Introduction

Over the past few years, the way organizations operate has transformed dramatically. Teams collaborate across continents, suppliers access internal systems, and employees expect to work from anywhere – securely and without friction. That shift has put remote access technology back into the spotlight. But one thing has become clear: the tools that served us a decade ago are struggling to keep up.

Among those tools, VPN has been a long-standing workhorse. It provided encrypted connectivity for a handful of users that were mostly stationary and applications sat inside corporate data centers. But as organizations move to cloud and hybrid environments and hybrid work has become standard, VPN reveals its limits – often in ways that directly impact productivity and security.

This is where Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) comes in. ZTNA represents a fundamental rethink of how users connect to corporate resources and how organizations minimize their attack surface. Let’s take a closer look at how the two compare.

What Makes ZTNA Different

ZTNA takes a cloud-native approach rather than relying on a small set of fixed gateways. This makes it globally available, keeps users close to the applications they need, and eliminates the latency and congestion often introduced by VPN backhauling.

ZTNA also applies the Zero Trust principle of “never trust, always verify.” Instead of placing users on the network by default, every request is evaluated in real time based on identity, device posture, behavior, and risk. Access is granted only to the specific application needed, not the full network.

A few core ideas set ZTNA apart:

• Identity-driven access: Permissions are tightly linked to user roles.
• Granular by design: Users reach only the applications they should.
• Continuous evaluation: Trust is reassessed throughout the session.
• Invisible infrastructure: Applications stay hidden unless access is explicitly authorized.

In short, ZTNA creates secure, direct, per-application connections, whether workloads run in a data center, public cloud, or SaaS, without exposing the broader network.

The VPN Problem: Too Much Access, Too Little Control

Traditional VPNs work by creating a secure tunnel to the organization’s internal network. This tunnel is encrypted and effective at protecting data in transit. But once the tunnel is established, a fundamental problem emerges: The network becomes visible – often all of it.

Even if firewall rules limit access, the VPN model assumes trust once a user is “inside.” This creates several challenges:

• Lateral movement risk: Attackers can move through the network easily if a VPN account or device is compromised.
• Complexity and cost: Managing routing, firewall rules, and IP address ranges becomes a constant operational burden.
• Poor user experience: Backhauling traffic can slow connection speeds and frustrate remote workers.
• Not cloud-friendly: Extending a network to remote users doesn’t align with cloud and SaaS architectures.

VPN still has its place in certain legacy scenarios – but relying on it as the primary access method is increasingly misaligned with modern environments, and current needs.

Sometimes an analogy makes the difference. Imagine a shared apartment:

• ZTNA: Smart Access for the Modern Home
  Each resident uses a digital access card. It lets them into the building and only into their assigned room, bathroom, and storage. If someone moves out or changes rooms, updating access is instant. Cleaners or contractors only get temporary access to exactly the spaces they need – nothing more.
• VPN: One Key to Everything
  Every resident gets one physical key that opens the front door and all rooms in the apartment. When someone moves out, all locks need to be changed. Cleaners and contractors get the same key – meaning they can access every space, even if they shouldn’t. And someone must be present to oversee their work.

This difference captures the core challenge: VPN gives too much access simply because it’s built on the wrong assumption – that being inside the perimeter equals trust.

ZTNA and the Move to Zero Trust

ZTNA is more than a replacement for VPN – it’s a foundational component of a broader Zero Trust strategy. It aligns security with today’s operational reality:

• distributed users
• distributed applications
• distributed risk

By focusing on identity and context instead of network location, ZTNA reduces the attack surface dramatically and puts organizations in control of who can access what – and when.

But ZTNA also introduces new questions:

• Which applications need protection?
• Who should have access?
• What level of device health is required?
• How should policies adapt to risk signals?

Answering these questions is less about technology and more about gaining visibility into the environment – a valuable process in itself.

When Does ZTNA Make the Biggest Difference?

Organizations typically see the most immediate value when they need to support:

• remote or hybrid workers
• contractors and suppliers
• critical apps hosted in public or private clouds
• teams accessing internal tools from unmanaged devices
• environments with strict compliance needs
• rapid onboarding during M&A activities

Anywhere access requirements are dynamic, ZTNA provides the flexibility, performance, and security VPN cannot match.

The Bottom Line

ZTNA delivers more secure, more controlled, and more scalable access than traditional VPN. By continuously validating identity and device posture, it reduces lateral movement and the risk of breaches. And because users connect directly to their applications, the experience is faster and more seamless.

VPN still has its uses, but it’s no longer sufficient as the primary remote access technology for organizations operating in a cloud-first world.

For leaders considering their next step, the shift to ZTNA isn’t just an upgrade – it’s a strategic move toward a modern, resilient security architecture.