SASE

The industry standard for integrated policy, security, and connectivity.

Managed SASE Services

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) has quickly gained traction in the industry due to its future-proof, policy-based approach to security and networking; here, SD-WAN meets security, delivered in a cloud-centric offering.

As enterprises increasingly need to support work from anywhere, and applications and services move to the cloud, there’s a fundamental shift in how users access their networks, applications, and data—from network-centric to user-centric—and how to manage security in this new environment.

MEF’s industry-first SASE standard defines a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Service framework and specifies service attributes that need to be agreed upon between a service provider and a subscriber for SASE services, including security functions, policies, and connectivity services. The standard aligns stakeholders on common terminology and service attributes when buying, selling, and delivering SASE services, and makes it easier to interface policy with security functions for cloud-based cybersecurity from anywhere.

In The Spotlight

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Secure Access Service Edge—Validating Cyber Defense in an Era of Unprecedented Threats

2024 State of the Industry Report: SASE

The risk of major cyberattacks has never been greater. Organizations are responding by making cybersecurity a top priority for digital technology investment. Find out how…

SASE and Zero Trust

With increasingly user-centric models in which those who need to access the network and its resources are no longer defined by a single, hard-wired location, the need to identify and authorize usage is increasingly necessary for enterprises to support remote and hybrid employees and digital transformation initiatives.

The MEF 3.0 SASE service standard and Zero Trust framework have been developed by the industry’s top managed security and service providers to make it easier to bring to market robust, easy-to-understand, order, and manage SASE services for the enterprise—with Zero Trust built in.

The Secure Access Service Edge Defined in MEF 117

Combining MEF 3.0 SD-WAN services, security, and the MEC network edge into a SASE cloud.

SD-WAN

  • Policy
  • Secure access from anywhere with any device
  • VPN and overlay SD-WAN based
  • WAN App optimization and prioritization
  • Thin CPE model

Cybersecurity

  • Policy
  • Security where needed (Cloud or on-premises)
  • Zero Trust based
  • Sites uses the secure cloud to get to the Internet
  • Scalable for multitenant
  • Virtualized and cloud native

MEC Edge

  • Designed for the MEC edge
  • All MEC edges create the service edge SASE cloud
  • Connections to public and private clouds
  • Connections to the Internet

Learn More about SASE:

Educational Materials:

SASE: State of the Industry Report — 2023 May

Product Portfolio: SASE

How standards-based SASE certification addresses the pressing need for validated cyber defense and application performance.

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Technical Standards & SDKs:

MEF 118.1 Zero Trust Framework for MEF Services — 2024 Jul

Amends: MEF 118

Product Portfolio: SASE, Zero Trust

This standard defines a framework and requirements addressing Identity and Authentication of the different Actors plus Policy-Based Access Control providing enforcement at Policy End Points.

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MEF 117 SASE Service Attributes and Service Framework — 2022 Oct

Product Portfolio: SASE, Zero Trust, SSE, SSE Certification

This document defines a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Service Framework and specifies Service Attributes that need to be agreed between a Service Provider and a Subscriber for SASE Services, including Security Functions, Policies and Connectivity Services.

Learn More

MEF 118 Zero Trust Framework for MEF Services — 2022 Oct

Product Portfolio: SASE, Zero Trust, Zero Trust Certification

This standard defines a framework and requirements addressing Identity and Authentication of the different Actors plus Policy-Based Access Control providing enforcement at Policy End Points.

Learn More

MEF 88 Application Security for SD-WAN Services — 2021 Nov

Product Portfolio: SASE, SSE, SSE Certification, SD-WAN

This Standard specifies the requirements needed to add Application Flow Security to SD-WAN Services.

Learn More

I want to investigate further. See all SASE resources:

What Can I Achieve with MEF 3.0 SASE?

Enterprises are challenged to compare feature sets and solutions when selecting SD-WAN and SASE services, with built-in Zero Trust, often resulting in incomplete service offerings that don’t meet needs and expectations. At the same time, service providers want to offer a complete, unified SASE service that includes networking and security under a single pane of glass.

MEF 3.0 SASE advantages:

  • Empower enterprises to easily compare SASE service offerings.
  • Enable providers to address enterprise needs for user-centric networks.
  • Remove market confusion to accelerate SASE services adoption.
  • Ensure service resiliency by making it easier to interface policy with intelligent underlay connectivity services.
  • Facilitate a future-proof, all-encompassing approach to security and networking with interoperability.

Be In the Know

Engage in Evolving the Industry-First SASE Standard

Collaborating with MEF members on the multi-faceted security work across MEF’s relevant standards ensures you are at the forefront of creating on-demand, secure services and applications in support of better customer and user experiences for the enterprise. Helping with the evolution of a SASE service standard will provide you a truly influential opportunity within the ICT industry. Our current SASE initiatives are available in the MEF 3.0 SASE Hub on the MEF Members’ Wiki.


All employees of active MEF-member companies are authorized to access MEF Members’ Wiki. Don’t have a login? Register. Not a member? Join MEF. Not sure? Contact Us.

Go to the Member Wiki
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Be In the Industry—Secure the business of our industry and its stakeholders.

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