VPN vs. ZTNA: Which is Better for Secure Remote Access?

With this blog, we’re going on a journey that presents twists and turns as we compare two means of securing hybrid workforces and their access to applications, data, and other internet-based services: zero trust network access (ZTNA) and virtual private networks (VPN). Both have clear advantages, but only one provides security that scales without widening the attack surface while eliminating the costs of legacy network security tooling.

VPN vs. ZTNA for securing the hybrid workforce

Organizations adoption of hybrid work and cloud computing means both employees and applications are distributed physically and virtually. In this context, a perimeter-focused security strategy is no longer a viable approach to safeguarding organizations against an evolving threat landscape. Adopting a proactive security approach is a must—not an option.

VPNs and ZTNA are two primary means of securing both users and data—but they are very different approaches, so which is right for your organization? Let’s examine the pros and cons of each along with common use cases.  

Virtual private networks secure access, but create latency issues

A virtual private network creates a secure and encrypted connection over a network—and in the age of hybrid work, the internet has become an extension of the corporate network. Employees use VPN to connect to a corporate network and its resources from wherever they’re located. This enables them to access applications, files, databases and other resources as if they were in the office.

VPNs also protect users' online privacy by masking their IP addresses and encrypting internet traffic. Companies have deployed VPNs since the ‘90s as a means of securing remote connectivity so that data transmitted over the internet remains private and secure. Sensitive information, such as financial data, customer details and confidential communications, stay protected when employees work remotely or when sharing data with partners and clients—even when using untrusted public networks.

Sounds good, right? It does on the surface, but let’s look at the tradeoffs of using VPN. Here’s a quick-hit list of VPN advantages:

• Enhanced security: VPNs provide an encrypted connection, protecting data in transit from being intercepted or monitored by unauthorized parties. This is crucial when remote staff use public Wi-Fi networks, which extend the attack surface since they are vulnerable to hacks that lead to data breaches.
• Protect privacy: By masking the user's IP address and encrypting internet traffic, VPNs help protect users' online privacy. They prevent internet service providers (ISPs) and websites from tracking browsing activities, making it more difficult for third parties to collect personal information.
• Enable remote access: Remote workers and business partners can securely connect to corporate networks from anywhere. This facilitates remote work, collaboration, and access to resources.
• Encrypt data: VPNs encrypt all data transmitted between the users’ devices and a VPN server, making it difficult for threat actors to decipher sensitive information.

VPNs impact productivity and create management overhead

VPN deployment and usage does introduce significant issues for both IT teams and end users:

Complex configuration and management: Setting up a VPN can be difficult for less experienced IT staff, especially when dealing with advanced configurations.
Latency impacts the user experience: VPNs require backhauling user traffic through a data center which means data must travel farther, impacting web app performance.
Connectivity issues result in slower performance: VPN connections may occasionally experience disruptions or unstable connections or slower performance. This can frustrate your staff, especially when they need to get something done quickly.

ZTNA provides secure access to apps, data, and other cloud resources

Zero trust network access is an architectural approach that challenges the traditional network security model with a core principle of "never trust, always verify": this is shorthand for no user or device being inherently trusted and access to applications is granted only to authorized users with continuous verification. This model ensures that users are granted the least amount of access required to perform their work tasks, minimizing the potential attack surface and reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

How organizations can apply ZTNA operationally across industries

There are many scenarios where applying ZTNA secures users, apps and data while ensuring the highest level of security. Here a few examples:

• Consistent security controls across multicloud environments: In multicloud architectures, ZTNA helps manage access to resources across different cloud service providers, ensuring consistent security policies and access controls.
• Internet of things (IoT) security: By enforcing strict access controls and device authentication, organizations can prevent unauthorized access to IoT infrastructure.
• Healthcare and Financial Services: These industries have strict data privacy regulations and benefit from ZTNA by ensuring secure access to sensitive information while meeting regulatory compliance.
• Government and Defense: Government agencies can protect classified information and prevent data breaches by ensuring that only authorized personnel can access critical systems and data stores.
• Education: these institutions can secure access to student records, research data, and administrative systems, protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access.

Requirements for zero trust network access

The advantages of ZTNA are significant and leveraging them requires planning with a phased approach to adopt this new architecture. These challenges are summarized below. Zscaler works closely with customers so they can ramp up quickly with ZTNA while significantly reducing IT costs:

• Implementing ZTNA requires planning to implement, especially in large and established networks. Zscaler mitigates this with our team’s thorough understanding of network architecture, user roles, and application dependencies and more, all so our customers can ramp up quickly and realize fast time-to-value. Moreover, our platform’s architecture and deployment generally requires no hardware; only a small software agent called the Client Connector that is deployed on endpoints to route traffic to our global security cloud. The Zero Trust Exchange acts as a switchboard to continuously evaluate users’ identity, behavior, and device posture as well as inspect content and apply policy to prevent threats from reaching the endpoint.
• Transitioning from a traditional network architecture to a zero trust model may require changes in infrastructure, policies, and user access procedures—all of which require time and resources to adapt. Zscaler works with customers using a phased approach to adopting ZTNA and has done so for many organizations globally across various industries. Due to our expertise in ZTNA and the technical advantages of our platform, we can get customers up and running in just days or weeks.
• Investing in ZTNA involves an upfront purchase of new software and services. With Zscaler, customers can eliminate IT costs while leveraging industry-leading security. Our platform’s architecture and protective capabilities remove the need for many inbound and outbound DMZ legacy devices and services such as firewalls, VPN concentrators, MPLS routers, DDoS, and VDI to name a few, resulting in a rapid return on investment.

ZTNA vs. VPN 

Now that you understand the pros and cons of both VPNs and ZTNA, let’s directly compare the two through the lenses of security, management, scalability, performance and ease of use. The table below provides a summary of these considerations:

In summary, ZTNA offers a more modern and robust security framework with granular access controls, making it highly secure and scalable. VPNs, on the other hand, provide a simple solution for secure remote access and privacy protection, but face challenges with scalability and performance.

Transitioning to ZTNA is a journey that will pay dividends with security that scales while reducing IT cost

At Zscaler we know the road to zero trust is a journey that requires planning and thoughtful implementation. This means ZTNA adoption often happens in phases, not all at once.  Transitioning from VPN to ZTNA can occur in steps:

1. Assessment: Evaluate your current security needs and IT stack, then identify areas where ZTNA can provide better protection and seamless access to the apps and internet-based resources.
2. Planning: Develop a migration plan that includes timelines, resources, and training for your IT team.
3. Implementation: Deploy ZTNA solutions gradually, starting with critical applications and data.
4. Testing: Conduct thorough testing to ensure that the new system meets your security and performance requirements.
5. Training: Provide training for end users to familiarize them with the new authentication processes.

By following these steps, you can successfully transition to ZTNA and enhance your organization's security posture.

Congratulations dear reader, you’re well along the path of understanding the advantages of ZTNA over VPNs! Now you know that when compared to VPNs, ZTNA is a more robust and scalable solution for securing the hybrid workforce, making it a worthwhile investment for modern enterprises.

With Zscaler’s architecture that leverages the world’s largest security cloud with over 160 edge nodes, you’ll save money by leaving legacy network security tooling behind and embracing a true zero trust architecture that will scale as your business grows.  

Learn more by scheduling a demo with our zero trust experts.