Zero Trust Network Access

While both security solutions have their own perks and functionalities, one takes the prize when it comes to actual security. ZTNA technology is based on the principle of “zero trust”. This means that all users and systems on the network must be continuously authenticated and monitored. This allows organizations to protect their resources from malicious actors, hackers, and other threats. Unlike VPNs, ZTNA technology is based on an access strategy that is designed to limit access to the network and its data to only those users and devices that have been authenticated and authorized. With ZTNA, users and devices are authenticated and authorized for each transaction, providing a higher level of security. Consequently, it is a more secure alternative to traditional Virtual Private Network solutions. When it comes to remote access features, ZTNA and VPNs often overlap. That said, ZTNA can be considered as advanced VPNs that enhance VPN functions while addressing some of its inherent security flaws.

The emergence of Zero Trust Network Access technology is revolutionizing the way businesses protect their networks and data. There are many advantages to using ZTNA that point to how it could replace VPNs. For instance, ZTNA provides more granular control over how access is granted and monitored. This allows companies to enforce usage policies that restrict access to certain applications, data, and networks. This gives organizations greater control over who has access to what and when.

Additionally, ZTNA technology offers better scalability than VPNs. With ZTNA, companies can scale their security infrastructure as their user base grows, without needing to invest in additional hardware or software. This provides greater flexibility and cost savings over traditional VPNs. Moreover, ZTNA technology is more cost effective than VPNs. ZTNA requires less hardware and software, and uses cloud-based technology, which allows companies to pay only for the resources they need. This makes ZTNA more cost effective and more secure than traditional VPNs.

ZTNA is a security strategy designed to protect organizations by establishing secure access to resources within the network. It is based on the idea of “never trust, always verify”, which is the opposite of the traditional “trust but verify” approach. In essence, ZTNA solutions leverage a combination of technologies – such as identity and access management, virtual private networks (VPNs), and encryption – to authenticate users and devices before allowing them access to the network. This authentication process is the foundation of ZTNA solutions, and it helps to ensure that only authorized users and devices can access the network.

ZTNA solutions use technologies such as application whitelisting and behavioral analytics to detect and stop malicious activity. This helps to ensure that only legitimate traffic is allowed on the network and any suspicious activity is quickly identified and stopped. ZTNA solutions also use micro-segmentation to further protect the network by creating multiple small segments. This segmentation creates a secure environment by isolating applications and data, preventing attackers from moving laterally within the network.

In summary, ZTNA solutions provide organizations with an effective way to protect their networks and data by leveraging a combination of technologies such as identity and access management, virtual private networks, encryption, micro-segmentation, application whitelisting, and behavioral analytics. With ZTNA, organizations can ensure that only authorized users and devices have access to the network, and any malicious activity is quickly identified and stopped.

ZTNA framework's implementation combines cutting-edge technologies like risk-based multi-factor authentication, identity protection, next-generation endpoint security, and reliable cloud workload technology to verify a user's or system's identity, take current access into account, and maintain system security. That said, the 3 main guiding concepts for ZTNA are:

1. Least privilege – This means that users should be granted the minimal amount of access necessary to do their job. Working on a ‘need-to-know’ basis
2. Change monitoring and management - It's important to keep an eye out for changes in the environment. All traffic should be logged and inspected.
3. Configuration management – The last item is ensuring that the environment itself is secured. All resources should be accessed securely.

Rooted in the principle of “never trust, always verify,” Zero Trust is a strategic approach to cybersecurity designed to protect modern environments using tools such as network segmentation, offering Layer 7 threat prevention, providing strong authentication techniques, preventing lateral movement and simplifying granular policies. Instead of relying on a traditional network perimeter-based security model, a Zero Trust strategy requires authentication and authorization for every user and device, regardless of its location or network.