Intelligence at the edge opens up more risks: how unified SASE can solve it

In an increasingly mobile and modern workforce, smart technologies such as AI-driven edge solutions and the Internet of Things (IoT) can help enterprises improve productivity and efficiency—whether to address operational roadblocks or respond faster to market demands.

However, new solutions also come with new challenges, mainly in cybersecurity. The decentralized nature of edge computing—where data is processed, transmitted, and secured closer to the source rather than in a data center—has presented new risks for businesses and their everyday operations.

This shift to the edge increases the number of exposed endpoints and creates new vulnerabilities as the attack surface expands. Enterprises will need to ensure their security is watertight in today’s threat landscape if they want to reap the full benefits of smart technologies at the edge.

Bypassing the limitations of traditional network security 

For the longest time, enterprises have relied on traditional network security approaches to protect their edge solutions. However, these methods are becoming increasingly insufficient as they typically rely on static rules and assumptions, making them inflexible and predictable for malicious actors to circumvent. 

While effective in centralized infrastructures like data centers, traditional network security models fall short when applied to the distributed nature of edge computing. Instead, organizations need to adopt more adaptive, decentralized, and intelligent security frameworks built with edge deployments in mind. 

Traditional network security typically focuses on keeping out external threats. But today’s threat landscape has evolved significantly, with threat actors leveraging AI to launch advanced attacks such as genAI-driven phishing, sophisticated social engineering attacks, and malicious GPTs. Combined with the lack of visibility with traditional network security, a cybersecurity breach could remain undetected until it’s too late, resulting in consequences extending far beyond IT infrastructures. 

Next generation of enterprise security with SASE

As organizations look into implementing new technologies to spearhead their business, they should also make security a core requirement. Thankfully, this is a shared sentiment across IT leaders as the CIO Tech Priorities report by Foundry reveals that 64% of IT decision makers say that they would prioritize cybersecurity in the next year. Within that, 80% have plans to partner with a technology vendor. 

Singtel’s Unified Secure Access Service Edge Convergence (Unified SASE Convergence) is built with next-generation enterprise security in mind, integrating network and security in one place.

As part of Singtel CUBΣ—a comprehensive suite of unified network services—Singtel’s managed SASE approach integrates Software-Defined Wide-Area Networking (SD-WAN) and advanced Secure Service Edge (SSE) solutions from industry leaders into a unified cloud-based platform. This gives users full visibility of their network operations at any time on a single dashboard, enhancing security without any added complexities to the workflow. 

Coupled with AI-driven predictive maintenance and automation, fault detection and resolution can be accelerated with minimal downtime for maximum productivity. 

The flexible SSE deployment models also give businesses the choice to pick the best vendor for their unique business needs while enjoying the convenience and efficiency of unified accountability.

All of these give business leaders the confidence to operate with agility, knowing that the entire network is secure, including the edge, mobile device endpoints, and IoT.  

As enterprises continue to adopt new AI-driven edge solutions and IoT devices to stay competitive, the need for robust and adaptive cybersecurity measures has never been greater. Having a one-stop solution that keeps data secure regardless of where they sit within the network is crucial, so that business leaders have the peace of mind and confidence to operate knowing their most critical assets are protected. 

Learn more about Singtel Unified SASE Convergence here.