As remote work is the new normal, organizations are increasingly aware of the need for secure and efficient connectivity. Traditional Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), once a staple for remote access, are now facing limitations that make them less ideal for modern remote work needs. The solution to these challenges lies in Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), a security model built around the principle of “never trust, always verify.” This approach not only enhances security but also improves user experience, making it the future of work-from-anywhere strategies.
The Challenges with VPNs in a Remote Work Environment
VPNs have been the default technology for secure remote access for decades. They create encrypted connections that allow remote workers to access corporate networks securely. VPNs operate on the assumption that once a user is authenticated, they can access the network freely. This assumption is problematic, especially in today’s environment, where threats are more sophisticated and data breaches are common.
VPNs can introduce latency, slowing down application performance and affecting productivity. This is particularly noticeable when users are geographically dispersed or when cloud-based applications are used. As organizations grow, managing and maintaining VPN infrastructure becomes increasingly complex and costly.
Many VPN solutions still rely on static credentials, which are susceptible to phishing and other forms of credential theft. Once credentials are compromised, attackers can potentially gain full access to the network.
What is Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)?
ZTNA redefines remote access by eliminating the inherent trust granted in VPN models. The Zero Trust approach is based on the idea that no user or device should be trusted by default, whether inside or outside the corporate network. Instead, access is granted based on continuous verification of user identity and device status. This model aligns with the evolving security needs of modern businesses and offers some advantages.
- Securing Access to Applications
Fast ZTNA provides direct and secure access to specific apps or resources, bypassing the need to route all traffic through a central hub. By utilizing Cloudbrink’s FAST edge locations, it brings the Point of Presence (PoP) closer to the user, shortening the network path, reducing latency, and enhancing security through automated moving target defense.
With intelligent routing and load-balancing strategies, Fast ZTNA dynamically picks the best route between users and applications, considering factors like congestion and latency for better performance. There is an improvement in performance as a result.
- Accelerating Application Performance
By leveraging advanced acceleration techniques, Fast ZTNA boosts application delivery, providing up to 30 times faster performance compared to setups without security measures.
- Edge Computing Integration
Utilizing a global network of FAST edge nodes, Fast ZTNA brings applications nearer to users, minimizing data travel distance. It reduces lag and latency and improves overall performance.
Overcoming Latency Issues with ZTNA
While ZTNA offers a more secure and adaptable approach to remote access, it can still introduce latency, which affects the speed and reliability of application performance. This can be particularly challenging for remote workers who depend on real-time access to cloud-based applications or data-intensive tasks.
To address this, solutions like Cloudbrink’s Fast ZTNA come into play. Fast ZTNA combines the security benefits of Zero Trust with optimized network routing, significantly reducing latency. By utilizing edge locations that are geographically closer to end users, Fast ZTNA minimizes the distance data needs to travel, resulting in faster response times. The network dynamically selects the optimal route for data to travel, avoiding congested paths and ensuring a more efficient connection. Fast ZTNA uses techniques such as data compression, traffic prioritization, and caching to accelerate the performance of cloud-based applications, providing a smoother user experience.
The Business Benefits of Fast ZTNA
For organizations looking to support a globally distributed workforce, the combination of Zero Trust principles with network optimization offers several advantages. Fast ZTNA ensures that remote access is secure, adaptive, and resistant to common threats. By continuously verifying user and device identities, organizations can quickly detect and respond to suspicious activity.
Employees can enjoy a faster, more reliable connection to the applications they need, enhancing productivity and reducing frustration associated with slow or unstable connections. Fast ZTNA is designed to scale effortlessly with organizational growth, allowing businesses to easily add or remove users without the complexity associated with traditional VPN infrastructure. The reduced need for extensive VPN hardware and maintenance, coupled with increased operational efficiency, can lead to significant cost savings.
Why Zero Trust is the Future of Remote Work
As businesses continue to adapt to the realities of a remote workforce, traditional remote access solutions like VPNs are no longer sufficient to meet security and performance demands. Zero Trust Network Access provides a more secure and adaptable approach, offering benefits that are well-suited for the modern workplace. Fast ZTNA adds performance to increase worker productivity.
The shift from VPNs to ZTNA represents a fundamental change in how organizations approach security. It acknowledges that the boundaries of the corporate network have dissolved and that identity and context are now the primary factors in determining access. By integrating network optimization techniques like those used in Cloudbrink’s Fast ZTNA, businesses can maintain both the security and the performance needed to thrive in a work-from-anywhere world.
Make the shift from legacy VPNs and ZTNA 2.0 to Cloudbrink’s high-performance ZTNA today, and unlock a new level of secure, efficient, and future-proof connectivity.
