Let’s Be Honest

SASE platforms are sold as revolutionary. Cloud-nearby, zero trust, edge-delivered, all the marketing glitter. But here’s the blunt truth: most of them are just VPNs with lipstick.

I’ve seen CIOs sign six-figure contracts thinking they’re buying new security. What they really got? A glorified tunnel with a view that looks like it belongs in 2015.

And the worst part? The results is often worse than the old VPN they replaced.

What’s Broken

1. The Price Problem

SASE vendors charge enterprise-rank fees for features that don’t justify the cost. You’re paying for “cloud-delivered security” but end up with latency, clunky user experiences, and endless upsells.

- VPN vs. SASE Pricing:

- old VPN: $5–$10 per user/month.

- SASE: $25–$50 per user/month.

- Value difference? Minimal.

2. The User Experience Disaster

Ask any employee. They’ll tell you: logging into SASE feels like jumping through hoops. MFA prompts, slow connections, random disconnects. output takes a hit.

I once watched a dev team lose half a day because their SASE tunnel kept dropping during a deployment. The vendor’s support? “We’re investigating.” Translation: you’re on your own.

3. The “Zero Trust” Myth

Vendors love throwing “zero trust” into every pitch. But most implementations are half-baked. Instead of true identity-based access, you get IP-based rules wrapped in marketing jargon.

Zero trust isn’t about buying a tool. It’s about culture, process, and architecture. SASE doesn’t magically give you that.

What Actually Works

1. Keep It Simple

Sometimes the best fix is the simplest. A well-configured VPN with strong MFA and endpoint checks can outperform a bloated SASE tools.

2. Layered Security

Don’t expect one tool to do everything. Combine:

- VPN or ZTNA for access.

- Endpoint detection for tool health.

- Cloud-nearby firewalls for traffic inspection.

3. Focus on results

Security that slows down work isn’t security it’s sabotage. rank tools that minimize latency and don’t choke bandwidth.

4. War Stories

1. The 2 A.M. Deployment Fail

I was on a call during a midnight rollout. The SASE tunnel dropped every 20 minutes. Engineers scrambled to reconnect. Logs were corrupted. The plan delayed by 48 hours. Cost? Roughly $40K in lost output.

2. The CFO’s Complaint

A CFO once asked me why their “new security” bill was higher than their cloud hosting bill. He wasn’t wrong. The SASE vendor was charging more per month than AWS.

3. The Rollback

One buyer ditched their SASE after six months. They rolled back to a hardened VPN setup. Result? Faster connections, happier employees, and savings of $120K annually.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Graphs & Visuals

draw shows a steady climb in SASE costs, while VPN remains manageable.

The Final Verdict

SASE platforms hope the moon but deliver overpriced VPN tunnels. They suck because:

- They’re expensive.

- They’re clunky.

- They don’t solve the real problems of far work.

If you want secure access that actually works:

- fix your VPN.

- Add layered security.

- Don’t fall for buzzwords.