Forcepoint One unites zero trust and SASE in a single security platform

According to Forcepoint, the all-in-one cloud platform announced on Tuesday should free businesses from having to rely on multiple security vendors to protect their digital assets. Forcepoint One simplifies enterprise security by integrating zero-trust and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) technologies so security teams can manage a set of policies from a single console. According to Forcepoint, its platform makes it easier for enterprises to adopt SASE technology by consolidating essential security services under one roof, including Secure Web Gateway (SWG) services, browser isolation to Brower Isolation (RBI), Reconstruction (Content Disarm and Reconstruction, CDR), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), and Zero Trust Network Access (Zero Trust Network Access, ZTNA). The vendor says that thanks to the platform, companies no longer need products to block malware and protect sensitive data in enterprise applications and on BYOD devices, as it supports built-in protection against advanced threats (Advanced Threat Protection, ATP) and data loss prevention (Data Loss Prevention, DLP). With Forcepoint One, security teams can manage a single set of policies for all applications from a cloud-based console, through an agent for endpoints, and agentless support for unmanaged devices.

Platform vs. Best-of-breed

“It’s clear that the old approach of managing 50+ point products isn’t working when it comes to supporting hybrid work environments where 75% of people are working remotely and billions of unmanaged devices connect to enterprise resources,” said Manny Rivelo, CEO of Forcepoint, in a statement. “Forcepoint One simplifies security by bringing security functions together in a single, true cloud-native, zero-trust platform from which they can manage a set of policies, instead of having to combine them individually” , added the CEO. As Charlie Winckless, senior research director for research and advisory firm Gartner, points out, this consolidation trend is not new. “It will continue, both in terms of edge security services – like Forcepoint – and in other areas – like XDR,” he said. “Traditional point platforms have a lot of overlap in terms of work, reporting and user interfaces. They complicate the work of security teams, because they have to intervene in different, yet very similar areas – web traffic to a website or web traffic to a SaaS application. This means that well-built platforms have a future,” Mr. Winckless added. “Teams can no longer afford to manage dozens of so-called best-of-breed products, and the synergy between the components provides better visibility and more actionable security insights,” Winckless added.

The rare all-in-one security offering

“While a platform-based approach to security may be appropriate for some organizations, today few vendors can offer a single solution that supports all components of SASE technology,” explained Garrett A. Bekker. III, senior research analyst at 451 Research. “A lot of companies wanting to set up a SASE have to rely on two or three vendors,” he said. “As Forcepoint offers a complete platform, it is an advantage for them, especially when these companies have SMB customers or companies that do not have a lot of resources,” added Mr. Bekker. “That’s the advantage of platforms in general. There is now only one supplier to deal with. This can help customers streamline their vendors, an ongoing issue in security,” he added. “The disadvantage of this approach is that the company is dependent on a single supplier, and it cannot have the best technology in all product categories, and sometimes the integrations between the different products are insufficient”, the 451 Research analyst said again.