Zero trust is a cybersecurity framework that assumes that no user should be automatically trusted. By 2025, Gartner analysts predict that 60% of organizations1 will be adopting zero-trust principles. Yet, it can be difficult to implement a full blown zero-trust architecture because IT teams often must first retool systems and deploy many new components. Consequently, the first zero-trust solution many IT teams deploy on their zero-trust journey is zero-trust network access (ZTNA).
ZTNA improves security by performing user identity and device posture checks before granting the user or device explicit access to any application. And ZTNA continues to check both the user and device to ensure they meet policy to remain connected to that application. This granular access control provides appropriate levels of visibility into the employees and devices accessing applications used by the organization. This makes it much more difficult for a cyberattacker to obtain and maintain access to an application.
ZTNA enables work-from-anywhere (WFA) employees to securely access applications. This is how 90% of work is now accomplished in knowledge-work industries.2 Fortunately, employees working offsite during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown proved beyond all doubt that they can remain productive when properly supported.
Today, as organizations are shifting back to having employees spend more time or even full time on-site, controlling application access from both remote and on-premises locales is critical. ZTNA’s ability to safeguard the application attack surface is a huge step forward in any organization’s zero-trust journey.
Meeting in the middle with ZTNA over VPN
Deploying a complete ZTNA solution still requires alterations to the network and changes to how users access applications. Some organizations must take a more cautious approach. VPN networks have proven to be quite capable of securing traffic over the internet for WFA users, and those solutions are already fully deployed. However, VPN alone has limitations, such as authenticating and monitoring users, devices, and access. Implementing ZTNA over VPN for these organizations adds critical capabilities to a tried-and-true solution already in place.
ZTNA over VPN technologies that offer both capabilities may be a good option for organizations interested in Zero Trust but needing to take a more measured approach.
ZTNA over VPN offerings enable user identity checks, device posture checks, and granular application access control over a VPN tunnel. Just remember that ZTNA over VPN is not a full ZTNA solution, as it only applies to remote workers. For example, when on-site users work on the network, the ZTNA over VPN policies will not be checked. However, for off-site users, it is a leap forward from legacy VPN-based networkwide access to granular application access control.
Learn more
Fortinet has many customers who have adopted ZTNA over VPN as their first destination in their zero-trust journey. Review our solution brief on ZTNA over VPN for more information on our solution, or visit our ZTNA web page to find out more about Fortinet Universal ZTNA.
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1 Gartner, Predicts 2023: Zero Trust Moves Past Marketing Hype Into Reality – 6 December 2022 – ID G00780267 – By John Watts, Jeremy D’Hoinne, Dale Koeppen, Charlie Winckless
2 Ibid
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