06 Dec What is Zero Trust Network Access?
What is Zero Trust Network Access (and how does it protect your network?)
Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) secures your network by not allowing any user or device access until they are fully authenticated and approved. This way you are maximally protected against data theft and other forms of cybercrime. In this article, you’ll discover how Zero Trust Network Access works and the benefits it offers.
Trust no one and control everything, that’s the simple, yet effective principle behind Zero Trust Network Access. This advanced security method will only allow a user or device onto the network if they meet predetermined identity and access control requirements.
The danger of VPN connections for your network
To give remote employees access to the company network, many organizations rely on VPN (Virtual Private Network) connections. This is not illogical, as it is a simple and secure way to establish a connection between a user or a device and a network.
But, is this really as secure as it is claimed to be? Not quite, because as soon as someone connects through a VPN, all devices on the same network can access your domain. And this happens without you checking these devices. It poses a great risk to your network and company data.
How does Zero Trust Network Access work?
Fortunately, there is a solution. To protect your data, you need to make sure your local applications behave like a web application.
Then, with Zero Trust Network Access, you can verify …
- who is connecting to your application,
- what device they are using,
- what access they need.
With ZTNA, you can create dynamic access rules so that only devices that meet these rules are allowed on your network. Depending on the device type and user profile, you can give devices access to the entire network or just certain applications.
Why is ZTNA a must?
The expanding number of mobile workers and sensitive data being stored in the cloud, requires more than a simple firewall solution. Incident after incident of companies that did not have the right security measures in place keep appearing in the daily news. To avoid becoming the next news headline and protect their business, organizations need to increase their security investments.
Zero Trust Network Access is the new solution that guarantees secure access to all users and data, anywhere in the world. Gartner recently predicted that “By 2023, 60% of enterprises will phase out most of their remote access VPN’s in favor of ZTNA”.
How to start with ZTNA?
To start their ZTNA journey, companies can start by making small adjustments that immediately create a safer working environment. Two popular places to start the ZTNA journey are:
(1) Choosing for a VPN alternative that offers good security and easy management
(2) Securing access to hybrid and multi-cloud environments
Gartner’s Market Guide on Zero Trust Network Access provides helpful insights into the things that companies should consider when choosing for a ZTNA solution. Click here to download the guide.
Our ZTNA pick: Barracuda CloudGen Access
At Kappa Data, we rely on Barracuda CloudGen Access as our solution for Zero Trust Network Access. This innovative ZTNA solution ensures secure access to applications and from any device and location.
Barracuda CloudGen Access allows approved devices to access selected applications without exposing your network. With the CloudGen Access policy engine, you can quickly and easily set and manage access control rules for public, private and hybrid environments.
Want to read more information about Barracuda CloudGen Access? Click here.
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