Cloud security company Zscaler has announced a solution for connecting devices and workloads across locations. This must comply with the limitations of SD-WAN.

Zscaler announces zero trust segmentation. According to Zscaler, this solution provides more secure, flexible and cost-effective ways to connect devices and workloads through a centralized cloud solution.

Centralize all locations

Zscaler’s new Zero Trust segmentation replaces traditional connections by connecting all branches, factories and cloud environments to the Zscaler platform. This ensures that the need for direct connections between branches and data centers is eliminated. The solution is designed to deter malicious actors by isolating each branch or location and connecting directly to Zscaler’s cloud security solution. In fact, the company is launching a SASE solution with a zero trust focus. The Zero Trust aspect ensures that all connections to the cloud platform are viewed through a Zero Trust lens.

According to Zscaler, this technology solves problems caused by, among other things, traditional firewalls that complicate networks and leave companies vulnerable to attacks. Moving the entire infrastructure to the cloud reduces the risk of backdoors and malware infections and makes it more difficult for intruders to move laterally through the network. Because satellite offices are directly connected to the cloud, less hardware and configuration is required. In principle, any broadband connection is sufficient.

In addition, the solution is also suitable for hybrid and multi-cloud environments, enabling uniform security between data exchanges in different clouds and data centers. This allows companies to secure their networks without relying on firewalls, VPNs or other cloud integration infrastructure.

Thoughts

Zscaler calls zero trust segmentation a major step forward, although there are also some concerns. Directing all traffic to the security infrastructure in the cloud certainly has benefits in many scenarios. On the other hand, not all organizations are interested in putting the focus of their network in the cloud, and especially not if there is a significant on-premise component in the infrastructure.

The new solution currently supports AWS and Azure, with Google Cloud Platform support planned for early 2025.