What is Zero Trust Network Access?

The working environment is not what it was 10 years ago. Global events have seen businesses drastically changing the way that they work. Businesses now see users working from the office, from home, while travelling, and across a mix of devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops and even smart fridges…. okay, the last one less so, but we have heard of people taking Teams calls on one. But with the connected environment changing, users often need access to more than just one network, whether that be internal or external. Many now rely on private applications, hosted systems, remote desktops, and cloud services throughout the day across their entire business suite. 

Flexibility has helped businesses to work faster and more effectively from anywhere in the world. However, by removing people from a single controlled and secure environment it has also created new cyber security risks. 

Traditional access and network security tools relied on the idea that if a user connected to your authorised business network (such as your office), they could be trusted. Once connected, they were often given broad access to systems and services. 

However, this approach is no longer enough for modern businesses. 

This is where Zero Trust Network Access comes in. 

 

What is Zero Trust Network Access? 

Zero Trust Network Access, also known as ZTNA, is a modern way of controlling access to private business systems, applications, and services from any device anywhere in the world. 

Much like any other Zero Trust backed system, ZTNA operates on the “never trust, always verify” approach. Instead of giving a user broad access because they have logged in successfully, Zero Trust Network Access checks the user, their device, operating system version, security tools, and the context and location of the connection before allowing access to a specific resource. 

Unlike a traditional VPN connection user who would be authorised for logging in to the network alone, Zero Trust Network Access trusts only what has been verified, not only from a connection perspective, but for access across your entire network. 

That means a user is only allowed to reach the exact application or service they are approved to use under your business policies, only if their device is approved, in line with security policies and their connection secure, rather than being granted access to your wider network without additional controls. In other words, even if a username and password are stolen, that should not automatically allow access if the device or connection does not meet policy. 

 

Why is Zero Trust Network Access important? 

We are not saying that traditional tools such as firewalls don’t have value. They do. However, they are largely designed to protect the edge of your network infrastructure from cyber criminals, not the security of user connectivity across your wider remote infrastructure. Traditional VPN’s were designed for a time when most users worked in a single location and most systems sat behind one network perimeter. 

The reality is that modern businesses do not work like that anymore. 

Users connect from vastly different locations, on different devices, to different types of systems. Zero Trust Network Access reduces connectivity risks by focusing on the access request, not just the route into the environment. 

Instead of asking whether somebody has connected successfully, it asks whether they should be allowed access and what systems they are allowed to be able to access based on their role and access rights. 

 

How is Zero Trust Network Access different from traditional remote access? 

A traditional VPN creates a secure route into the business network. That can protect the connection, but it can also introduce wider access than a user genuinely needs unless additional controls, segmentation and security tools are carefully applied on top. 

Zero Trust Network Access takes a more precise approach. 

Think of it this way. 

A VPN is like letting somebody into the building once they have the right code. 

ZTNA is more like checking who they are, confirming whether they are allowed to be there, assessing the device they are using, and then only opening the specific room they are authorised to enter. Everything else remains closed off. 

That makes ZTNA a stronger fit for modern businesses that want to reduce unnecessary access, limit lateral movement, and better protect private systems from misuse or compromise. 

 

How does Zero Trust Network Access work with Zero Trust Cloud Access? 

Zero Trust Network Access and Zero Trust Cloud Access work hand in hand as part of a layered approach to our Zero Trust approach to Cyber Security. 

Zero Trust Network Access is focused on private systems such as internal applications (such as Sage which may connect to a database hosted on your own infrastructure, such as an on-site server), hosted resources, remote desktops, and servers. 

Zero Trust Cloud Access is focused on cloud platforms and cloud data such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, HubSpot, and other online business services. 

Together with Zero Trust Endpoint security, they create a complete Zero Trust strategy towards business Cyber Security. 

One protects access to private business resources. 

One protects access to cloud platforms and data. 

And another protects your business devices. 

This matters because most it is essential that your business and its users are protected wherever they are, from whatever device and however they access your business data and systems throughout the working day. Using these solutions together ensures that businesses apply a more consistent and secure approach across their entire environment. 

 

Trust TwentyFour to secure your business from every angle 

At TwentyFour IT Services we work with businesses around the world to ensure that they take a more modern and practical approach to cyber security. Paired with our Cyber Security Operations Centre, we actively monitor and protect our clients from all potential attack vectors, including Active Email Threat Protection, Identity Access Management, Endpoint Security, Penetration Testing, Compliance Management, Security Training and much more. 

Our Zero Trust suite of tools and services create a stronger approach to protecting both internal and cloud-based environments. If your business still relies on traditional remote access methods and broad network & user trust policies, now is the time to review whether those controls are still enough. 

Book a free cyber security review with TwentyFour IT Services to see how a Zero Trust approach can help protect your users, systems, and data. 

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