Zscaler unveils SASE programme for Zero Trust security

Zscaler, a leader in the field of cloud security, has revealed its revolutionary single-vendor Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) programme. The Zscaler Zero Trust SASE, powered by Zscaler's Zero Trust AI, is designed to help companies reduce both their costs and the complexity of implementing Zero Trust security across different platforms, including users, devices, and workloads.

In addition to the launch of the new Zero Trust SASE, Zscaler has also announced the commencement of its Zero Trust SD-WAN solution. This advanced technology facilitates an improved method of connecting companies securely to their branch offices without the need to rely on outdated firewalls and VPNs.

The newly unveiled solutions from Zscaler go beyond just securing users, they also ensure protection for data and devices within branch offices, warehouses, and factories through the use of the Zero Trust Exchange Platform. This technology uses sophisticated AI to continually assess risks for users, devices and data, to guarantee the security of all components.

Naresh Kumar, VP of Product Management with Zscaler, described a scenario where users and organisations want a "café-like branch experience" to assist with hybrid work. He explained, "Employees expect the same seamless and secure access they would have in an office setting, whether they are at home or on the go, without having to access their applications over a slow, cumbersome VPN."

The Zscaler Zero Trust SD-WAN aims to connect and secure users, devices, sites, and workloads using a single-vendor SASE platform, without the cyber risks that are associated with the traditional SD-WAN.

These developments from Zscaler merge its AI-powered SSE platform with the new Zero Trust SD-WAN solution. This unified approach aims to facilitate a hybrid workforce, satisfying both location-based and remote users. The Zero Trust SD-WAN securely administers inbound and outbound Zero Trust connectivity via a single device, meaning overlay routing complexity is eliminated, additional firewalls are unnecessary, and separate policies for sites and users are no longer required.

Zscaler's solutions have already proven successful. Mike Gemza, CTO of Cornerstone Brands stated, "By adopting Zero Trust SASE, we've successfully implemented a comprehensive Zero Trust security framework that spans across our branches, data centres, and the cloud." Incorporating Zero Trust SD-WAN helped Cornerstone safeguard their business against increasing cyber threats by reducing the attack surface, preventing lateral threat movement, and enhancing application performance with a non-routable WAN.

Zscaler's Zero Trust SD-WAN solution offers features such as plug-and-play appliances, integrated Secure Web Gateway (SWG), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), and Data Loss Prevention (DLP) services, as well as a cloud-based management console with integrated policy management across users, locations and clouds. All these enhancements help to bolster their security posture while eliminating the need for additional firewalls and edge routers at branch locations.