Zscaler Private Access Now Provides Robust Business Continuity Without Compromising Security

Organizations need uninterrupted access to applications, without compromising zero trust security during disasters or network outages. Downtime can be devastating, leading to lost productivity and revenue. According to Uptime Intelligence, 54% of organizations have suffered a recent outage that cost more than US$100,000, and network-related issues are the largest single cause of IT service outages. Financial loss in both direct (e.g., lost deals and fines) and indirect costs (e.g., employee productivity) have been trending upward for several years. 

When implementing a robust business continuity plan (BCP) and disaster recovery (DR), stakeholders look to minimize the trade-offs with security. Additionally, organizations that maintain sensitive data or critical infrastructure, are required to ensure that proper access controls are in place at all times to prevent unauthorized access. Industry regulatory standards such as HIPAA and information security standards such as ISO 27001 (Annex A.17) mandate proper information security and access controls during emergencies.

Thousands of customers around the globe trust Zscaler to deliver highly-resilient cloud security services every day. We continue to invest in strengthening this trust as shown with the recent announcement of new Business Continuity capabilities across our product portfolio. In this blog, let us dive deeper into how Business Continuity for Zscaler Private Access™ (ZPA™) works and the benefits the capability provides.

We are thrilled to bring a new capability to our customers that need additional insurance or meet strict compliance requirements for business continuity. Now, when an outage is detected, ZPA automatically switches to Business Continuity mode and continues to enforce zero trust policies, ensuring operations are not disrupted during internet service provider outages, regional outages, or black swan events.

Now Available: Business Continuity that simplifies IT operations and enforces zero trust access 

Business Continuity for ZPA is powered by Private Cloud Controllers (PCCs), which are deployed as a software package on-premises in the customer’s infrastructure. PCCs function as the brains of the operation and along with Private Service Edges (PSEs) to deliver uninterrupted policy enforced access to private applications even when the Zscaler Cloud is unreachable. 

The PCCs perform the following critical functions:

1. Continuously syncs policies and configurations in real time: Any changes made on the ZPA Portal are pushed immediately to the private cloud controllers.

2. Redirects user for authentication in Business Continuity mode: Becomes the authentication endpoint for users in Business Continuity mode and redirects users to IdP and verifies the SAML assertions.

3. Redirects users to ZPA PSEs based on load: Maintains the load table of all ZPA PSEs and redirects users closest and the least loaded PSEs for optimum performance.

4. Enrolls new users: Allows new users (never enrolled to ZPA) to authenticate and redirect them to the ZPA PSEs.

5. Enables App Connectors and PSEs to download configurations: Ensures the App Connectors and ZPA PSEs have the latest Policies and Configuration.

6. Streams logs directly to SIEM: All logs are streamed directly to your SIEM in case of outage detection, ensuring you have visibility into user activity, App Connector Status and ZPA PSE status in Business Continuity mode.

Why should you consider implementing Business Continuity for ZPA?

Business Continuity for ZPA easily fits into an organization's overall business continuity strategy.  This highly rugged solution is designed for organizations operating in heavily regulated industries or striving to meet robust business continuity–related compliance mandates. 

By implementing ZPA Business Continuity, organizations remain resilient and protected. The solution delivers the following key benefits: 

1. Eliminates the impact of disruptions: Reduce downtime and lost productivity caused by network outages, cybersecurity threats, or natural disasters.

2. Streamlines IT operations: Switch to and out of Business Continuity mode automatically when an outage is detected by ZPA Private Service Edges, App Connectors or Client Connectors.

3. Enforces zero trust access: Maintain robust access controls and policies, even during disruptions and ensure only authorized users are allowed to access applications.

4. Meets and exceeds regulatory compliance requirements: Easily demonstrate compliance with the regulatory requirements with detailed audit trail. 

5. Ensures business continuity across multiple locations: Extend business continuity benefits to remote offices, branch locations, and global operations.

Conclusion

In today's digital landscape, business continuity and security are intertwined. Zscaler Private Access Business Continuity provides a unified solution for seamless operations, robust security, and maximum productivity.

Sign up now to learn more about Business Continuity for ZPA  and see how the solution can help you stay resilient and secure during disasters or network outages. 

We’re not stopping here—to learn more about what’s new with ZPA, join our live webinar with the ZPA product team on October 30, 2024.