MEF and CyberRatings.org have recently announced a new partnership that aims to provide confidence in cybersecurity products and services. The two organizations have signed a MEF Accredited Test and Certification Partner (MEF-ACTP) agreement, which will pave the way for the launch of a new Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Certification Program.
MEF, a global industry association of network, cloud, security, and technology providers, boasts a membership of 200 service and technology providers from around the world. Its Board of Directors includes senior executives from AT&T Business, Colt Technology Services, Comcast Business, Ericsson, Liberty Latin America, Lumen, Microsoft, PCCW Global, Orange Business, Sparkle, and Verizon Business Group.
The SASE Certification Program will be available to MEF technology and service provider members worldwide. It will focus on increasing market confidence in cybersecurity solutions by providing a report card and rating for vendors’ and service providers’ SASE offerings. The program is based on CyberRatings’ methodologies and test programs, as well as compliance with MEF standards.
This certification program follows the release of several MEF Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN)-related standards since 2019. In Q4 of 2022, MEF also released its first SASE standard and Zero Trust framework. The new certifications for SD-WAN, Secure Service Edge (SSE) Threat Protection, and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) will be part of the SASE certification package.
The goal of the certification program is to deliver assurance of security product effectiveness and promote market confidence. The report card data and rating will be included in MEF’s certification registry, providing transparency and visibility for cybersecurity solutions.
To kick off the program, a Beta program will begin in August, starting with testing and certification of SD-WAN. This will be followed by SSE Threat Protection and ZTNA. Once the Beta program is completed later this year, certification will be made available to the MEF membership at large in Q1 2024.
MEF President, Nan Chen, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration with CyberRatings.org, highlighting the organization’s expertise in testing security products. He also emphasized the importance of providing market confidence into SASE product and service capabilities.
The shift towards cloud-based solutions owned and maintained by third-party service providers has prompted enterprises of all sizes to adopt cloud-delivered security solutions such as SSE and ZTNA. These solutions offer scalability, flexibility, cost-efficiency, and innovation. They also enable organizations to support remote work, cloud migration, and digital transformation initiatives.
Vikram Phatak, CEO of CyberRatings.org, explained that the certification is designed to address the question of how users can know if these cloud-delivered security solutions actually work. The partnership with MEF and its members is a crucial step towards securing the digital ecosystem.
SASE services will be highlighted at MEF’s Global Network-as-a-Service Event (GNE) in October 2023 in Dallas, Texas. The event will focus on the future of secure Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) offerings across automated ecosystems.
MEF is a global industry association that collaborates with network, cloud, security, and technology providers to accelerate enterprise digital transformation. It delivers service standards, LSO frameworks and APIs, and training and certification programs for services, technologies, APIs, and professionals. MEF’s 3.0 Framework enables the automated delivery of standardized services across multiple provider networks.
CyberRatings.org is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing confidence in cybersecurity products and services through research and testing programs. It provides independent and objective ratings of security product efficacy to help enterprises make informed decisions.
The partnership between MEF and CyberRatings.org signals a significant development in the cybersecurity industry. By providing a certification program for SASE offerings, the two organizations aim to increase market confidence and promote the adoption of secure and effective cybersecurity solutions.