Verizon SD WAN & SASE Cybersecurity Solutions

Verizon SD WAN and SASE Solution: Comparisons, Review, Benefits, Use Cases, Pros & Cons

Author: Netify Research Team 

If you have questions about Verizon and how their capability is aligned to your needs, email the Netify research team. UK: uk@netify.co.uk North America: northamerica@netify.com

(Please use the UK email for ROW - Rest of the World - questions or inquiries)

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Verizon is a good choice for mid-market multinational enterprises which a large amount of locations worldwide, but can also cater for those with no pre-existing IT resources and companies with a large number of remote workers. The company offers granular SD WAN and SASE managed services with support from Security Operations Centres (SOCs) and options for co-managed deployments as well. 

Verizon mostly focus on deployments from Cisco Meraki and Cisco Viptela, but they also offer HPE Aruba. As with many large telecoms companies, the sheer size of Verizon can mean long wait times for support requests, deployments, general queries etc. However, their support services are reportedly very good, despite longer wait times. 

About Verizon

Verizon was formed on the 30th of June 2000 from a merger between Bell Atlantic Corp. and GTE Corp. Today, it is one of the largest communications technology companies worldwide. 

Now headquartered in New York, Verizon primarily specialize in personal Wi-Fi, LTE connectivity including private 5G networks for businesses (4G and 5G) and smartphone handsets. However, they recently began offering intelligent hybrid SD WAN services, combining public internet access (DIA) with MPLS. Verizon has spent 15 consecutive years as a Global Network Services Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant. Verizon provides managed networks in 150 countries.

What is the Verizon SD WAN Solution?

Verizon leverages their strong integration with Cisco to provide managed and co-managed SD WAN solutions (see, What is the Verizon managed, co-managed and DIY services solution?), using Cisco Meraki and Cisco Viptela. The solution is split into three sections, physical, virtual and cloud. Physical services allow clients to deploy their network from a single universal customer premises equipment (uCPE) device, such as a router (vEdge Series Routers, ISR1000 Series Routers, ISR4000 Series Routers or ASR1000 Series Router). Virtual services are available for Cisco platforms designed for virtualisation, using Verizon uCPE, Verizon Hosted Network Services (HNS) and Cisco ENCS. Finally, cloud-based services allow clients to connect to private and public cloud services to optimize SaaS applications. This includes Verizon Secure Cloud Interconnect, Cloud OnRamp for SaaS (Office 365, Google, SFDC), Cloud OnRamp for public clouds such as AWS, Azure and Google Cloud. 

Despite strong connections with Cisco, Verizon also offers SD WAN from VeloCloud (VMware) and Fortinet. Their global IP backbone offers connection via 32 network-based SD WAN gateways in a wide range of locations worldwide. 

Clients can choose to deploy their network via a single universal Customer Premises Equipment (uCPE) device, or from a cloud-based virtual Customer Premises Equipment (vCPE) device, or a combination of both. WAN is available with bandwidth on-demand for Ethernet, MPLS, Internet and cloud connectivity. 

Verizon SD WAN solutions are designed to combine public and private networks to automate traffic flow and boost bandwidth. The product is available in three different services packages: Essential, which offers basic WAN routing services; Core, which includes all services from Essential but with more granular features; and Complete, combination of all Core services with added WAN routing features to support critical locations and applications. All products are available as managed services and can support Verizon 5G LTE across SD WAN networks. Verizon offer a SaaS delivery model through HPE Aruba’s Unity EdgeConnect platform to integrate WAN optimization and SD WAN in a single solution. 

Configuration-Based Key Features:

• QoS: Uses public and private WAN traffic to prioritize specific applications within a WAN circuit. 
• uCPE: SD WAN services can be deployed via uCPE, which has routing, security and WAN optimization capabilities. 
• vCPE: SD WAN services can also be deployed via a cloud-based vCPE. 
• Vendor Neutral: Clients can choose services from different vendors, tailoring their solution to suit their needs.
• Global IP Backbone: Includes 32 network-based gateways worldwide, offering connectivity to a wide number of locations. 

Security-Based Key Features:

• Verizon offer a range of managed security services as well as SASE.

Performance-Based Key Features:

• Network Orchestration: Offered as a managed service, Verizon’s network orchestrator is deployed via a uCPE box. Clients can deploy centralized security services from vendors, through the orchestration manager - this can be done without contacting vendors themselves. Network orchestration is available in three options: Service Automation, which delivers Verizon VNS, adapts services to a clients needs and integrates new network functionality; Service Orchestration, automates deployment and policy management whilst coordinating SD WAN, VNS and session border control; and Service Virtualisation which enables rapid VNF onboarding and testing whilst simplifying infrastructure management. 
• WAN Optimization and Application Acceleration: See, Does Verizon offer WAN acceleration and optimization?

What is the Verizon SASE security solution?

Verizon offer SASE and managed security via their vendor partners. Their managed security offering has a number of features, but has a great focus on SASE and distributed denial of service (DDoS) Shielding:

• SASE: Verizon’s SASE offering includes cloud-based secure web gateways (SWGs) and zero trust network access (ZTNA). This protects networks from internet threats, enforcement of internet policies, and prevents data loss across all company locations and devices. This is also provided in remote locations and is supported by security operations centers (SOCs) and network operations centers (NOCs). 
• DDoS shielding: Designed to prevent DDoS attacks by redirecting inbound traffic to scrubbing centers, where it is analyzed and sent back to the network once it is confirmed to be legitimate. This is cloud-based and leverages Verizon Digital Media Service infrastructure - a group of analysts that help to prevent security attacks, allowing DDoS shielding to work from a large scale. The service is available across North America, including Canda, Europe, United Kingdom and APAC. 
• Managed Security: Offers endpoint security which keeps policies aligned whilst preventing malware and ransomeware; web application firewall (WAF) which filters, monitors and blocks suspicious HTTP traffic targeting vulnerabilities in web applications to prevent attacks such as: cross-site scripting (XSS), SQL injection (SGLi) and DDoS. This minimizes downtime and vulnerabilities caused by cyberattacks or web application change events. 
• Remote Security: Business Mobile Secure is a bundle package of mobile device security tools, which are used to keep remote devices secure - good for remote workers or locations. 
• Domain Name System (DNS) Safeguard: A cloud-based DNS security solution which is good for blocking connections between users and insecure websites, as well as remote workers and branch offices that do not use a VPN to connect directly to the internet.

How does Verizon access cloud vendors?

Verizon is able to access cloud vendors through a secure cloud interconnect and CSR 1000v cloud router. Verizon Cloud allows users to connect to both private and public cloud services and optimization for SaaS applications. Verizon provide a cloud onramp for SaaS applications such as Office 365, Google and SFDC as well as an onramp to public clouds including: AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, and colocation. As a cloud interconnect service, Verizon utilizes nine major cloud providers located in 27 cities around the world to access their cloud services. Verizon’s Cloud Interconnect is supported by Cisco Cloudlock for cybersecurity and a cloud native cloud access security broker (CASB), these features offer protection for cloud data, users and applications.

Does Verizon offer WAN acceleration and optimization?

Verizon offer WAN optimization and application acceleration which is deployed via a single uCPE box. These services allow for custom device tuning and testing at multiple sites or points with complex integration plans. Verizon’s WAN optimization provides a scalable method of customizing the network whilst also providing end-to-end alarm correlation and protocol bundling. The solution performance enhancements include:

• Data Streamlining: Reduces the amount of data being sent repeatedly by replacing words and full documents with 16-byte data references. 
• Application Streamlining: reduces interactions between the client and the server, minimizing into a couple of trips. 
• Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) Acceleration/Transport Streamlining: Reduces the number of  trips that data has to take around the WAN by compressing TCP data packet sizes. 
• QoS: Clients can reduce the amount of bandwidth that non-critical applications use.

How does Verizon support remote users?

Verizon supports remote users with routing to remove the need for a dedicated internet device at every remote location. This reduces the amount of hardware needed and makes sharing network functions across multiple vendors easier.  It also reduces latency and improves overall application performance. The software is based on Cisco, Juniper and Fortinet. 

They also offer SASE which connects to all devices - even mobile devices, to provide security for remote users.

What is the Verizon managed, co-managed and DIY services solution?

Verizon offer a range of managed SD WAN and SASE services. Recently they introduced managed services aimed at smaller branch offices, powered by Viptela for the Cisco ISR1100 Series platform. The company also introduced managed service tiers for Cisco SD WAN powered by Meraki, designed to complement their pre-existing Cisco Meraki cloud-first platform. This can be globally deployed using Cisco Meraki MV Smart Cameras, including to mainland China.

Verizon offer a wide array of Managed Services including:

(Source: Verizon, 2015. More info at: https://enterprise.verizon.com/resources/solutionsbriefs/2015/you-compete-we-will-handle-the-network.pdf) 

Verizon offers co-managed Cisco SD WAN which is powered by their vendor partners. This allows clients to rely on Verizon managed services support for fault performance and configuration management, whilst self-managing SD WAN security and application policies. However, Verizon do not offer DIY SD WAN directly, it may be available via vendor partners.

What Reporting and Management is available via the Verizon Portal?

Verizon’s Enterprise Center provides customers with tools to monitor, manage and analyze their products and services. This service uses a centralized interface to deliver relevant data over smartphone, desktop or tablet. The service provides data insights that can be used to streamline processes and control critical business functions. Verizon’s offering allows for automation of processes and anytime account access. The smartphone portal is the: My Verizon for Enterprise Mobile App. The portal provides detailed, near real time data about network health and performance and offers visibility into alarms and maintenance. The monitoring features of the Verizon portal also allow for on demand bandwidth upgrades and monitoring of repair tickets and change requests. The Verizon portal allows users to access analysis tools, such as reports, charts and graphs to turn raw data into essential information to make informed network investment decisions.

What is the Verizon SLA?

Below is a table displaying the main focus points of the Verizon Service Level Agreement (SLA).