Unlock the Full Potential of SSE with an Outcomes-Based Approach

Written by Dave McGrail, Head of Business Consultancy at Xalient

27th June 2025

As cybersecurity threats evolve and regulatory pressures mount, a reactive, check-the-box approach to network security is no longer enough. To remain secure and compliant, businesses need flexible, scalable, and intelligent solutions. Enter Secure Service Edge (SSE) – a modern architecture designed to support today’s hybrid workplaces. But to fully unlock the power of SSE, organisations must go beyond deployment and adopt an outcomes-based SSE implementation strategy.

Why SSE Alone Isn’t Enough

While SSE offers robust capabilities, poor integration and rushed rollouts often create more problems than they solve. If security controls are not seamlessly implemented, they can increase user friction, frustrate employees, and lead to shadow IT or support overload.

To truly realise the benefits of SSE, a strategic approach is required – one that aligns with business goals and enhances both security posture and employee experience.

How SSE Mitigates Human Risk

SSE encompasses critical components such as:

  • Secure Web Gateway (SWG)
  • Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)
  • Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)
  • Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS)

These tools enable organisations to control access to cloud services, applications, and data—no matter where users are located.

However, human error remains the greatest risk. SSE addresses this by reducing opportunities for security gaps, especially across three common employee personas:

  1. The Unaware User:
    Employees lacking cyber awareness are vulnerable to phishing, credential theft, and poor password hygiene.
  2. The Bypasser:
    Individuals who intentionally bypass controls can expose critical systems and reduce visibility into business activity.
  3. The Insider Threat: Disgruntled employees with access can exfiltrate sensitive data or introduce malicious activity.

Through the Zero Trust principle of “Never Trust, Always Verify,” SSE limits lateral movement and ensures that only the right people access the right resources—based on identity, context, and behavior.

Addressing SSE User Experience Challenges

SSE’s tight security controls can come with performance or usability trade-offs — most notably during SSL inspection. While SSL encryption protects data in transit, it can also conceal malware. SSE can inspect this traffic, but the process of decrypting, inspecting, and re-encrypting can cause latency or app failures. 

When SSE is poorly integrated, it leads to a poor user experience, and adoption suffers. Employees may disable inspection features to improve performance, inadvertently increasing risk.

A successful SSE implementation must balance security and user experience, ensuring security features like SSL inspection are automated, streamlined, and non-disruptive.

The Value of an Outcomes-Based SSE Strategy

To avoid common pitfalls and fully realise SSE’s value, organisations should adopt an outcomes-based approach that focuses on long-term results rather than rapid deployment.

Key best practices include:

  • Start with a pilot phase to identify friction points and optimise settings before full rollout.
  • Stagger integration to reduce disruption and allow for continuous feedback.
  • Invest in training and change management to support employee adoption.
  • Partner with a managed services provider experienced in SSE deployments to streamline success. 

By taking the time to implement SSE strategically, organisations can reduce costs, improve adoption rates, and strengthen their Zero Trust framework.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Explore our on-demand webinar on best practices for transitioning from legacy architecture to SSE,
Watch Seamlessly Transition to Zscaler SSE now.

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Dave McGrail – Head of Business Consultancy at Xalient.

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With over 15 years of experience in telecoms, UC, contact centre, networking and security technologies, Dave provides strategic and technical consultancy as a trusted adviser to Xalient’s customers, with a proven track record for driving secure network transformations for global enterprises to help achieve business objectives. 

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