Network security and SASE

Network security has moved a long way from a firewall at the office edge. Staff work from home, applications live in SaaS and cloud accounts, and the old model of putting everyone on the corporate network through a VPN no longer fits. The tools in this category deal with that shift in different ways.

SASE, secure access service edge, is the umbrella term for delivering network security as a cloud service near the user. Zscaler, Netskope, Cato Networks, Cloudflare One and Palo Alto Networks' Prisma SASE all inspect web traffic, enforce data rules and grant access to private applications from points of presence around the world. Cato also folds SD-WAN into the same service, which suits companies with many branch offices.

Zero trust access tools such as Tailscale and Twingate replace the traditional VPN with access to specific applications or machines, granted by identity and device posture. They are easier to roll out than a full SASE platform and suit technical teams and smaller companies well.

Fortinet and Palo Alto Networks still sell firewalls for offices and data centers, now managed alongside their cloud services. Cisco Umbrella works at the DNS layer, blocking connections to known bad domains before they start, which makes it a quick first layer for schools and small businesses. Darktrace takes a different angle, learning normal traffic patterns and flagging behavior that does not fit.

AI features in network security are mostly about detection and policy: classifying unknown sites, spotting unusual data transfers or logins, and suggesting access rules from observed traffic. Treat these as aids for analysts and keep a human review on any automated blocking that could stop real work.

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10 AI IT operations tools in network security and sase

Zscaler

Cloud security service that routes user traffic through its zero trust exchange for web security and private app access.

Cloudflare One

by Cloudflare

Cloudflare's zero trust platform: secure web gateway, access to private apps without a VPN, and browser isolation.

Free plan or free tier
Developer API

Palo Alto Networks

Next-generation firewalls and the Prisma SASE service, with AI-driven threat prevention across network and cloud.

Netskope

SASE platform focused on data protection, combining web gateway, CASB and zero trust access with inline data loss prevention.

Cato Networks

Cloud SASE that converges SD-WAN and network security into one service for branch offices and remote users.

Fortinet

FortiGate firewalls and a security fabric covering SD-WAN, SASE and switching, with AI features in its security services.

Darktrace

Learns normal behavior on a network and flags unusual activity, with options to respond automatically to threats.

Tailscale

Private networking built on WireGuard that connects devices and servers directly with identity-based access rules.

Free plan or free tier
Developer API

Twingate

Zero trust remote access that replaces a VPN, granting users access to specific internal resources instead of the whole network.

Free plan or free tier
Developer API

Cisco Umbrella

by Cisco

DNS-layer security and secure web gateway from Cisco that blocks malicious domains before a connection is made.

Before choosing, map where your users are, where your applications live and what traffic you need to inspect. Check how each tool handles certificate inspection, regional data rules, guest and contractor access, and how it logs events for your security team. Run a pilot with one department before switching off the old VPN.

Rollouts usually go in stages. Many teams start with DNS filtering or a secure web gateway for remote users, then move private app access off the VPN one application at a time, and only then fold branch office traffic into the same service. Each stage needs testing with real users, because inspection can break apps that pin certificates or rely on unusual ports.

Licensing and architecture vary between these vendors, so compare like with like. Some charge per user and include several services, others sell each capability separately. Ask which points of presence will serve your users, how traffic fails over if one goes down, and what happens to user traffic if the agent stops running.

Visibility is a side benefit many teams underrate. Once web and private app traffic passes through one service, you can see which SaaS apps people use, which ones hold company data and which unmanaged devices try to connect. That inventory often surprises IT and security alike, and it feeds better decisions about which apps to sanction, block or bring under single sign-on. Make sure logs flow to the tools your security team already watches, so alerts are not stranded in yet another console.

Questions about network security and sase

What is the difference between SASE and zero trust access?

Zero trust network access is one part of SASE: granting users access to specific apps based on identity and device checks. SASE adds web security, data protection and often SD-WAN, delivered together as a cloud service.

Can a small company use these tools?

Yes. Cloudflare One, Tailscale and Twingate offer free plans for small teams, and Cisco Umbrella is often used by small businesses and schools for DNS filtering. The large SASE platforms usually suit bigger organizations with more users and locations.

Do we still need a firewall?

Most organizations keep firewalls at offices and data centers for local traffic, segmentation and devices that cannot run an agent. Cloud security services cover remote users and internet traffic. Many vendors manage both from one console.

How should we replace a VPN?

Inventory the internal apps people use, move them one group at a time to app-specific access, and keep the VPN for anything not yet moved. Check how each app handles single sign-on, and tell users what changes for them before each step.