The Future of Secure Remote Access: VPNs, Next-Gen Firewalls, and Zero Trust Networks
Apr 24, 2025 | Kate Rode
Remote work has grown massively in popularity, creating a shift in the dynamics of where modern security efforts are being placed within organizations. Traditionally, the network perimeter was the primary focus for organization information security, but with the increase in mobile assets spanning the globe, endpoints are now the most likely attack vectors. Traditional VPNs, once the cornerstone of remote connectivity, show their age. Businesses seeking robust IT security solutions are now turning to Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and next-generation firewalls to overcome VPN limitations and enhance security for a variety of roaming devices.
The Limitations of Traditional VPNs
VPNs have been the primary avenue for allowing access to remote devices and locations, but they come with several drawbacks:
Performance Bottlenecks: VPNs route all traffic through a centralized gateway, creating significant congestion when multiple users connect simultaneously. These bottlenecks can reduce quality in video conferencing, produce slow file transfers, and slow the response time for applications.
Security Risks: VPNs provide broad network access, meaning that once a user is authenticated, they typically have unrestricted or minimal limitations to the resources they require. If an attacker gains access through stolen credentials or an exploited vulnerability, they can make lateral movements through the network, compromising sensitive data and critical infrastructure. VPNs do not inherently inspect traffic for threats, making them susceptible to malware, phishing attacks, and ransomware.
Lack of Visibility: Traditional VPNs offer little monitoring or insight as to where users are moving through the network. Without detailed visibility and control, organizations may fail to detect unauthorized access, data exfiltration, or insider threats until after a breach.
Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) as a VPN Alternative
ZTNA utilizes the fundamental principle of “Trust but verify.” Rather than allowing users to freely access an entire corporate network, ZTNA ensures that every request is individually authenticated and authorized before granting access to specific applications or data. This minimizes the attack surface and prevents unauthorized lateral movement within the network.
Key advantages of ZTNA over traditional VPNs include:
Granular Access Control: Users are only granted access to the specific applications or resources they need, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
Continuous Verification: Instead of one-time authentication like VPNs, ZTNA continuously evaluates user activity, device health, and risk factors to maintain secure connections.
Stronger Endpoint Security: ZTNA ensures that only secure and compliant devices can connect to enterprise resources. This is crucial with the amount of roaming and remote devices found on modern networks, preventing most of the attacks to the biggest attack vector.
Improved Performance and Scalability: Granting direct, cloud-based access to applications, ZTNA eliminates VPN bottlenecks and improves performance, making it a more scalable solution.
Key Components of a Zero Trust Network and Next-Gen Firewalls for Remote Work
Implementing a Zero Trust security model requires a combination of advanced security solutions and policies designed to enforce strict access controls, detect threats in real time, and prevent unauthorized access. The following are key components of a Zero Trust Network and the role of Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) in securing remote work environments:
Identity and Access Management (IAM) – Ensuring only authenticated and authorized users can access specific resources.
Micro-Segmentation – Restricting access based on policies to limit lateral movement within the network.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – Adding an extra layer of security beyond passwords.
Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) – Providing deep packet inspection, intrusion prevention, and advanced threat protection.
Continuous Monitoring and Adaptive Security – Utilizing AI-driven analytics to detect and respond to anomalies in real time.
The Benefits of Cloud Security Combined With ZTNA
Cloud-based security solutions combined with ZTNA provide additional and crucial security measures, with benefits coming from the following areas:
Centralized Management and Policy Enforcement: Cloud security provides a unified platform for managing security policies, monitoring user activity, and enforcing compliance. IT administrators can maintain consistent security policies across all remote users and locations, giving less room for errors in configuration or user management practices that lead to compromises.
Automated Threat Detection and Response: Advanced cloud-based security solutions leverage AI-driven analytics to detect and mitigate threats. The use of continuous analysis of network traffic and user behavior allows cloud security solutions to identify anomalies and potential breaches.
Improved Compliance and Data Protection: Cloud security solutions provide built-in compliance frameworks to help organizations meet regulatory requirements, such as GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2 as well as many different native solutions for protecting data.
The Importance of End-to-End Encryption and Data Protection in Future-Ready Security Frameworks
End-to-end encryption and data protection are critical components of any security strategy. Building a resilient cybersecurity program requires multiple layers of security to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access.
End-to-End Encryption (E2EE): Encryption is the foundation of secure communications and data protection. Modern encryption standards, such as AES-256 and TLS 1.3, are essential for securing cloud applications, remote access, and sensitive corporate communications. With E2EE, even if a cybercriminal intercepts the data, it remains inaccessible without the decryption keys.
Cloud-Native Data Security: As businesses migrate to cloud environments, it is essential to deploy cloud-native security solutions that provide built-in encryption and secure data-sharing mechanisms. Cloud security providers offer integrated encryption and DLP capabilities to further protect sensitive information.
Conclusion
As cyber threats become more sophisticated, businesses must transition from outdated VPN-based security to modern zero trust frameworks. Layer8 Consulting is at the forefront of implementing secure remote access solutions that leverage next-gen firewalls and adaptive IT security strategies and can help you find the right solution for your ZTNA and Cloud Security needs. Contact us today!
