Secure and fast connectivity between different branch locations is vital for smooth business operations. With users and workloads now distributed, branch office security and connectivity have become harder to manage. Traditional WAN architecture struggles with this added complexity, often resulting in inconsistent performance, limited scalability, and fragmented security across different locations, particularly with cloud-first workflows and hybrid workforces.
Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) has emerged as the leading solution to modern branch connectivity. By integrating SD-WAN, zero-trust, and edge-based security, branch connectivity SASE technology provides scalable, secure, and high-performance access to enterprise resources across multiple locations.
To get these results, you should follow proven best practices for branch office connectivity using SASE.
Traditional branch connectivity has relied on dedicated routers, Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) circuits, Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnels, and on-site hardware to connect different office locations.
While this approach was effective, it presents significant challenges in today’s cloud-first, hybrid work environment, where users and applications are distributed. The limitations become clear as organizations rely more heavily on SaaS and expand globally.
Key challenges of traditional branch networking include:
These legacy models were simply not designed for today’s dynamic traffic patterns or global access requirements. SASE addresses this by converging networking and security into a unified, cloud-delivered architecture. Built on Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN), SASE branch connectivity replaces rigid, traditional infrastructure with a modern, adaptive solution.
SD-WAN employs a software-based approach to dynamically select the optimal path between branch locations, taking into account real-time data and contextual information, such as the importance of the application. This enables branch WAN optimization without investing in dedicated hardware.
Following SD-WAN branch best practices:
SD-WAN also centralizes policy management, allowing IT teams to configure thousands of branches without manual device updates. Plus, SASE SD-WAN is delivered at the network edge through globally distributed nodes or Points of Presence (PoP).
Therefore, SASE PoP branch deployment enables networking and security controls to be implemented locally, eliminating the need to backhaul traffic to a centralized network.
A full SASE branch office architecture routes traffic to the closest PoP for faster performance and stronger security enforcement. This includes controls based on a suite of SASE security technologies, including:
In short, while traditional WAN architectures struggle to keep pace with modern business needs, SASE provides a scalable, cloud-native framework for safe and fast branch connectivity and seamless remote employee access.
To reap all the benefits of this new network architecture, you must understand and follow proven best practices for branch office connectivity using SASE. Here are the 8 best practices to keep in mind to maximize your security and performance:
Before a full rollout, enterprises should test SASE branch office solutions to validate compatibility with their existing infrastructure and customize the deployment to align with their network requirements.
Gradual rollouts, including targeted pilot programs, enable you to assess performance (e.g., latency, throughput, policy adherence) while trialing different implementations, such as SASE PoP branch deployments. This evaluation ensures that selected vendors deliver seamless branch WAN optimization and meet corporate security goals.
Testing also helps identify potential security gaps with ZTNA at branch office frameworks or other SASE security components. Hybrid SASE transitions with proper testing help guarantee effective deployment, reducing disruption and producing measurable returns.
Strategic SASE PoP branch deployment is critical to achieving low latency and high performance across geographically distributed offices. Placing PoPs close to office locations enables branch WAN optimization and the enforcement of branch office network security policies directly at the edge. Without backhauling traffic to a centralized data center, you minimize the distance data travels, and reduce latency.
For global organizations, this ensures consistent SASE performance and improved user experience regardless of location.
Continuing to rely on legacy VPNs and overlooking the deployment of ZTNA at branch office sites exposes you to unnecessary bottlenecks and security concerns. ZTNA at branch offices eliminates implicit trust based on user location, providing direct, identity-based access to resources based on continual verification.
Also, by authenticating users at the nearest SASE PoP, you can reduce latency and improve connectivity for both remote and on-site employees.
Centralized SASE performance monitoring enables enterprises to maintain real-time visibility into:
Security compliance Unified dashboards help track key metrics such as latency, throughput, and packet loss across the entire network. This allows IT teams to quickly detect and resolve performance issues while enforcing consistent policies across all sites.
Centralized SASE performance monitoring tools provide a level of insight that strengthens network security and ensures continuous branch WAN optimization. Integrating security monitoring tools helps eliminate silos that traditionally slow branch performance while also ensuring the effectiveness of other best practices through proactive management and performance tracking.
Adopting Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP) simplifies deployment across distributed offices by automating device setup and configuration.
In a SASE branch office framework, ZTP ensures consistent policy enforcement from the first day, eliminating the need for manual intervention. ZTP automation aligns with SD-WAN branch best practices, allowing IT teams to quickly bring new sites online while maintaining compliance and security.
When paired with effective SASE PoP branch deployment, ZTP accelerates rollout, minimizes configuration errors, and improves branch WAN optimization. By streamlining installation and management, ZTP reduces operational costs and supports rapid scaling across global enterprise networks.
With hybrid work now the norm, supporting remote users is just as important as supporting branch offices. SASE architectures extend enterprise-grade security and performance to remote employees by routing traffic through the nearest SASE PoP.
This minimizes latency and ensures consistent access to corporate resources. While SD-WAN enhances network performance, ZTNA and other safeguards ensure that remote users remain protected, even when accessing business assets through various devices or networks.
Partnering with managed service providers (MSPs) helps organizations streamline SASE branch office operations and reduce management overhead. Outsourcing tasks such as configuration, patching, and SASE performance monitoring enables enterprises to maintain consistent branch office network security without requiring in-house expertise.
MSPs bring specialized knowledge, ensuring compliance and performance through proactive support and analytics. This approach strengthens SASE frameworks for branch connectivity and ensures WAN optimization across multiple locations.
Aligning SASE deployment with broader IT renewal cycles and infrastructure upgrades reduces cost while ensuring a more seamless integration of new technology. When enterprises integrate branch connectivity SASE initiatives into planned renewals, such as security overhauls or cloud migrations, they minimize downtime and avoid duplication of effort.
This approach ensures that SASE deployments and ZTNA capabilities at branch offices are implemented in sync with evolving business priorities.
Also, continuous performance monitoring throughout these projects helps validate ROI and maintain network consistency. By coordinating SASE implementation with ongoing IT projects, organizations can strengthen branch office network security and help future-proof their SD-WAN branch ecosystems for long-term success.
Following best practices for branch office connectivity using SASE ensures your organization accesses the full benefits of this transformative architecture. This includes:
To see these benefits applied to your organization, schedule a free demo of the Check Point SASE solution today. Our easy-to-use and deploy platform provides robust protection and seamless connectivity for any business, regardless of branch locations.
With a global network of PoPs, remote employees and branches are guaranteed low-latency, secure connectivity.
