I'm part of a small team that mainly operates remotely, and we use a mix of Mac and PC systems. Right now, we rely on a basic VPN alongside separate DNS filtering tools, but managing both has become cumbersome. I'm considering making the switch to a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solution, as it seems to merge SD-WAN with cloud security features like firewall, Secure Web Gateway (SWG), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) into one cohesive platform. This should simplify our setup with a single vendor and dashboard.
I've been exploring a few options:
- **Cloudflare One** looks promising and has a generous free tier, but I'm curious about its scalability for small to medium businesses without incurring enterprise pricing.
- **Zscaler** frequently tops recommendations but seems geared more towards larger enterprises. Is it overkill for a small crew?
- **Cato Networks** seems to cater to mid-sized businesses, which is appealing. However, I'm not very familiar with its real-world performance.
- **Netskope** garners good reviews for data protection, but I'm unsure about its pricing structure and complexity for a smaller organization.
I have a few questions: Are there significant differences between these options for teams under 25 users? Do they require a dedicated IT staff, or can they be managed by smaller teams? Is there an all-in-one solution that integrates DNS filtering, VPN replacement, and basic Data Loss Prevention (DLP) without needing additional add-ons? I'm looking for something straightforward, manageable, and reasonably priced for SMBs. Any insights from those who have implemented these tools would be greatly appreciated!
5 Answers
Aren’t Zscaler, Netskope, and Cato way out of the budget for SMBs? I thought they only catered to large enterprises with multimillion-dollar contracts.
Netskope isn't bad, especially if you're leaning towards Microsoft technology. Just keep in mind that you'll probably need someone with IT skills to set everything up and manage it effectively—this isn’t just plug-and-play without a bit of planning.
What’s your opinion on Microsoft’s solutions compared to the other options? I'm curious about how they stack up.
I'd also recommend checking out TailScale, NetBird, Timus, and Harmony. Your choice will really depend on your specific needs and budget. If you need a public IP or gateway for traffic, then TailScale, NetBird, and Cloudflare might not work out as they're a bit more complicated.
For managing micro-segmentation, Timus or NetBird might be better. If you're looking for basic security controls, DNS filtering, and VPN replacement, Timus or Harmony could fit the bill. Harmony is well-established, while Timus is a newer startup that’s making strides.
We recently went through this evaluation with a remote team of about 20, and opted for Cloudflare One (Zero Trust). Here’s what won us over:
1. Their free tier is genuinely useful for testing. We had it running alongside our current VPN for a month without any issues, and the WARP client took care of our device posture checks, eliminating a separate paid tool.
2. Their DNS filtering (Gateway) was up and running in no time, and the logging is much better than what we previously used.
3. With ZTNA through Access, we ditched the VPN for most tasks. Users can authenticate on an app-by-app basis instead of having blanket network access, which is a cleaner security setup.
The only downside is that the dashboard can feel overwhelming at first due to all the features, so expect to budget a week for setting everything up and migrating policies. We looked into Zscaler, but their pricing and minimum seat requirements showed us it wasn't the right fit for our size. Cato has been recommended by friends in larger organizations, but it might be overkill for us under 25 users. One tip: Ensure your split tunneling is configured correctly; we ran into some hurdles with specific SaaS applications during our first week.
I would steer clear of Netskope for a full SASE solution. Their SD-WAN features are underdeveloped and often rely on existing infrastructure like routers and firewalls, although their SSE is decent. Cato might actually be a great fit for you given your requirements.
Actually, Cato has options that are suitable for SMBs. Zscaler and Netskope tend to lean towards large contracts, with Netskope quoting around $130 per user, which can be pretty steep.