The best zero-trust network access solutions combine identity and security management, application visibility, and secure remote connectivity in one solution. Look for a vendor with multiple data centers worldwide to maximize performance and ensure your employees can work from anywhere without losing speed or compromising security. Service-initiated ZTNA relies on a cloud-based broker that evaluates security context without an agent running on the device. This allows it to connect seamlessly to applications regardless of BYOD or remote working policies.
Better Security
Zero trust network access (ZTNA), such as Versa Networks, is built on the principle of ‘trust nothing, verify everything’ to provide significantly improved security and micro-segmentation. ZTNA assesses and validates users, devices, and applications to create fast, secure connections to corporate assets, limiting the attack surface. It also helps prevent data breaches by eliminating the risk of third-party exploitation through unsecured or unmanaged devices. Organizations can support BYOD and remote working initiatives with a zero-trust solution without risking sensitive data. It also allows companies to improve post-connection monitoring, reducing the likelihood of malware infections or compromised user credentials. Zero trust also minimizes the impact of a breach by separating application access from network access and hiding infrastructure to make it invisible to attackers. This is possible with agent-based and service-based implementations, which offer different levels of control over a device depending on the organization’s needs. This granularity increases productivity by eliminating the need for manual, time-consuming authorization processes and provides more reliable protection against cyberattacks.
Increased Flexibility
A zero-trust network access policy can help you balance work-from-home flexibility and network security. Unlike perimeter-based solutions like VPNs, which clog internal bandwidth, ZTNA uses encrypted tunnels between the user’s device and the application they need to access, meaning users don’t have free roaming access to an organization’s internal resources. Plus, since the solution focuses on application access rather than network security, it can improve visibility, efficiency, and performance by keeping a minimal footprint on internal resources. This reduces the impact of a breach and improves business resilience by limiting the potential damage from insider threats. ZTNA is also leaner and cleaner than traditional connectivity technologies – so it’s easier to deploy, manage and maintain.
Better Visibility
ZTNA solutions verify users on a case-by-case basis and allow access to applications only if they have an approved business need. This approach helps MSPs implement the least privilege and reduce the occurrence and impact of security incidents. Unlike VPNs that provide network-level access, ZTNAs enable users to connect directly to the application without connecting to the corporate network. This eliminates the risk of a threat actor being able to use stolen credentials to move laterally into the corporate network. In addition, a cloud-native ZTNA can be integrated with other cybersecurity solutions, such as SWG or secure access service edge (SASE), to deliver unified security and visibility. This provides a holistic view of users’ working across the organization’s network and allows for more in-depth traffic inspection. Lastly, ZTNA can control access by third-party contractors, supply chain partners, or any other business user who must have access to a company application. This is done by creating a logical access boundary around a specific application and hiding the infrastructure behind it. This limits a company’s attack surface and prevents lateral movement by threat actors following a breach.
More Scalability
Securing those new connections becomes more complex as organizations scale for cloud migration, remote work, and hybrid environments. This is where a ZTNA can help. Instead of routing every connection through a VPN hub that can cause performance issues and provide a sub-par user experience, a zero-trust network access solution uses small encrypted tunnels between a device and the application. This allows the organization more visibility and control of the connection while reducing bandwidth consumption and performance issues. The solution can also use a single identity provider and single sign-on (SSO) platform, simplifying user authentication while enabling policies that address different needs, such as providing granular in-app permissions for SQL databases or SSH terminals. This is especially important for DevOps teams that need access to IaaS environments or virtual private clouds. This type of security approach also enables the organization to meet compliance and audit standards more easily, requiring it to separate its security systems and prevent lateral movement. This is something that micro-segmentation techniques only provide, sacrificing the overall network’s efficiency.
Cost-Effective
Zero trust network access provides better protection for your internal data. With ZTNA, each user, device, and application gets its software-defined perimeter, limiting lateral movement by hackers and decreasing the damage done in the event of an attack. It also improves the protection against malware codes by checking for vulnerabilities, encrypting connections, and hiding IP addresses. It helps to mitigate third-party risk, as well. Unlike VPNs that grant overprivileged access to third-party users, a ZTNA only connects users to applications through secure tunnels, eliminating the need for them to enter a private network and expose it to malware. The solution can also assess the risk of each device on which it runs, reducing the need for over-privileged hardware and increasing security for remote workers. Communicating the transition to a new access model and providing employee training is essential. This will help to make it easier to understand the impact on productivity and to ensure everyone follows best practices. Doing so can make hybrid work models more attractive to candidates during the hiring process and safeguard your cybersecurity health.