Understanding Zero Trust Network Access
Learn all about ZTNA, the smartest way to enable secure private app access from anywhere while protecting your sensitive data and systems
ZTNA Fundamentals
The basics of ZTNA
01
What is ZTNA?
ZTNA is a cybersecurity technology that ensures only verified users and devices can connect to critical resources, blocking unauthorized access.
02
Why do you need ZTNA?
ZTNA ensures secure remote access to internal apps and data, reduces risk from breaches, and limits exposure by granting access only when necessary.
03
How does ZTNA work?
ZTNA authenticates users and devices, evaluates context like location or policy, and only allows access to specific resources after verification.
Core Principles of ZTNA
The 4 pillars of ZTNA
ZTNA grants secure access to private resources for any user, anywhere. It all starts with a fundamentally different architecture from network-centric security.
Access to Apps, Not the Network
Completely isolating application access from network access minimizes risk exposure, prevents lateral movement, and simplifies user access management.
No Visible Network IP Addresses
Outbound-only connections hide your network and app infrastructure from unauthorized users, so hackers can’t see or access it from the internet.
Native App Segmentation
Users gain direct, one-to-one access to specific apps based on identity and least-privileged access controls, eliminating risks like lateral movement.
User-to-App, Not Perimeter Security
End-to-end encrypted microtunnels securely connect users to apps, replacing outdated VPNs and dedicated MPLS with an internet-based approach.
VPN vs. ZTNA: Which Is Better for Secure Remote Access?
VPNs and ZTNA both have advantages, but only ZTNA provides scalable security, minimizes your attack surface, and eliminates the costs of legacy network security.
Benefits of ZTNA
Boost security posture and agility
Make your infrastructure invisible
Give authorized users direct access to private apps, never your network, making lateral movement impossible.
Enhance visibility and control
Simplify management and apply granular controls through a centralized admin portal with real-time views into all activity.
Simplify app segmentation
Enable granular segmentation at the application level, with no need to manage complex network-level segments.
Deploy and scale without limits
Roll out in days, not weeks or months, and scale easily as needs change over time by instantly provisioning new licenses.
VPNs leave your network exposed to attacks
See for yourself how ZTNA reduces risk and supports seamless productivity.
ZTNA Implementation Strategies
How to implement ZTNA
Ensure smooth adoption and enhanced security with these three phases:
Phase 1: Replace VPNs for remote users.
Map private app usage and set access levels similar to your current VPN settings to help users stay productive during the transition.
Phase 2: Add microsegmentation
Create granular access policies for critical apps, prioritizing infrastructure servers and management ports to protect high-value resources.
Phase 3: Roll out ZTNA to all users.
Route all resource access through encrypted microtunnels and apply context-based policies for both remote and on-site users.
ZTNA Deployment Models
Deploy ZTNA your way
Choose the ZTNA deployment model that best fits your organization's security, access, or compliance needs.
User devices connect to the ZTNA solution, which verifies identity and context. Once authorized, the ZTNA solution grants app access without exposing the broader network.
Suited for: Remote workers accessing private cloud apps
Apps sit behind the ZTNA solution, which authenticates user access first. It filters traffic, ensuring users can see and access only the specific apps for which they’re authorized.
Suited for: Securing on-premises or legacy apps
Endpoint-initiated and service-initiated ZTNA combine to offer flexibility depending on their needs, such as specific security, scalability, or infrastructure mandates or limitations.
Suited for: Environments where remote users and on-prem resources need tailored access models
A local ZTNA solution, hosted on the organization’s private infrastructure, provides full control over access to sensitive data and regulated environments to support compliance.
Suited for: Organizations with strict compliance, data sovereignty, or business continuity needs
Learn more
56% of organizations reported a VPN-related breach last year
Find out why 81% of organizations plan to implement zero trust frameworks within the next year.
Zero Trust Essentials
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FAQ
ZTNA secures remote access by verifying user identity, device posture, and location before granting app-specific access. It uses encrypted microtunnels to isolate apps, hides network IPs from unauthorized users, and applies granular policies to prevent lateral movement. This ensures that users can securely access resources without exposing the network to threats.
ZTNA offers significant business benefits, including:
- Reduced risk: Minimizes breaches and lateral movement with app-specific access.
- Enhanced compliance: Helps meet regulatory mandates by securing sensitive data.
- Remote work enablement: Provides secure, seamless access for distributed teams.
- Operational efficiency: Simplifies access management and policy enforcement.
- Scalability: Adapts easily to hybrid or growing environments, future-proofing security.
ZTNA improves cloud security by isolating apps from network access, hiding cloud IPs from exposure, and allowing secure, identity-driven connectivity through encrypted microtunnels. Granular, context-based policies limit app-specific risks and prevent lateral movement within cloud environments, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches.
IAM manages user identities and permissions across systems, whereas ZTNA provides app-specific, context-aware secure access, bypassing the need for network-level exposure. IAM handles who gets access, while ZTNA ensures how that access is securely delivered, making them complementary solutions for enhancing security.
ZTNA is crucial to SASE frameworks, enabling app-specific access through identity-driven policies. SASE integrates ZTNA with SD-WAN and other tools for seamless, secure connectivity. Together, they deliver end-to-end security across remote, hybrid, and cloud environments while simplifying access management and scaling to organizational needs.
ZTNA adapts easily to hybrid work, regulatory demands, and environments requiring strong data protection. Thus, any industry with a need for secure access to private applications can benefit from ZTNA. However, industries that handle large amounts of sensitive data may stand to gain the most from ZTNA, including:
- Healthcare: Protecting patient records
- Finance: Securing financial transactions
- Government: Safeguarding classified information
- Technology: Enabling safe, remote workflows
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