Comparing VPNs and ZTNA: What’s best for your business in 2024?

In today’s fast-paced digital world, ensuring the safety and confidentiality of your company’s data is crucial. The constant increase in cyber threats has led businesses to search for strong defenses to shield sensitive data. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) have become significant considerations.

As we move closer to 2024, besides swift tech progress, it’s vital to assess which solution best fits your business needs strategically. It is done by considering efficiency, scalability, and overall security. This article aims to guide you through the complexities of VPNs and ZTNA. It will assist you in identifying the most fitting option to bolster your company’s future triumphs.

Understanding VPNs

A Virtual Private Network, commonly known as a VPN, creates a safe connection between a user’s device and the internet by coding the data that is being sent. This coded transmission enhances security by making it difficult for unauthorized individuals to gain access.

Moreover, the main advantages of using VPNs are that they hide the user’s IP address. It provides anonymity and conceals their location. These features are particularly beneficial for remote workers or companies with offices worldwide. They can securely access the company’s resources from anywhere.

Furthermore, VPNs are frequently used to bypass geographical restrictions on websites or services. Nonetheless, it’s crucial to remember that while VPNs offer many benefits, they also have drawbacks. Some applications may need to work better with VPN routing. The coding process might affect performance. It results in slower internet speeds.

(Image credit) Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) overview

Zero Trust Network Access is a secure network paradigm. It prioritizes user and device identity verification over the conventional VPN approach. Diverging from VPNs that grant unrestricted access post-authentication, ZTNA implements strict controls and continuous identity verification throughout the user session.

Key Advantages of ZTNA:

ZTNA Solutions subject each access request to multi-factor authentication. It ensures that only authorized users gain entry. This minimizes the risk of credential theft and unauthorized access.

Unlike VPNs, ZTNA adopts a granular approach. It offers individual-level access based on roles and permissions. This minimizes potential attack vectors. It confines users to specific resources essential for their tasks.

ZTNAs provide streamlined connectivity. It surpasses the complexities of traditional VPN configurations. The user experience remains uninterrupted, while robust security measures operate discreetly.

Key differences between VPNs and ZTNA

Network Structure:

• VPN operates on a centralized network structure. It typically directs all traffic through a single point called the VPN gateway. This could cause congestion and impact performance as all user traffic passes through this point
• Conversely, ZTNA utilizes a distributed structure. It enables direct traffic routing between users and applications via micro-segmentation. This eliminates the need for backhauling traffic and enhances performance

Security Measures:

• VPNs ensure secure connections by encrypting data transferred between devices linked to the VPN network. Yet, once inside the network boundaries, users often have unrestricted access to resources, even when unnecessary
• On the other hand, ZTNA implements zero-trust principles that establish minimum privilege access controls after verifying identity before allowing resource access. This method bolsters security by minimizing potential attack points and stopping lateral movement within networks

Scalability:

• In the face of expanding operations or increasing numbers of remote employees, scalability becomes vital for businesses. Conventional VPN solutions may require more work to scale. It is due to the capacity constraints of central gateways that lead to congestion during high usage periods. Tackling this problem generally necessitates extra hardware or enhancements in infrastructure
• ZTNA bypasses these hurdles by harnessing the power of cloud-native technology. It offers easy and flexible scalability depending on demand without substantial manual interference. This establishes ZTNA as a perfect option for companies that foresee growth in the future while ensuring peak performance is sustained

Evaluating security features: VPNs vs. ZTNA

Conventional Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and Zero-Trust Network Access (ZTNA) have unique benefits and aspects to consider when assessing security features. VPNs create a secure passage between the user’s gadget and the company network. It necessitates additional hardware or software installations on devices. They can be challenging to oversee and expand for more prominent organizations but have been utilized for numerous years with a solid history of success.

On the other hand, ZTNA provides a more detailed approach to access control by validating users at every request. It doesn’t establish a direct link between the user’s device and the business network, thus minimizing potential attack routes.

Compared to traditional VPNs, ZTNAs could be more straightforward to implement as they operate in an environment native to the cloud. Your business’s specific requirements and necessities may make one solution more appropriate than another. It is crucial to thoroughly examine their security characteristics to choose which solution will benefit your company in 2024.

Performance and scalability: Which suits your business?

In terms of performance, there are notable disparities between VPNs and ZTNA.

• The VPNs operate on a centralized network framework, which can result in reduced speeds during peak traffic periods.
• Conversely, ZTNA employs a decentralized structure that facilitates quicker connections. One must also take into account scalability.
• VPNs usually require a significant hardware infrastructure to cope with increasing user needs, which can be costly and time-consuming to set up.
• Conversely, ZTNA utilizes solutions based on the cloud. It allows for easy scalability as your business grows without needing physical hardware.

If your enterprise values speed and scalability in 2024, ZTNA might be a more suitable option than conventional VPNs.

Integrating VPNs and ZTNA in modern IT environments

The escalating demand for secure remote access has put businesses in a position to decide between incorporating Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) or Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) into their contemporary IT infrastructures. While both alternatives provide superior security, each has unique aspects that should be evaluated.

Organizations have favored VPNs for their ability to link remote users with company networks via the Internet securely. They create encrypted channels that safeguard data transfer from unauthorized intrusion.

Furthermore, VPNs have demonstrated reliability and effectiveness over time, making them trusted solutions for businesses in 2024. On the other hand, ZTNA presents an array of benefits. It deviates from traditional boundary-based network security models.

(Image credit)

Moreover, it adopts a zero-trust strategy where users must verify their identity before accessing any resource or application, irrespective of location or device. This precise control ensures that only approved personnel can gain access while diminishing areas susceptible to attacks and limiting potential harm from compromised devices.

Both alternatives offer superior security measures to obsolete approaches like open networks or standalone basic firewalls. Nevertheless, when choosing the most appropriate solution for your business needs in 2024, it’s crucial to consider scalability needs and regulatory compliance standards.

Which is right for your business in 2024?

VPNs have long been the go-to solution for businesses looking to safeguard their networks and facilitate remote access. They establish a secure link between the user’s device and the corporate network. It encodes data transmitted over the internet. This coded transmission ensures that sensitive data remains protected from unauthorized exposure or hacker interception.

However, as we approach 2024, certain limitations of conventional VPNs are becoming evident. An emerging Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) technology offers a more sophisticated network security method. Unlike VPNs, which grant complete network access once connected, ZTNA provides individual users or devices with specific permissions based on their identity and situation.

Moreover, by employing a zero-trust model where every request is rigorously authenticated before access is granted, ZTNA minimizes potential weaknesses and mitigates risks. As companies progress into 2024 and beyond, it will be vital for them to assess their unique requirements regarding security protocols.

While traditional VPNs provide dependable encryption protocols for securing remote network connections, future projections necessitate advanced technologies like Zero Trust Network Access(ZTNA).

Featured image credit: rawpixel.com/Freepik.