As remote work and cloud computing become the norm, the limitations of traditional VPNs have become apparent. While VPNs once solved critical business problems by keeping remote workers connected to company networks, their design is no longer suited to today’s distributed networks and hybrid workforces. This article explores the differences between remote access VPNs and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), highlighting why ZTNA, based on Software-Defined Perimeters (SDPs), is a superior solution for modern network security.

What is a Remote Access VPN?

A remote access VPN establishes encrypted internet connections between remote users’ devices and a protected network. It comprises two main components:

1. A VPN client app on the user’s device

2. A VPN gateway at the edge of the network’s secure perimeter

When the client connects to the gateway’s public internet address, an encrypted tunnel is created, giving the user access to the network and its resources.

The evolution of VPNs

Initially developed for wide-area networking, VPNs offered an affordable alternative to leased lines by creating virtual private networks across the internet. The same structure used for site-to-site applications was later adapted for remote access, allowing remote users to connect their devices to the company network and access its resources.

Are Remote Access VPNs built for hybrid workforces?

While the site-to-site approach to remote access was effective decades ago, it no longer fits with today’s decentralized resources and hybrid workforces. Modern businesses often operate resources hosted on third-party cloud platforms or outsourced to SaaS providers. The concept of a “secure perimeter” has become outdated as network boundaries extend beyond office walls.

Moreover, the workforce itself has changed. Trends like BYOD and remote work mean that user devices are often connecting from home routers rather than being managed on-premises. This decentralization introduces several challenges that VPNs are ill-equipped to handle.

Limitations of Remote Access VPNs

1. Hub-and-spoke topology: This creates bottlenecks that impact network bandwidth and latency. Each subnet requires its own VPN gateway, making networks expensive and difficult to scale.

2. Separate access control systems: VPNs only control access to managed networks, requiring additional systems for on-premises users and unique access controls for cloud resources.

3. Inherent trust issues: VPN gateways trust that only authorized users will access their public IP addresses, making them discoverable by hackers. Stolen user credentials grant hackers unfettered access to the network.

Remote Access VPNs vs. Zero Trust for hybrid workforces

ZTNA operates on the principle that trust never exists. It assumes breaches are possible and likely already present, requiring verification of every connection attempt regardless of the user, device, or connection source. This approach offers several advantages:

1. Decentralized architecture: ZTNA supports distributed resources and workforces, allowing traffic to flow directly between devices and resources without passing through central gateways.

2. Enhanced security: By hiding resources from the public internet and implementing granular access controls, ZTNA reduces the attack surface and mitigates lateral movement by attackers.

3. Improved performance: Direct connections allow traffic to follow the most efficient routes, reducing latency and improving user experience.

What is Secure Remote Access?

Secure remote access encompasses the measures, policies, and technologies that enable secure network, device, and application access from outside the corporate office. It ensures that employees can connect to necessary resources from remote locations while minimizing the risk of unauthorized access.

Importance of Secure Remote Access

With remote and hybrid work becoming standard, secure remote access has become critical for maintaining productivity and protecting sensitive data. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this shift, highlighting the need for effective remote access solutions that can handle modern security threats.

Technologies for Secure Remote Access

1. Virtual Private Network (VPN): Provides access to corporate networks through encrypted tunnels but comes with significant drawbacks, including excessive trust and network performance issues.

2. Two-Factor/Multifactor Authentication (2FA/MFA): Enhances security by requiring multiple forms of authentication, such as passwords, biometrics, or mobile device verification.

3. Single Sign-On (SSO): Simplifies access by allowing users to authenticate once to access multiple resources.

4. Privileged Access Management (PAM): Controls and monitors privileged accounts to prevent unauthorized access and insider threats.

Redefining Secure Remote Access with ZTNA

ZTNA, also known as Software-Defined Perimeter (SDP), provides secure remote access without the need for VPNs. It operates on an adaptive trust model, granting access on a need-to-know basis and ensuring that all connections are authenticated and authorized.

How ZTNA works

1. Isolation of application access from network access: Reduces the risk of network infection from compromised devices by granting application-specific access.

2. Inside-out connections: Ensures that network and application infrastructure remain invisible to unauthorized users by using inside-out connections from apps to users.

3. Application segmentation: Grants access on a one-to-one basis, allowing only authorized users to access specific applications.

4. User-to-application approach: Emphasizes securing the connection between the user and the application rather than the network.

Why ZTNA is superior to VPN for Secure Remote Access

ZTNA addresses the limitations of VPNs by providing a more secure, flexible, and manageable solution for modern work environments. It reduces latency, improves user experience, and enhances security by focusing on individual applications and users rather than entire networks.

Choosing a Secure Remote Access service

ZTNA is available as both standalone offerings and cloud-hosted services. Standalone ZTNA requires direct management of the infrastructure, while cloud-hosted services offer simplified deployment and management by leveraging vendor cloud infrastructure.

Benefits of ZTNA-as-a-Service

1. Easier deployment: No need for complex gateway installations.

2. Simplified management: Cloud-hosted services reduce the need for on-premises management.

3. Optimal pathways: Ensure efficient global coverage for remote workforces.

How NVIS AI meets Secure Remote Access challenges

NVIS AI uses its proprietary global address space that appear like local Internet Protocol (IP) addresses but behave like public IP addresses, so no gateways or routing are required. This NVIS IP address mirror the topology of the defined network. That way, public IP addresses are never exposed, and therefore cannot be sniffed, traced, or blocked. 

NVIS AI's ZTNA Solution

NVIS AI’s implementation of Zero Trust offers enhanced security and performance over traditional VPN technologies. NVIS AI creates software-defined perimeters (SDPs) around protected assets, allowing administrators to create micro-segmented network architectures that protect both on-premises and cloud resources within the same system. In these micro-segments, users are assigned to groups sharing a security context, enabling granular, Zero Trust access control to specific resources.

NVIS AI can connect to any network resource, including on-premises, cloud, multi-cloud, multi-network, OT, and IoT. Moreover, NVIS AI is unaffected by VPN blockers, allowing these network resources to exist anywhere in the world—even in space and undersea.

Stealth Mode: On

Unlike VPN gateways, NVIS AI's solution does not broadcast its presence. On-premises resources are hidden from the private network, and cloud resources are invisible on the public internet—eliminating the entire public attack surface. Hackers can’t hack what they can’t see. NVIS AI uses its proprietary NVIS IP addresses to mirror and overlay the defined network, preventing it from being blocked, sniffed, or traced.

Connections between network resources are direct, peer-to-peer tunnels, encrypted at Layer 2, hiding the source, destination, and traffic.

NVIS AI: A comprehensive VPN alternative

VPN technologies were developed when secure perimeters were effective. They create a portal through private network defenses for a few remote users to access centralized information resources. This framework is no longer suitable for today’s decentralized, cloud-enabled ecosystem, with the rise of remote work and AI threats.

After exploring modern alternatives to VPNs, the most secure and efficient solution is ZTNA, where NVIS AI is best-in-class. NVIS AI eliminates the entire public attack surface, blazingly fast, uncensorable, and inexpensive, while easy to deploy in minutes without any tech skill and changes to the network or workflows.

Get started today and experience the difference. Feel free to also schedule a demo or talk with our team to demonstrate how NVIS AI secures access to your network.