Do you know what Zero Trust Network Access is? Chances are, if you’re reading this, you at least have a general idea. But in case you’re not sure, we’re here to help. In this post, we’ll explain what Zero Trust Network Access is and how it works. We’ll also give some examples of how it can be used in your business. Stay tuned for more information on this hot topic!
The Basics of Zero Trust Network Access Explained
ZTNA is the network access strategy that removes user and device trust. To ensure a safe and secure network, a firewall is an essential part of IT security. However, this form of protection has a major vulnerability:
It is often possible to bypass firewalls via VPNs or similar tunneling applications. The reason is that the tunneled data is not recognized as such by the firewall. In addition, the data stream is encrypted and filtered at the VPN endpoints.
To address these risks, companies use so-called Zero Trust Network Access strategies. This means that there is no trust in user or device identity. This is because VPNs can be used to bypass firewalls and other security measures.
Moreover, the only way to avoid this risk is to only allow traffic from known and trusted sources. So that there is always full control over who connects to the corporate network.
How to Avoid Firewall Risks?
Insight on the basics of Zero Trust Network Access explained. VPNs have different functions. But usually, they create a private network connection across the Internet between two devices or locations.
Such connections are usually established for “virtual” remote. This is working between employees that have access to specific corporate resources such as servers and shared folders. In addition, for data protection purposes, some organizations also use VPNs to make it possible to encrypt all data traffic from their systems to the Internet.
This encryption protects data from unauthorized access from outside. When it passes through routers and firewalls en route to its final destination on the Internet.
Common Risks of Virtual Private Networks (VPN)?
The biggest problem with a VPN is that it can be used to bypass firewalls and other network security measures. Of course, this may be acceptable in some cases (for example if employees need remote access to corporate resources). However, in other cases, such behavior may represent a serious security risk.
For example, when using a VPN for remote working there should be strict security regulations. That is in place on what kind of data can be transmitted over this kind of connection (note: not all kinds of data are suitable for transfer via a VPN). What’s more, even if no sensitive information is transmitted over a VPN connection.
Then an attacker could still gather valuable information about your company (for example about its internal structure). That is by monitoring network traffic over such connections. This kind of information gathering could also be used for targeted attacks later on (for example if someone wants to attack an individual employee).
Security risks also exist regarding compliance with legal requirements as well as concerning cyber liability insurance coverage. In addition, there are also questions regarding who bears liability. That is in case an attacker uses a VPN service from your company to attack some third-party organization (is it you or the provider of the service?). And finally, it should be noted that the VPN provider itself could also be a security risk.