SASE Certification is now generally available to MEF members providing technology and services.
MEF SASE Certification Badge – SD-WAN
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MEF, a global consortium of networking, cloud, security and technology providers accelerating enterprise digital transformation, today announced new certifications in the first module of its Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) product and service certification program. Broadcom, Inc., Fortinet and Versa have achieved SD-WAN certification. Palo Alto Networks is expected to achieve SD-WAN certification soon. Certified technology providers have received a product effectiveness rating and will be listed on the MEF Registry of Certified Organizations. MEF’s SASE certification program is now generally available to technology and service provider members.
Enterprises around the world have adopted SD-WAN to enable digital transformation, address changing workforce needs, and migrate to the cloud. SD-WAN delivers improved application performance, centralized management, enhanced connectivity, flexibility, security, cost, and other benefits. As a key component of SASE, SD-WAN is increasingly integrated with cybersecurity solutions to protect distributed environments.
SD-WAN Certification Paves the Way for SASE Certification
The pioneering SASE certification program is designed to instill confidence in the marketplace by validating the results of reliable and consistent technology and managed services. It is a subscription-based, ongoing testing model that enables participating technology and service providers to increase certification scores to deliver confidence in their cybersecurity products to the marketplace. SASE certification consists of three test modules: SD-WAN, Security Service Edge (SSE), and Zero Trust—each of which must be successfully completed to earn SASE certification.
SASE Comprehensive Certification
The certification program is offered in collaboration with MEF partner CyberRatings.org (CRO), a world-class lab dedicated to sharing knowledge on how to build, manage, and implement tests that provide transparency and trust in cybersecurity products and services. Technology provider testing is based on compliance with MEF standards, methodologies, and testing programs developed by CRO. Upon completion of testing, MEF issues a report card to the technology provider based on the test results. Badges will appear on the MEF Certification Registry along with ratings.
SASE certification will ensure compliance with the MEF SD-WAN (MEF 70.1) standard, and the industry-first SASE (MEF 117) and Zero Trust (MEF 118) standards. SD-WAN certification is now available to MEF members at large and full SASE certification is expected to be available in Q4 2024.
“The first SD-WAN certifications achieved under our SASE program represent a significant milestone, enabling businesses to confidently adopt secure and reliable access solutions while accelerating digital transformation and moving more applications to the cloud,” said Pascal Menezes, CTO, MEF. “This certification paves the way for businesses to confidently pursue full SASE certification and demonstrates MEF’s commitment to validating secure, high-performance networks.”
SASE services will be a core component of network-as-a-service (NaaS) offerings. NaaS allows service providers to bundle standard services including a combination of on-demand connectivity, application assurance, cybersecurity, and multi-cloud-based services that enable businesses to deliver business outcomes without having to build or maintain their own infrastructure. Including certified SASE services as part of a service provider’s NaaS offering means businesses can be confident that their cybersecurity solution is working.
SASE State of the Industry Report
MEF recently released its “State of the Industry Report: SASE – Validating Cyber Defense in an Era of Unprecedented Threats,” a comprehensive report that explores multiple factors that significantly increase the risk of major cyber attacks worldwide. The report explains how enterprise network and cybersecurity decision-makers can leverage MEF’s standards-based SASE certification to select the best solutions with proven cyber defense effectiveness and application performance. You can find more information and download the SASE report here.
You can find more information about MEF's SASE certification program here.
SASE Spotlight in GNE
SASE services and technologies will be prominently featured at MEF’s Global Network-as-a-Service (GNE) event, taking place October 28-30, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. Visit GNE 2024 for more information or to register to attend.
About MEF
MEF is a global consortium of service, cloud, cybersecurity and technology providers collaborating to accelerate enterprise digital transformation. It provides standards-based frameworks, services, technologies, APIs and certification programs to enable Network as a Service (NaaS) across an automated ecosystem. MEF is the defining authority for certified commercial and operational APIs for Lifecycle Service Orchestration (LSO) and Carrier Ethernet, SASE, SD-WAN, Zero Trust and Security Service Edge (SSE) technologies and services. MEF’s Global NaaS Event (GNE) brings together industry leaders to build, deliver and consume the next generation of NaaS solutions. For more information about MEF, visit MEF.net and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.
Media Contact:
Melissa Power
Meef
Public Relations@mef.net
Here's what accredited organizations say about the importance of certification.
“We have built a unified SASE platform from a single vendor where secure SD-WAN is a key component to delivering consistent security and the best possible user experience. As the industry’s leading SD-WAN and SASE provider, we are proud to achieve the AAA rating – the highest possible rating – for the latest SD-WAN certification in MEF’s SASE 3.0 certification program. This is an important endorsement for our partners and customers and a testament to Fortinet’s continued innovation and commitment to the latest industry security standards.”
– John Madison, Chief Marketing Officer, Fortinet
“As a member of MEF and a leader in Universal SASE, Versa applauds MEF for creating this new SASE certification program, as SASE solutions form the foundation for many digital transformation initiatives by integrating security and networking into a single unified platform. By including real-world testing in this certification program, MEF helps provide the necessary visibility into the effectiveness of SASE solutions and their core components SD-WAN, SSE, and ZTNA.” – Kelly Ahuja, CEO, Versa
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at the following link: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e7854cca-3067-45e4-8c40-2f671843096a
