Report highlights advances in SSE converged cloud security

As government operations become increasingly digital and distributed, the need for efficient deployment and management of cross-domain network security has never been more critical. A new special report underscores the growing importance of Security Service Edge (SSE) as a key component in achieving that efficiency and a cornerstone of modern government IT security.

The report, produced by Scoop News Group and sponsored by Cisco, highlights why SSE solutions have become essential to agency IT security operations. It describes how Cisco’s FedRAMP-authorized SSE solutions offer federal and state government agencies a new edge in unified cloud-delivered security.

The escalating cyber threat landscape

The report, titled “Advancing Government Security with Cisco’s Security Service Edge,” points to the rising danger and costs of today’s more sophisticated enterprise threats. In fiscal year 2023 alone, federal agencies reported more than 32,200 information security incidents, costing billions of dollars to investigate and repair. For instance, recent research from the Ponemon Institute shows that the average cost of a data breach in 2024 was $4.88 million per incident, a 10% increase from the previous year.

The relentless evolution of digital solutions and the sprawling distribution of data workloads across on-premises and multi-cloud environments further compound security risks, the report says. That presents cyber actors and nation-states with new and growing opportunities to exploit networking vulnerabilities. According to Cisco Talos Threat Intelligence Group data, the number of Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) facing security teams increased from 29,166 in 2023 to 40,289 in 2024.

At the same time, traditional security tools operating in agency silos are now proving less capable of seeing the big picture to detect and deter these threats while still requiring lots of time and specialized personnel to maintain.

The rise of security service edge (SSE)

To combat these evolving threats, agencies are increasingly moving to Security Service Edge (SSE) platforms to secure their applications and data. SSE embodies the convergence and consolidation of multiple security technologies into a modern, cloud-delivered network security architecture that secures users’ access to applications and resources across numerous use cases and environments.

“While federal and state agencies have significantly improved their zero-trust security posture over the past three years, experts agree that implementing an integrated security platform that provides holistic visibility and control remains essential to safeguarding government data systems from rising attacks,” the report notes.

SSE technology, combined with SD-WAN (software-defined wide area network) capabilities, delivers a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE). According to Gartner, SASE has become a preferred technology solution and is expected to grow at an average annual rate of more than 30% through 2027.

The report also notes that, according to a recent IDC survey, 84.7% of SSE/SASE buyers prefer or strongly prefer a single vendor solution for all SSE/SASE solution components.

That’s one reason why Cisco’s FedRAMP-authorized SSE/SASE solution is attracting growing attention among federal and state government agencies.

Key Capabilities of Cisco SSE for Government

The report highlights key capabilities that should be on the radar of government IT professionals. To simplify the security process for managed devices, solutions should include easy-to-use DNS protection along with:

• Secure Internet Access: Providing a Secure Internet Gateway (SIG), secure web gateway, and cloud-delivered firewall with Snort 3.0 IPS, along with CASB (Cloud Access Security Broker) and data loss prevention (DLP) for comprehensive protection.
• Secure Private Access: Offering unified Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), VPN-as-a-service (VPNaaS), and a single console covering both Secure Internet Access and Secure Private Access capabilities.

Cisco’s SSE solution provides fully integrated, cloud-native solutions with unified management of DNS-layer security. It rigorously verifies user identity, evaluates device security, and enforces stringent access controls. It also diligently monitors network traffic for malicious activity and proactively blocks threats before they can reach the user’s device or application.

“For almost 40 years, [Cisco has] empowered government agencies of all sizes to tackle their distinct security and compliance challenges,” states Jeff Scheaffer, vice president, Cisco SSE Product Management, in the report. “We possess deep insights into emerging threats and their impact on cybersecurity strategies. The significance of resilient and accessible cybersecurity is paramount. Cisco’s SSE solutions offer agencies reliable cloud-based security controls crucial for maintaining flexibility.”

The report also notes that Cisco’s Security Cloud Control (cloud-based management solution that simplifies and centralizes the management of all Cisco Secure Firewall form factors), Cisco Splunk Platform (offering a massively scalable and cost-effective data platform that helps federal and state agencies make confident decisions and take action at mission speeds), Cisco Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) (optimized network that enhances user experience and cloud connectivity for optimal SaaS application performance), and Cisco Duo (strong cloud-based authentication and device visibility) are all critical components of converged SASE strategies for government customers.

By unifying multiple security functions into a single cloud-delivered solution managed from a single web interface and with a single client, Cisco SSE solutions reduce security complexity on the backend for administrators with security that is transparent to users on the front end, the report concludes.

Download the full report to learn how Cisco’s SSE for Government can help your agency strengthen its security posture and stay ahead of the evolving threat landscape.

This article was produced by Scoop News Group for FedScoop and sponsored by Cisco.