Glossary term
SSE
Also: Security Service Edge
Subset of SASE without SD-WAN. Bundles SWG, CASB, ZTNA and (increasingly) DLP/RBI in a cloud platform. Stand-alone Gartner Magic Quadrant exists.
SSE targets companies that decouple network and security procurement, e.g. because SD-WAN is already established or because network and security strategies have different roadmaps.
Leaders (Gartner SSE MQ 2024): Zscaler, Netskope, Palo Alto Networks, Cisco, Cloudflare, Skyhigh Security, Lookout. Microsoft positions Defender for Cloud Apps and Entra Internet Access as SSE building blocks.
In practice
In banking and insurance procurement, SSE is often the natural replacement for legacy web-proxy stacks (Bluecoat/Symantec) and VPN stacks (Cisco AnyConnect, Pulse Secure). Migration is often a 2-3 year programme.
Related terms
SASE
Gartner architecture category combining network (SD-WAN) and security functions (SWG, CASB, ZTNA, FWaaS, RBI) on a single cloud platform. SSE is the variant without SD-WAN.
CASB
Security layer between users and SaaS providing visibility (shadow IT discovery), data protection (DLP), compliance, and threat protection across SaaS apps. Four functions per Gartner: visibility, compliance, data security, threat protection.
Zero Trust
A security model built on the principle that no user, device or network location is trusted by default. Access is continuously verified against identity, device posture, context and policy, regardless of whether the request comes from inside or outside the corporate network.
SBOM
Machine-readable inventory of all components in a software incl. versions, licences and dependencies. Formats: SPDX, CycloneDX, SWID. Mandatory in regulated areas; in the US driven by Executive Order 14028.
Schrems II
CJEU ruling of 16 July 2020 that invalidated the EU-US Privacy Shield and only allowed Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) under additional safeguards. Consequence: third-country data transfers need a Transfer Impact Assessment (TIA) plus additional protective measures.
SIEM (Security Information and Event Management)
A platform that centralises security logs, enables long-term retention, runs correlation rules and supports investigation. SIEM is the evidence layer under EDR, XDR and SOC operations and the single largest line item in most security budgets.
SOC 2 Type 2
Audit report by a US public accountant under AICPA SSAE 18 standard, confirming the operating effectiveness of a service organisation's controls over a period (typically 6-12 months). Refers to Trust Service Criteria.
Sovereign cloud
A cloud deployment model that guarantees operational, legal and technical control of data and workloads within a specific jurisdiction (typically the EU). Sovereign cloud answers the concern that hyperscaler deployments remain exposed to foreign jurisdiction, primarily the US CLOUD Act.