Who are the top rated ZTNA Providers & Vendors?

The Network Union Compares Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) Providers and Vendors.
The Network Union Compares Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) Providers and Vendors.

Reviews of the top-rated ZTNA (Zero Trust Network Access) providers, comparing their strengths in security features, scalability, deployment options, and integration capabilities, with a focus on solutions from Palo Alto, Akamai, Zscaler, and others, emphasising their suitability for various organisational needs.

ZTNA Providers and Vendors Comparison
ZTNA Providers and Vendors Comparison

The top rated ZTNA vendors are Palo Alto, Akamai, Zscaler, Perimeter 81, Cato Networks, Cloudflare, Fortinet, Forcepoint, Check Point and Cisco. When comparing ZTNA vendors, you should consider data loss, threat protection, agentless deployment, reporting and SASE offerings.

What is ZTNA (Zero Trust Network Access)?

Zero Trust is about adding an additional layer of security. It means not fully trusting anything or anyone by default, and instead assuming that everything should be verified before being given access to a resource.

What is ZTNA?
What is ZTNA?

Enterprises are rethinking the access model for users and applications, ensuring that their business is safe from today’s threats while still providing seamless and reliable access from anywhere. This is where Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) comes in. ZTNA is a security model designed to replace legacy models which made the assumption that anything inside a network was safe. This allowed bad actors to have free reign over data and infrastructure on the network should they gain access. Zero Trust intends to limit these issues with granular security steps throughout a network infrastructure. A complete Zero Trust implementation covers network infrastructure, users, workloads and applications. Choosing the right approach to Zero Trust for your company starts with choosing the right vendor. All vendors offer solutions designed specifically for their target demographic, so it is imperative to know which is the best option for each organisation’s path to Zero Trust.

Questions to help shortlist Zero Trust providers and vendors

  • Is each request verified on a case-by-case basis? If so, how does this work?
  • Does the vendor’s solution work with existing identity providers and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) solutions?
  • Does the solution use artificial intelligence and/or machine learning to predict potential bad actors or behavioural actions?
  • Can the vendor’s solution be managed from a single portal? Is it hosted in-cloud, on-premises or both?
  • Does the solution integrate with Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) providers?
  • Does the vendor’s solution support Single Sign-On (SSO) across all devices, users, departments and geographic locations using an open standard like Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML)?
  • Is the vendor’s solution preventative or for visibility only? Can defensive actions be automated?
  • What support model does the vendor offer? Is it included in subscription fees? Do they recommend professional services?
  • What is the user experience like? Is it simple to implement and operate for users and administrators of all backgrounds?
  • What level of visibility is provided by the vendor’s logs and context? Do they have logging APIs or syslog integration?
  • What options are provided for integrations into the broader cybersecurity ecosystem?

What is the Palo Alto ZTNA solution?

Palo Alto is a well-known industry leader with a broad product base. They are a good choice for large enterprises that have a need for a diverse mix of on-premise and SaaS requirements. Palo Alto also offers developing technologies such as DNS Security, which uses Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-supported URL filtering to detect and prevent zero-day web attacks.

What are the pros and cons of Palo Alto ZTNA?

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What is the Akamai ZTNA solution?

Akamai is a leader in Zero Trust platforms with extensive experience in high-performance global content delivery, setting them apart from competitors. The company is a good choice for enterprises that host large amounts of sensitive data that has to be accessible 100% of the time from anywhere for customers and employees. Akamai provides excellent protection from downtime and known attacks.

What are the pros and cons of Akamai ZTNA?

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What is the Zscaler ZTNA solution?

How Zscaler delivers Zero-Trust Security
How Zscaler delivers Zero-Trust Security

Zscaler is a cloud-native solution that has a large geographic footprint with over 150 data centres around the globe, offering reliable and high-performing services close to users no matter where they are. For very large enterprises looking for ease of use and a great user experience with a comprehensive solution that is easy to deploy and scale, Zscaler is a “must consider” solution.

What are the pros and cons of Zscaler ZTNA?

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What is the Perimeter 81 ZTNA solution?

Perimeter 81’s solution is comprehensive and meets a variety of clients’ needs. One of the reasons that enterprises will choose to use Perimeter 81 is their long-term vision and customer success initiatives. Their product develops with client needs in mind, utilising emerging technologies.

What are the pros and cons of Perimeter 81 ZTNA?

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What is the Cato Networks ZTNA solution?

Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) within SASE
Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) within SASE

Cato Networks is an appropriate choice for those organisations with smaller IT teams and no need for on-premises deployments. The vendor offers managed services and is very efficient at bringing on new sites. Early adopters are also interested in Cato Networks as they are one of the first full-SASE platforms available and are entirely cloud-based, offering immediate deployment with little to no customer involvement.

What are the pros and cons of Cato Networks ZTNA?

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What is the Cloudflare ZTNA solution?

Cloudflare's Zero Trust solution is high-performing, comprehensive and complex compared to other solutions on the market. It is suitable for clients with technical expertise and a robust IT team who is capable of deploying and managing complex solutions. Those with the capability to implement API integrations will benefit from the Cloudflare solution, as it makes it a good infrastructure solution for DevOps teams.

What are the pros and cons of Cloudflare ZTNA?

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What is the Fortinet ZTNA solution?

Fortinet is an affordable solution for organisations who wish to simplify their network security stack without the need for brand new innovations. Fortinet’s product line is a comprehensive solution that allows the integration and addition of more products to increase feature sets not available in the core functionality provided by Fortinet out-of-the-box.

What are the pros and cons of Fortinet ZTNA?

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What is the Forcepoint ZTNA solution?

Forcepoint is a leading Zero Trust platform focused on observability and data security. The solution is a good choice for organisations that require a deeper knowledge of what data users and applications are accessing and what they are using that data for. Context related to user and application actions is a driving factor in organisations that choose Forcepoint, as they are industry leaders in this area.

What are the pros and cons of Forcepoint ZTNA?

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What is the Check Point ZTNA solution?

Check Point is one of the largest global network cybersecurity vendors and has a significant chunk of market share. Organisations looking for a well-rounded solution with innovative approaches to Zero Trust, including seamless integration, full automation and reliable core features that are constantly undergoing improvement, will get the most out of Check Point solutions.

What are the pros and cons of Check Point ZTNA?

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What is the Cisco ZTNA solution?

Cisco’s solutions for ZTNA can be a good choice for any organisation that is already operating a Cisco environment. These organisations will already be familiar with the level of expertise required to properly design, deploy and manage Cisco products and will gain the most from Cisco’s offering.

What are the pros and cons of Cisco ZTNA?

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Jamie Larson
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