{"id":37428,"date":"2025-05-20T05:11:41","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T05:11:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insentragroup.com\/nz\/?p=37428"},"modified":"2025-05-21T00:56:02","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T00:56:02","slug":"still-using-vpn-or-ztna-for-remote-access-theres-a-better-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insentragroup.com\/nz\/insights\/geek-speak\/secure-workplace\/still-using-vpn-or-ztna-for-remote-access-theres-a-better-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Still Using VPN or ZTNA for Remote Access? There\u2019s a Better Way"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style>\nbody .blog-body h3, body .blog-body h4 {\ntext-transform: inherit;\n}\n<\/style>\n\n\n\n<p>The shift to remote and hybrid work models has introduced significant cybersecurity challenges for organisations worldwide. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hp.com\/us-en\/newsroom\/press-releases\/2021\/hp-wolf-security-study-risk-remote-work.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">study by HP Wolf Security<\/a> revealed that 71% of employees access more company data from home than before the pandemic, with 70% admitting to using work devices for personal tasks.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This blending of personal and professional device usage has expanded attack surfaces, making networks more vulnerable. As a result, 83% of IT teams feel that the rise in home-based employees has created a &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/hp-study-reveals-that-91-of-%E2%80%8Bit-teams-feel-pressure-to-compromise-security\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">ticking time bomb<\/a>&#8221; for potential network attacks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In response, businesses have turned to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) to safeguard remote connections. However, these two solutions each come with significant trade-offs.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>VPN vs. ZTNA: The Security and Performance Dilemma<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>VPNs and ZTNA are the two dominant remote access solutions, but each comes with trade-offs that impact security, performance, and usability. Understanding how they work highlights why IT leaders often struggle to choose between them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How VPNs work<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A VPN establishes an encrypted tunnel between a user\u2019s device and the corporate network, allowing remote employees to access internal resources as if they were physically in the office. This method is efficient and maintains network speed, but it requires keeping open ports exposed to the internet.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Attackers frequently scan for these ports making VPNs a prime target for ransomware and other cyber threats. Once connected, an attacker can move laterally across the network, increasing the risk of a major breach.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How ZTNA works<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>ZTNA, in contrast, follows a zero trust approach, meaning users are never inherently trusted, even if they have network access. Instead of a direct tunnel, ZTNA routes traffic through a cloud-based security layer, which verifies identity and enforces access controls before granting permission to specific applications. This approach eliminates exposed network ports, reducing the risk of direct attacks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, by funnelling all traffic through a third-party proxy, ZTNA introduces latency, increased costs and challenges in tracking individual user activity due to NAT obfuscation\u2014which makes all users appear to be connecting from the same IP address. This can complicate both security monitoring and troubleshooting.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ultimately, both VPNs and ZTNA force IT leaders to make a tough choice: <strong>prioritise speed with VPNs or security with ZTNA<\/strong>. But what if there was a way to achieve both?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Zero Networks Connect: Secure Remote Access Without Compromise<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insentragroup.com\/nz\/services\/independent-software-vendors\/zero-network\/secure-remote-access\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Zero Networks Connect<\/a> eliminates the trade-offs, offering a unified remote access solution that merges VPN\u2019s performance with ZTNA\u2019s security.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>No Open Ports:<\/strong> Like ZTNA, Zero Networks Connect keeps ports closed and invisible to attackers. Ports are opened dynamically only after a user has authenticated using MFA\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Maximum Performance:<\/strong> Unlike ZTNA, Zero Networks Connect enables direct peer-to-peer connectivity using WireGuard\u00ae, the fastest open-source VPN protocol with best-in-class cryptography\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u00a0<strong>No NAT Obfuscation:<\/strong> Unlike ZTNA, Zero Networks Connect retains each user\u2019s individual IP address, preserving visibility for security and monitoring tools\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Vendor Access Segmentation:<\/strong> Zero Networks Connect dynamically grants vendors access only to the resources they need, something VPNs simply don\u2019t support without additional security tools\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Plug-and-Play Deployment:<\/strong> Integrated with Zero Networks full zero trust network and identity segmentation\u2014ready to deploy in 30 days\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How Zero Networks Connect Works<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Zero Networks Connect eliminates that trade-off by combining the best aspects of VPNs and ZTNA. It provides seamless, high-speed connectivity while maintaining a strict zero trust security model. Here\u2019s how it works:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The user connects via the Zero Connect Client\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>MFA authentication is enforced by Zero Networks\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The cloud service dynamically opens the VPN port only for the user\u2019s IP\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A secure tunnel is established, and the user gains access based on predefined permissions\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>With Zero Networks Connect, organisations get secure, high-performance remote access without the risks of open ports or the slowdowns of rerouted traffic. The result? A streamlined, zero trust solution that protects your network without compromising user experience.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>VPN vs. ZTNA vs. Zero Networks Connect<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Feature<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td><strong>VPN<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td><strong>ZTNA<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td><strong>Zero Networks Connect<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Open Ports&nbsp;<\/td><td>Yes&nbsp;<\/td><td>No&nbsp;<\/td><td>No&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>High Performance&nbsp;<\/td><td>Yes&nbsp;<\/td><td>No&nbsp;<\/td><td>Yes&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Direct Connectivity&nbsp;<\/td><td>Yes&nbsp;<\/td><td>No&nbsp;<\/td><td>Yes&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Vendor Access Segmentation&nbsp;<\/td><td>No&nbsp;<\/td><td>Yes&nbsp;<\/td><td>Yes&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>NAT Obfuscation&nbsp;<\/td><td>No&nbsp;<\/td><td>Yes&nbsp;<\/td><td>No&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>See Zero Networks Connect in Action<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Remote and hybrid work are not going anywhere, which is why secure and efficient access is non-negotiable. Yet, traditional solutions like VPNs and ZTNA force IT leaders to compromise\u2014sacrificing either security or performance. Zero Networks Connect eliminates that trade-off, delivering the best of both worlds with seamless, high-speed, zero trust access.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why settle for outdated, vulnerable or sluggish remote access? With Zero Networks Connect, organisations can protect their networks, optimise user experience and simplify security\u2014all in one streamlined solution.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insentragroup.com\/nz\/services\/independent-software-vendors\/zero-network\/secure-remote-access\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Contact us today<\/a> to learn how Zero Networks can revolutionise your remote access.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ditch VPN vulnerabilities and ZTNA slowdowns. Zero Networks Connect delivers secure, high-speed remote access with zero trust enforcement. Read about it here!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":199,"featured_media":37429,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-secure-workplace","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insentragroup.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insentragroup.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insentragroup.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insentragroup.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/199"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insentragroup.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37428"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.insentragroup.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37428\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37450,"href":"https:\/\/www.insentragroup.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37428\/revisions\/37450"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insentragroup.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insentragroup.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insentragroup.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insentragroup.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}