ZTNA vs VPN: Rethinking Secure Access
Network security in a hybrid workplace
No matter the industry or size of business, today’s modern IT teams must be thinking about ZTNA vs VPN for access solutions. The new workplace is complicated–most specifically because workers are no longer in thee same physical space. According to the Pew Research Center, in 2024 approximately 41% of Americans work in a hybrid office, with at least one remote day. Meanwhile, the IT teams managing the network infrastructure to support these hybrid situations are waving huge red flags of warning (or perhaps white flags of surrender). Presenting a mix of ZOOM calls, Microsoft Teams conferences, cloud computing needs, and third-party access requests from vendors and customers, the modern workplace is a potential nightmare for network security. With cybersecurity threats such as ransomware and insider attacks on the rise, the security of your business’ network must be a top priority.
Virtual private networking (VPN) can’t keep up
VPN has been the default remote network solution for years–with great success. But with more cloud and remote work initiatives, this model of open access to your centralized data center–even when guarded by firewalls and IDS/IDP–now creates a huge security risk for your network. With VPN, once you’re in, you’re IN and can proceed to move laterally wherever you want to go. This leaves an enterprise’s internal infrastructure exposed to external threats and makes it a challenge to set up any kind of security perimeter.
With people and devices connecting from every which way, everything gets unwieldy fast. And when every outside entity requesting access needs to be driven all the way to the data center for security inspection, it slows things down significantly. Today’s businesses need all-the-time access from anywhere (for both employees and third-party users), improved security, and simplified operations. VPN can no longer deliver on those priorities. And this is all assuming users want to download the VPN client in the first place. Many users simply don’t want to–and don’t bother. It’s one more pain point to add to to the win column for ZTNA in the ZTNA vs VPN matchup.
ZTNA as an alternative to VPN
ZTNA vs VPN is a trending topic, why? security, simplicity, and fast access. This is what your IT team needs. It’s what your users demand and expect. See how ZTNA embodies each of these three central concepts, often surpassing VPN tech’s current capabilities and solving for known vulnerabilities.
Security – Trust nothing, grant access only as needed
With a network-centric design, VPN technologies are prime targets for cyberattacks. VPN networks are exposed to the open Internet, requiring complex, sophisticated firewalls and other protections that can still be compromised with a simple port scan and stolen credentials. ZTNA inherently trusts nothing. Authorized users are given least-privilege access, denying them access to your broader network architecture. Security service edge solutions like those from Aruba, Palo, Zscaler and others create a buffer, a secure intermediary between users and your network. With no direct path between your network and the open Internet, it’s harder for cyber criminals to get in.
ZTNA offers isolation, granular permissions, and continuous enforcement. An SSE solution eliminates the external pathway into your network as well as the lateral movement within it. None of your network infrastructure or business apps are accessible or locatable from the internet because they sit behind the SSE connector–a sort of mini tunnel that talks exclusively to the SSE platform of your choice. The single, unified platform also allows for more visibility and performs constant inspections to user identities, groups, and other contextual info and can close a session if needed. Another point in the win column for ZTNA in the ZTNA vs VPN match up!
Simplicity through centralization
VPN services are challenging to scale up requiring major adjustments to capacity whether that be external or internal firewalls, load balancers, or other appliances. With each expansion comes more complexity and management.
With a single platform, a SSE solution centralizes everything, streamlining your policy making (you can create smart policies with app tags and user groups) and applications, monitoring capabilities, and overall operations. The SSE platform eliminates the need for complex network segmentation–freeing up valuable IT staff time. That, combined with offerings that provide a pay-as-you-go model often leads to reduced costs as you pay for what you use and eliminate VPN’s layers of unnecessary connectivity challenges.
Remote, hybrid, 3rd-party, and on-site access
With VPN, users must deploy a client, reconnecting every time. Slow speeds and latency are the norms.
Incorporating the ease of a cloud experience. SSE solutions can be client or clientless. Each user has a unique Zero Trust policy assigned to them that ensures they have access. No need to worry about reconnecting to the network. SSE enables clientless secure access to your enterprise’s apps from anywhere and from any device–all based on least privileged access. Paired with an SD-WAN, branch offices can also have seamless, user-friendly access when and where they need it.
Ready to have a secure access discussion?
If your VPN is causing more roadblocks or potholes in your business’ remote/hybrid architecture, a Security Service Edge (SSE) solution may be the transformative tool that you need. These solutions are positioned to be an effective alternative to VPN for those businesses struggling with security, user experience and decentralized gateway security apps. There’s much more to delve into with this tech. If you want to check out alternative VPN solutions, reach out to our team.
