Can ZTNA Evolve Campus Network Security?

These are unsure situations. Inflation, source chain pressures and the current geopolitical setting are forcing businesses of all measurements to re-analyze their approach to arranging, funding and deploying cybersecurity options. A single consequence of the pandemic has been the increase of the “micro-branch,” created by enterprises to assist their recently remote workforce. The unprecedented levels of remote obtain, in flip, considerably heightened the emphasis on security. Now, as many awareness staff are returning to campus environments, what is upcoming for campus community safety? In the run-up to the RSA Convention in early June, I would like to delve even further into this subject and share some of my predictions and insights.

Is yesterday’s network obtain handle more than enough?

Ahead of the pandemic, telecommuting was sparsely utilized and typically reserved for executives or salespeople. Right now, distant operate is listed here to stay. Just one can search to the hybrid operate infrastructure roadmap realignments and external messaging of company networking resolution suppliers these as Cisco, HPE Aruba and Juniper Networks to validate this level. Hybrid do the job is making a new problem for companies as protection platforms fork in between campus and department environments. It is no key that Zero Belief Community Obtain (ZTNA) has savored broad adoption for securing distant access, but should really we apply it to campus environments as very well?

Why take into consideration ZTNA on campus

ZTNA enjoys a higher diploma of visibility and deployment momentum, and in my perspective it is justified. Digital Non-public Network (VPN) methods have been all over for a very long time and have been fraught with cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Connection speeds and application overall performance are also often substantially impacted. These worries typically final result in people preferring not to use conventional VPN resources (I remember obtaining the same expertise when I worked in company The usa). Dependent on my numerous conversations with infrastructure suppliers and shoppers, I can confidently point out that the demise of VPNs is around!

With that mentioned, ZTNA is the long term of remote entry. ZTNA’s superpower lies in its ability to offer application security unbiased of a presented network. Authenticating end users to apps substantially mitigates lateral threat motion throughout a community, if not removing it altogether. So, this begs the query, why not also utilize ZTNA to campus environments? The gains are quite a few – from lateral risk movement prevention and unified plan implementation to consolidating cybersecurity budgets in an unsure macro-financial natural environment.

Wrapping up

I believe that a handful of cybersecurity solution vendors are poised to just take benefit of offering a universal ZTNA system that can span campus, regular branch and the new micro-branch. These firms incorporate (in alphabetical get and not drive-ranked) Airgap Networks, Palo Alto Networks and Zscaler. I plan to shell out time with all three organizations at RSA Convention and at the forthcoming Zscaler ZenithLive occasion in Las Vegas on June 21-24. Continue to be tuned for my further insights in excess of the coming months.

Disclosure: My company, Moor Insights & Strategy, like all research and analyst companies, offers or has furnished exploration, evaluation, advising, and/or consulting to a lot of significant-tech corporations in the sector, together with Palo Alto Networks and Zscaler, cited, or connected to this post. I do not keep any equity positions with any corporations cited in this column.