How ZTNA and Cloud SWG Work Together in a SASE Framework

More users, more devices, more clouds. The perimeter is gone. In today’s hyper-distributed world, security can’t rely on walls anymore. It must go everywhere your people go.

SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) was designed for this new reality. It combines the power of modern networking with real-time security, ensuring fast and secure access from any location. Within the SASE architecture, mainly two technologies define its access and web security strength: Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and the Cloud Secure Web Gateway (SWG). One protects access to applications. The other protects access to web resources. Together, they deliver a much-needed shift toward proactive, identity-driven security.

At Open Systems, we provide managed SASE services that integrate ZTNA and Cloud SWG with 24×7 monitoring, policy optimization, and incident response. Customers get the protection they need without the operational complexity they don’t.

SASE: Built for a Perimeter-Free Enterprise

Remote work and SaaS adoption have completely redefined how organizations operate. Users now connect from homes, airports, and coffee shops to applications that rarely live in corporate datacenters. Backhauling traffic through a central firewall slows productivity and increases risk. A SASE framework shifts security controls to the cloud and every edge, so they sit closer to users and closer to threats.

What makes SASE transformative is that security follows identity, not IP addresses or physical locations. It eliminates assumptions of trust, reduces lateral movement opportunities, and creates a unified approach for managing cloud and network security as the organization evolves.

Open Systems extends SASE beyond technology by actively operating it. Our teams handle integration, operations, and continuous optimization, with our own experts in the follow-the-sun operations centers and through designated account teams, so transitions to Zero Trust become seamless instead of overwhelming.

ZTNA: Secure Access Without the VPN Trade-Offs

ZTNA enforces the principle “never trust, always verify.” Until a user’s identity, device posture, and context are validated, access remains locked. Even when granted, access is tightly scoped to individual applications and resources, dramatically reducing exposure if credentials are compromised.

Because ZTNA connects users directly to apps rather than the generic network, performance improves, and risk is reduced. Employees get fast, secure access from any location, and organizations eliminate the broad trust zones that make lateral motion attacks so successful.

ZTNA is the core of Zero Trust Security. In the hands of the Open Systems, access policies become strategic, dynamic and self-improving as risk signals evolve.

Cloud SWG: Protecting the Internet Connection That Never Sleeps

Most attacks begin with a click on a malicious web resource. Cloud SWG provides a real-time security layer for between users and the internet, scanning and filtering traffic to prevent malware, phishing, and data loss attempts from ever reaching users. It also enforces company web access policies, blocking non-business or unethical web categories to maintain compliance and productivity.

Since over 90 percent of web traffic is now encrypted, deep SSL inspection is essential for visibility into sophisticated threats.  Deployed across all SASE Points of Presence (PoPs), the CSWG sits directly between users—wherever they work—and the internet, ensuring high performance without the latency caused by traffic backhauling through central data centers. Combined with advanced threat detection with up-to-date Indicators of Compromise (IOCs), and a cloud sandbox that analyzes downloads for zero-day threats, Open Systems’ CSWG delivers consistent protection with AI-enhanced analytics and 24×7 expert monitoring—keeping users safe without slowing them down.

ZTNA + Cloud SWG: The SASE Security Core

ZTNA and Cloud SWG solve different problems, but their value compounds when they work together inside a SASE architecture. One manages application and company resource access. One guards the public web. Their union creates a comprehensive access security baseline.

Threat insights gained from SWG can trigger ZTNA controls automatically. Abnormal identity behavior can shift risk scoring or revoke authorization in real time. Users see a unified, seamless experience instead of disjointed checkpoints.

And for IT and SOC teams, the operational improvement is dramatic. Visibility becomes unified. Policies become consistent. Response becomes faster. With Open Systems managing SASE end-to-end, security becomes stronger while complexity goes down—not up.

Results That Enable Transformation

Across sectors, organizations adopt SASE with ZTNA and Cloud SWG because it gives them permission to move faster:

  • Manufacturing companies can ensure secure third-party access for machine maintenace
  • Financial services onboard cloud securely while maintaining compliance
    • Healthcare organizations protect patient data as digital care expands
    • Universities safeguard research and online learning from anywhere
    • Retailers secure stores and POS systems without interrupting operations

This is state-of-the-art access security: robust enough for high-risk environments and flexible enough for high-speed change.

SASE Progression: Toward Autonomous Zero Trust

As the traditional network perimeter disappears, cyberattacks continue to accelerate. Entities and identities have become the new perimeter, while cloud and OT expansion make security and connectivity more complex than ever. In this evolving landscape, SASE is truly future proof when it delivers:

  • Holistic identity and entity visibility, monitoring, and smart alerting
  • Behavior-driven, adaptive access controls that respond dynamically to context
  • Consistent policy systems continuously refined by AI and guided by expert threat intelligence

Open Systems is building directly toward this future —providing the same identity-centric visibility across ZTNA and CSWG, co-managed, consistent policies that adapt to behavior across the organization, and reliable operations that continuously optimize performance—either automatically through AI or with dedicated technical account managers for tailored support.

Conclusion: Cloud-Native Security That Scales with You

SASE has become the most effective architecture for digital organizations. When ZTNA and Cloud SWG form its foundation – and when the platform is continuously operated by experts – security transforms from a bottleneck into an enabler.

With Open Systems SASE:

  • Every user gains secure access from anywhere
    • Risk decreases even as cloud adoption accelerates
    • Tool sprawl and operational burden are finally reduced

Because cyberattacks don’t slow down. Your security shouldn’t either.