Technical White Paper: The Business
Case for SASE
Title: Enhancing Enterprise Security with SASE: A Real-World Business Case
Version: 1.0
Date: June 2025
Author: [Your Company Name or Author Name]
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1. Executive Summary
In an increasingly cloud-native and remote-first world, identity authentication is no longer
sufficient. While tools like AWS IAM and Okta provide strong identity access controls, they
fall short in enforcing real-time data protection, application access policies, and secure user
behavior across all networks. Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) offers a unified, scalable
architecture that combines Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), Cloud Access Security
Broker (CASB), Secure Web Gateway (SWG), and Firewall as a Service (FWaaS) to address
modern cybersecurity challenges.
This white paper presents a real-world business case demonstrating how a global software
firm eliminated major data exfiltration risks, replaced legacy VPNs, and aligned with
compliance mandates by deploying a Fortinet-based SASE architecture.
2. Company Background
Organization: CodeSphere Technologies
Headcount: 1,200 employees across 6 countries
Environment: Cloud-first, hybrid workforce with extensive SaaS usage
Key Applications: AWS, GitHub, Salesforce, Jira, Atlassian, Slack, Zoom
Security Stack (Pre-SASE): Okta (SSO/MFA), CrowdStrike (EDR), VPN (legacy)
3. Pre-SASE Challenges
3.1 VPN Overhead and Security Gaps
- Credential reuse was common among users and contractors.
- No visibility into traffic post-authentication.
- Frequent latency and downtime complaints.
- VPN access remained live for deprovisioned contractors.
3.2 SaaS Application Blind Spots
- No real-time monitoring or policy enforcement for GitHub, Jira, Salesforce.
- Shadow SaaS usage (Dropbox, Bard, WeTransfer) went undetected.
- Users copied source code and pasted it into generative AI tools.
3.3 Cloud Resource Misconfiguration
- Publicly exposed S3 buckets remained undetected for weeks.
- No posture assessment of devices accessing AWS.
3.4 Compliance Audit Failures
- SOC 2 audit flagged lack of SaaS DLP and session control.
- Delays in offboarding created non-compliance risks.
4. SASE Implementation Overview
Vendor: Fortinet SASE
Modules Deployed:
- Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)
- Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)
- Secure Web Gateway (SWG)
- Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS)
- SD-WAN Optimization (via FortiClient and edge PoPs)
Integrations:
- Okta for identity enforcement
- CrowdStrike for endpoint posture validation
5. Technical Transformations
5.1 ZTNA for Application-Level Access
- Enforced device posture checks before granting access to AWS and GitHub.
- App-specific policies replaced traditional VPN tunnels.
- Revoked VPN infrastructure entirely.
5.2 CASB and SWG for SaaS Traffic Control
- Inline inspection of GitHub, Salesforce, and Zoom traffic.
- DLP rules blocked code uploads to ChatGPT, GDrive, Dropbox.
- Unauthorized SaaS tools were blocked or isolated.
5.3 FWaaS for Global Threat Protection
- Secure tunneling to nearest Fortinet PoPs.
- All user traffic scanned for malware, phishing, and DNS tunneling attempts.
5.4 Centralized Logging and Audit Readiness
- Per-user and per-app access logs ingested into SIEM.
- Full compliance with SOC 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR.
6. Measurable Business Impact
KPI Before SASE After SASE
VPN Downtime 8 hrs/month 0 hrs/month
Shadow SaaS Usage 40+ apps 5 (whitelisted)
Code Exfiltration Incidents 3/year 0
SOC2 Audit Findings 7 0
Deprovision Time 2-3 days Real-time
7. Strategic Outcomes
- Reduced attack surface by 60%.
- Improved SaaS performance by 30% for remote users.
- Enforced Zero Trust with identity, device, and context.
- Unified security controls across cloud, SaaS, and endpoint.
8. Conclusion
SASE is not a luxury but a necessity in today's decentralized IT landscape. While Okta and
AWS IAM cover identity and resource permissions, SASE secures everything in between —
the traffic, the behavior, the data flow, and the user’s digital footprint. Organizations that
adopt SASE can confidently enable work-from-anywhere, secure DevOps workflows, and
enforce consistent security policies across the entire digital surface.
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Contact Us:
[Your Company Contact Information or CTA]
