Unlocking the Power of ZTNA: Enhancing Network Security

Zero trust network access (ZTNA) enables business users to connect securely to internal applications from remote and hybrid work environments. This enables better productivity and eliminates the risk of exposing the business to malicious actors that can move laterally within the network.

Unlike VPNs, ZTNA solutions establish secure tunnels for users via verified identity and the security posture of their devices. It then enforces granular context-aware access policies to reduce the attack surface.

Zero Trust Application Access

ZTNA meaning: access, redefined. ZTNA delivers granular, context-aware access to business applications for users without exposing them directly to the internet. This improves flexibility, agility, and scalability while eliminating a joint attack surface.

Traditional remote access solutions such as VPNs give remote users unrestricted access to the corporate network. This creates the opportunity for malicious insiders to abuse their privileges and amplifies the impact of an account compromise. ZTNA applies the Zero Trust security model principles of “never trust, always verify” to secure application access for remote workers.

Zero trust application access provides secure remote access to business apps hosted on the cloud or premises. It uses a risk-based approach that evaluates context, such as time of day, user and device posture, location, and more, to determine whether an application should be trusted for connecting. This is done on a per-flow basis rather than for an entire session.

Zero trust application access is one of four core use cases for implementing a secure access service edge (SASE). This framework includes cloud and multi-cloud security, secure BYOD, identity and password management, and security gateway functionality. It can be implemented as an SD-WAN offering or as part of a larger security platform as a service (SaaS) solution. It can also be deployed as a single agent embedded in an organization’s infrastructure to deliver a fully integrated solution.

Zero Trust Network Access

Zero trust network access enables organizations to replace VPNs for remote, in-person, and hybrid work environments. This eliminates the need for device or credential scanning, granting granular, identity-based access to applications only after complete authentication. ZTNA also protects lateral movement by shielding corporate services from public visibility. This “dark cloud” idea resembles software-defined perimeters (SDP). It can provide additional attack protection when a compromised endpoint or credentials enable scanning and pivoting to other services.

Unlike traditional VPNs, which grant full network access to all devices, ZTNA eliminates this risk by establishing connections only to application infrastructure over the bare internet. It hides business applications from discovery and limits access to a specific set of named applications based on identity, context, and policy adherence. It also eliminates lateral threat movement across a business’s networks by preventing users and devices from seeing or communicating with any other services outside the logical access boundary.

ZTNA is part of a new category of solutions called secure access service edge (SASE), which includes other security and networking technologies such as cloud SWG, CASB, and FWaaS. Combined, these products form a “unified security fabric” that allows organizations to reduce the complexity of their networking and security infrastructure while supporting the needs of modern users, threats, and data.

Zero Trust Cloud Access

A Zero Trust security architecture delivers granular access and seamless experiences for the remote workforce. It eliminates the need for legacy appliances and provides a unified framework for secure access to cloud applications, on-premises IT systems and data, and OT/IoT devices. It also reduces risks to the business by limiting lateral movement by malicious users once they gain initial access to a system.

A ZTNA platform can be deployed as a software application, network hardware with a built-in firewall, or network infrastructure (NFaaS). Some platforms combine multiple functions, such as a firewall, secure web gateway, SD-WAN, and cloud access security broker, into a single solution. When deployed at the edge of the enterprise network, ZTNA can protect against unauthorized users and minimize the impact of attacks by hiding infrastructure from public discovery and allowing access on a need-to-know basis.

When considering a ZTNA approach, it’s essential to consider the organization’s overall goals. Some organizations may prefer to start small and implement a pilot use case for their key users or services, working out the kinks in their onboarding processes during this phase. For most, however, a ZTNA approach will be a natural fit as part of their multi-cloud strategy to secure hybrid and multi-environment environments for today’s modern workforce. This will enable them to improve user productivity and deliver superior security that they can quickly adapt as their businesses evolve.

Zero Trust Account Compromise

Zero trust protects cloud environments and applications by connecting users directly to the apps they need, never networks (see Zero Trust Network Access). This eliminates the attack surface and reduces risk. It also requires granular context-based policies that verify access requests and rights based on identity, device, location, and application—and are continually reassessed as the environment changes. This enables organizations to limit the number of privileged accounts, ensure devices are patched and secure, and prevent attackers from compromising user account credentials to move laterally across an organization’s infrastructure.

To implement zero trust, an organization must choose a zero trust on-ramp that matches the needs of their business. This could include gateway integration, SD-WAN, or SDP. These solutions filter traffic that crosses network boundaries, providing centralized policy management. They can also support a range of authentication methods, enable robust network segmentation, stop lateral movement, and provide Layer 7 threat prevention.

A zero-trust solution must support an organization’s security objectives and provide a scalable, high-performance approach. Whether deployed as a standalone solution, integrated into an existing network infrastructure, or part of a broader digital transformation effort to replace VPN with SD-WAN or SASE, zero trust can transform an enterprise’s cybersecurity and enable its business.

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