Are Security Service Edge [SSE] Agents Overhyped or Overlooked?

Have you heard the groans? "Another agent?!", "This is overkill!", or "Death by agent!". When it comes to cybersecurity, the mention of "agents" can be met with sighs and resistance. But are these concerns valid?

In this article, we will delve into the topic of SSE Agent, exploring their purpose, effectiveness, and potential drawbacks.

Why an SSE Agent Isn't Overkill

Remember that old saying "security through obscurity"? It used to be all about building walls around your network. But with remote work and adoption of cloud/SaaS apps, threats can sneak in anywhere.

Think of an SSE agent as your security team inside the network as well as outside the network. It's like having a team of detectives constantly on the lookout for trouble. The agent help the team with below functionalities,

• Identity checks: They constantly verify who is using a device and what they should be allowed to access. No more stolen passwords wreaking havoc.
• Device health: They check if your device is up-to-date with patches, has AV or EDR running, and isn't acting suspicious.
• Data loss prevention and Shadow IT reporting: Agents can monitor for suspicious data activity and unauthorized applications, helping you prevent data leaks and stay on top of "shadow IT" – tools employees use outside your official systems, which can pose security risks.
• Digital experience monitoring: Agents can also monitor your applications' performance and identify potential problems that could slow down users or impact their productivity. It's like having a performance coach for your apps!
• Supercharged SSE: Agents feed info back to your SSE, giving it a complete picture of your entire network's health. This lets the SSE make smart decisions about access and protection way faster.And many more..

But what about legacy devices?

Yeah, some old operating systems or super specialized devices won't take a fancy agent. That's where PAC files come in! (reminds me of the game Pac Man - the maze chase video game, but it is not that). A PAC file (Proxy Auto-Configuration) is basically a script written in JavaScript that tells your web browser how to handle Internet requests. It determines whether a specific web page should be accessed directly or routed through a Secure Service Edge.. 

PAC files are like old-school traffic cops, redirecting traffic from those devices to your SSE for filtering and protection. Some scenarios where PAC files come in handy,

• Legacy Operating Systems and/or Servers: For devices or systems where installing the SSE agent isn't possible, PAC files provide a solution to route traffic through SSE Cloud, gaining security and filtering benefits.
• Non-persistent VDI Environments: PAC files can be especially valuable in non-persistent VDI environments where installing agents and saving user details for the SSE agent could be challenging. PAC files ensure consistent access and security regardless of individual user sessions.
• Backup during agent-outage: In case of an agent outage, PAC files can act as a backup, ensuring continued Internet connectivity and security.

Conclusion:

An SSE agent gives you a much clearer picture of what is happening with your users and their devices.  Security Service Edge (SSE) agents could help in agent consolidation if you are using point solutions and their respective agents. This lets you stop threats faster and keep your data safe.