It's Not Too Late To Ditch Your VPN: Why ZPA Is The Superior Secure Access Solution - Part 3

Introduction

Welcome back to our ongoing exploration of Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) architecture! If you missed the earlier blogs of this series, you can find them here: Blog 1 | Blog 2.

In this third and final blog of the series, we will explore the advanced capabilities of ZPA that truly set the solution apart. 

Leveraging AI for Application Segmentation

Effective application segmentation is a cornerstone of modern Zero Trust architecture, and ZPA excels in delivering it. 

One of the core principles of Zero Trust is to assume compromise. This means designing processes and systems that assume hostile actors may be present, both inside and outside traditional network boundaries.

With ZPA, segmentation can be easily achieved as ZPA architecture does not require connectivity between various network segments. Each network segment can be their own independent "island". This limits the blast radius, preventing attackers from moving laterally across data centers if a segment is compromised.

ZPA also adopts a user group-based approach for access control—leveraging groups or departments instead of traditional, less efficient IP-based methods. With AI-Powered Recommendations, ZPA enables organizations to identify, segment, and apply precise access policies, accelerating the Zero Trust journey with the following key capabilities: 

• Application Segment Import: Easily import application segments from Cybersecurity Asset Management (CSAM) or Configuration Management Database (CMDB) tools, speeding up the configuration process.
• AI-Powered Segmentation Recommendations: Automatically analyzes application usage patterns and transaction data to suggest access policies. These recommendation settings can be configured to get tailored recommendations for each environment.
• Usage Insights: Gain actionable insights about which user groups have access to which application segments, and which access policies are being used, helping administrators fine-tune access policies.

Administrators can get started easily and continuously refine the segmentation groups and policies as the users and applications evolve with time. This segmentation-driven approach not only improves security but also reduces the attack surface, making Zero Trust implementations simpler and more effective.

Consistent Zero Trust Network Access Everywhere

When an employee on the corporate network is compromised—whether they are remote or in the office—all security bets are off.

One of the core principles of Zero Trust is to verify extensively. Do not assume trust based on weak assurances, such as network location. All networks, including corporate networks, should be treated as untrusted networks.

ZPA is designed with this foundational Zero Trust principle in mind. An enterprise’s Zero Trust architecture built with ZPA ensures that no user is ever allowed access to any private application without explicit authorization. Not even a single ICMP packet can reach the application. Private applications remain invisible until authorization occurs, regardless of whether the user is connecting remotely or from within the corporate office.

Treat all networks as untrusted. Users on the office network should have the same level of access as if they were connected to public Wi-Fi. Access to private applications is allowed only via ZPA. By treating the corporate network like guest Wi-Fi, attackers who gain access—whether through compromised Wi-Fi or by physically connecting a network cable—are treated as regular guest users with zero access.

The days of attackers compromising organizations by hacking Wi-Fi are over. This approach offers additional advantages such as:

• Rapidly provision new offices
• Enable secure hybrid work
• Reduce the operational complexity and infrastructure cost ( by decommissioning IPsec, MPLS, ExpressRoute, etc.)

Streamlining Zero Trust Access for Hybrid Workforce:

For office networks that host local applications, hair pinning ZPA traffic can be avoided by deploying Private Service Edges. By eliminating the need for separate corporate and remote solutions and applying consistent secure access policies and, ZPA resolves inefficiencies like:

• Inconsistent user access experiences across locations.
• Multiple consoles and fragmented policy engines.
• Additional costs associated with managing separate products.

The result? Simplified operations, consistent security, and reduced costs for organizations, all while offering seamless access for the hybrid workforce.

Protecting Private Applications 

The security of private applications should never be an afterthought. Unfortunately, many internal applications remain vulnerable to critical CVEs and zero-day attacks. Additionally, core network services like Kerberos, LDAP, and SMB are exposed to threats such as kerberoasting and enumeration attacks, underscoring the growing need for continuous monitoring and robust defense strategies.

To safeguard against internal threat actors or compromised credentials, simply authenticating and authorizing access to private applications is no longer sufficient. In line with the core principles of Zero Trust, which assume the possibility of compromise, connections to private applications must be inspected to ensure security measures extend beyond the initial access point.

ZPA delivers the capability to inspect traffic between users and private applications. This inspection can be performed in two ways:

• AppProtection: Performs Layer 7 traffic inspection at the App Connector level to secure private applications against web vulnerabilities, identity attacks, and threats targeting Active Directory. AppProtection also offers protection against the latest CVEs through up-to-date signatures and virtual patching maintained by the Zscaler ThreatLabz team.
• Threat Inspection and Data Protection:  Utilizes Zscaler’s ZTE cloud to provide robust malware protection, URL filtering, sandboxing, intrusion prevention, and data loss prevention (DLP).

Together, AppProtection, Threat Inspection, and Data Protection create a comprehensive defense for private applications against insider threats and compromised credentials.

Securing Access for B2B Applications

ZPA is designed to eliminate the inherent risks associated with VPNs and provide Zero Trust access for all applications, regardless of where they are hosted. ZPA's approach also extends Zero Trust access to partners' applications.

ZPA's B2B Application access enables trusted partners to establish IPsec tunnels directly to the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange (ZTE). Through ZTE, ZPA ensures that only authenticated and authorized users can access the partner’s private applications. This approach removes the need for setting up and managing separate VPNs for each partner, streamlining and securing external access.

By offloading tunnel termination to the cloud, ZPA improves scalability and supports high availability—tunnels can connect to multiple Zscaler data centers, providing redundancy and reliability. This solution delivers a secure, scalable, and low-maintenance method for partner connectivity, enabling faster partner onboarding and smoother collaboration. By leveraging ZPA for B2B access, organizations realize the following benefits:

• Secure partner access: Connect to partners' private apps without exposing their internal network.
• Faster partner onboarding: Onboard new partners quickly via IPsec, avoiding complex VPN setups.
• Simplified management: Centralize access control to streamline app access for multiple partners without without requiring additional routing and configurations.
• Reliable connectivity: Ensure continuous access to partner applications with active-active tunnels and automatic failover.

Securing Access for Third-party Users and Unmanaged Devices

Traditional Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solutions used for BYOD access or third-party contractors come with numerous challenges, including increased attack surface, complexity, and high costs. ZPA offers intuitive alternatives to VPN and VDI through:

Browser Access

Users can securely access private web applications without a client, directly in their browser. Combined with Zero Trust Browser, organizations can enforce robust data security and granular access controls—streaming application content as safe pixels to prevent exploits or data leakage from unmanaged devices.

Privileged Remote Access (PRA)

Designed for engineers managing IT, OT, or IIoT assets, privileged remote access provides secure access via SSH, RDP, or VNC protocols. Key features include:

• Sandboxed file transfer to deter malware and ransomware.
• Session recording, playback, and monitoring for auditing and compliance.
• Ushered access capabilities that enable administrators to invite or eject users within sessions.

These tools reduce reliance on infrastructure-heavy VDIs, simplifying operations while bolstering security.

Comprehensive Global Service Edge

ZPA’s Service Edge architecture ensures optimal performance by leveraging Zscaler’s globally distributed footprint. Unlike VPN gateways—often deployed in limited locations, causing traffic tromboning and latency—ZPA users connect to the nearest Service Edge for the fastest access to private applications.

This extensive Service Edge coverage eliminates bottlenecks, delivering a superior user experience regardless of geographic location. Paired with App Connectors deployed in data centers, the architecture ensures reliable and low-latency connections for all users.

Ensuring Business Continuity and Resilience

ZPA offers robust Business Continuity capabilities, ensuring uninterrupted access to private applications without compromising Zero Trust security.

Business Continuity ensures that users maintain access to mission-critical services under all failure scenarios, enabling organizations to meet regulatory compliance requirements. Business Continuity covers a wide range of outage scenarios, including:

• Site Isolation due to ISP Failure
• Data Center specific outages

In Summary

ZPA continues to redefine secure remote access by embracing Zero Trust principles, delivering advanced segmentation, ensuring consistent access for hybrid workforces, and offering innovative alternatives to traditional VPN and VDI solutions.

With robust features like AI-powered segmentation, Business Continuity, B2B Application Access, and private application protection, organizations can confidently modernize their security posture while simplifying operations and improving user experience. 

Read the Forrester Total Economic Impact Report to learn how Zscaler Private Access customers realized 289% ROI.

Below is a summary table on how ZPA compares with VPN: