experience when interacting with your network, including faster performance and quicker onboarding.
Identifying potential new services and revenue streams that give you an edge over your competitors.

The Cost of Implementing SASE

There are a range of factors that affect the cost of implementing SASE solutions, including:

The scale of your organization in terms of the number of users and sites, your required bandwidth, and network services needed.
The distribution of your employees, where they work from, and the access they require.
Existing network infrastructure and how you plan to transition from current operations to the advanced network capabilities of SASE.
The level of security capabilities required depending on the sensitivity of your business data and the regulations you must adhere to.

SASE ROI depends on estimating both the initial cost of implementing SASE and the ongoing costs associated with vendor subscriptions, maintenance, and support. While upfront costs require a one-off significant payment, you need to think longer term to assess whether the benefits post-SASE implementation counteract the initial outlay.

Improving SASE ROI Estimates

Best practices for improving the accuracy of your SASE ROI calculations include:

Establishing baseline costs in terms of your current networking and security spending. Consider what you get in return for this spending and how existing infrastructure is holding back your organization.
Determine the cost of implementing SASE in terms of initial deployment, subscription costs you will be paying based on the size of your operations, and the ongoing maintenance of the solution.
Identify cost savings due to enhanced operational efficiencies and productivity gains associated with simplified network management and enhanced network performance.
While it can be challenging to estimate the reduced likelihood and costs of a potential data breach, you have to factor in how the improved security capabilities of a SASE framework reduce risk for your organization.
Compare and contrast the costs to the potential benefits in order to estimate SASE ROI.

Maximize Security with Harmony SASE

To learn more about SASE benefits from Check Point, download our latest eBook on how the framework is solving today’s network challenges. By embracing SASE, you can dramatically improve your networking and security capabilities. Given the competitive marketplace and evolving threat landscape, organizations that focus on providing cutting-edge, secure networks are likely to be successful today and in the future.

Discover how SASE could transform your business by scheduling a short call. Our team will take you through a demo of Harmony SASE from Check Point, a game-changing approach to Security Access Service Edge frameworks that delivers faster networking and comprehensive security.