Posted on December 12, 2025December 12, 2025

Your team works from everywhere — home, office, coffee shops, client sites. They need access to your files and applications. You need to keep your data safe. So, you set up a VPN.

Then the complaints roll in:

“This is so slow I can barely get anything done.”

“I can’t connect from this hotel.”

“It kicked me out again. Third time today.”

The benefits of using a VPN are clear: your team can work from anywhere, and you keep company data secure. But let’s be real. They’re slow, unreliable, and come with their own problems.

That’s why savvy businesses are experimenting with something different:

Zero Trust Network Access, or ZTNA. It’s a newer approach to remote access that typically solves many of the problems VPNs create.

If you’re wondering if it makes sense for your business, here we’ll break down:

• What zero trust network access really is (and how it’s different from VPN)
• Why ZTNA delivers faster performance and stronger security
• Whether your business should consider making the switch

So, let’s start by clearing up what “zero trust” actually means.

What is Zero Trust?

Zero trust is a security philosophy based on one core principle: never trust, always verify.

Traditional security models before zero trust assumed that once someone was inside your network, they were probably safe. Because they were already past the firewall, they must be okay.

But too many data breaches proved that assumption wrong. With this approach, once attackers got inside, they had free rein.

In response, the zero-trust security model tossed that assumption out the window. With zero-trust security, nothing is automatically trusted. Not users. Not devices. Not applications. Everything has to be verified before it gets access. Every time.

What is ZTNA (Zero Trust Network Access)?

ZTNA takes the zero-trust philosophy and applies it to remote access. It’s a modern approach that replaces traditional VPNs. The core difference is that, instead of giving employees a direct connection to your entire network, ZTNA uses cloud-based verification to grant access only to the specific resources each person needs.

How ZTNA Works

Step 1: Your employee installs a small application on their device. It runs quietly in the background.

Step 2: When they log in, the app connects to a cloud-based platform.

Step 3: The cloud platform verifies who the user is and runs checks to make sure their device is secure.

Step 4: Once verified, it creates a secure connection to grant only the authorized user access to the specific resources they need.

From your team’s perspective, zero trust access is nearly invisible. They turn on their laptop, log in, and start working. The ZTNA app handles strict identity verification in the background and checks the device’s security. Applications and resources are then immediately available.

VPN vs ZTNA: How They Compare

Now that you understand what ZTNA is, let’s look at how it stacks up against the VPN approach most businesses use today.

How VPNs Provide Remote Access

VPNs create an encrypted tunnel between end-user device and your corporate network.

The process works like this:

• Employee opens their VPN client
• Authenticates with multi-factor authentication
• Establishes a connection through your firewall
• Gets network access to your corporate network

The VPN treats them as if they’re sitting in your office. This approach made sense when remote work was occasional. But it creates security and bandwidth challenges for hybrid work environments where people connect from everywhere.

How ZTNA Provides Remote Access

ZTNA uses a cloud-based platform to make secure connections between verified devices and the specific resources they need.

Here’s what happens:

• Users connect to individual applications through the cloud (not your network)
• Your ZTNA solution verifies user identity and device posture
• It creates direct access only to the authorized resources the user needs
• Your network infrastructure stays invisible

No broad access. Just secure application access to what each person needs.

This is the major difference between ZTNA and VPN. Through identity-based access controls and limiting access to specific resources, ZTNA ensures security without sacrificing productivity.

When you log into your VPN, it gives you access to your network exposing internal IPs and allow for lateral movement.

ZTNA allows users to only access resources required for their specific role.

Performance: Encryption Bottlenecks vs Distributed Processing

Another difference between VPN and ZTNA solutions is the performance you get while using them.

With VPN:

• All user traffic routes through your firewall or VPN concentrator
• That device handles encryption for every connection
• More remote users = slower performance
• Your firewall or VPN appliance creates a bottleneck that limits performance

With ZTNA:

• Encryption workload is distributed through cloud infrastructure
• Connections don’t funnel through any single piece of equipment
• Works especially well for cloud environments and applications

Where You Can Connect: Network Restrictions vs Universal Access

You may have noticed that VPNs get blocked by hotel networks, public Wi-Fi, and other environments that restrict certain traffic. This leaves remote users frustrated and unable to work.

In contrast, ZTNA provides secure remote access from any internet connection. Because ZTNA uses standard HTTPS connections (port 443) rather than VPN-specific protocols, it passes through firewalls and network restrictions that typically block VPN traffic. Hotels, coffee shops, home networks; ZTNA works the same everywhere.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Integration

Both VPN and ZTNA support multi-factor authentication. But ZTNA integrates it more seamlessly into the overall access management workflow.

How ZTNA goes further:

• Continuous authentication throughout the session
• Continuous monitoring of user and device behavior
• Access isn’t just verified once at login
• Continuously validated based on the security policies you define

The comparison makes it clear: ZTNA offers enhanced security and a better user experience than traditional VPN. But what does that mean for your business in practical terms?

Benefits of ZTNA for Your Business

The technical differences between VPN and ZTNA matter. But what really matters is how those differences impact your bottom line.

Stronger Security Through Least Privilege Access

ZTNA enforces granular access control policies that limit what each user can access.

How this protects you:

• Gives attackers fewer ways to break into your systems
• Stops hackers from laterally moving through your network if they gain access
• Automatically makes sure people are who they say they are before giving them access

Every access request gets verified against your security policies. No exceptions.

No Open Ports to Your Network

Traditional remote access requires opening ports in your firewall to allow VPN connections in. Those open ports create entry points that attackers can target.

ZTNA eliminates this risk:

• No inbound connections to your network
• Your network stays invisible to the internet, drastically reducing your attack surface
• Access happens through outbound connections only

By using software-defined perimeters, ZTNA creates secure boundaries around individual applications rather than your entire network.

Faster Performance for Remote Workers

When your team works remotely, slow connections kill productivity.

ZTNA improves performance:

• No encryption bottlenecks at your firewall
• Traffic doesn’t route through your data center unnecessarily
• Cloud-based infrastructure scales as you grow and add users
• You get direct access to cloud environments and applications

Seamless User Experience from Any Location

No matter where your employees work, ZTNA makes access simple:

• Works from any internet connection
• No manual VPN connection required
• Automatic authentication in the background
• Same experience whether working from home, office, or traveling

Less frustration. More productivity.

Getting Started with ZTNA

Making the switch from VPN to zero-trust network access doesn’t have to be complicated. Here’s what the process typically looks like.

Start By Assessing Your Current Remote Access Needs

If you want to make the leap to ZTNA, it’s important to get an understanding of what you need to secure.

Key questions to ask yourself include:

• How many remote users need secure access?
• Which applications and resources do they need to access?
• What are your current network security pain points?
• Do you have compliance requirements for data security?

This assessment helps you define the access control policies that will make sense for your business.

Choosing a ZTNA Solution for Your Business

Not all ZTNA solutions are the same. Some focus on basic zero-trust access. Others integrate with secure access service edge architectures to offer more complex security services.

If you’re thinking of switching to ZTNA, here’s what to consider:

• Compatibility with your existing network infrastructure
• Integration with your identity provider
• Support for managed and unmanaged devices
• Scalability as your team grows

The right solution depends on your specific security posture and business needs.

How MSPs Help with ZTNA Implementation

Although ZTNA solutions are an upgrade in most cases, it’s best to deploy ZTNA solutions in a thoughtful way to make sure they integrate seamlessly with your operations and fit into your long-term goals.

This is why most SMBs can benefit from working with a managed service provider to help manage the switch.

MSPs, like RTS, have experience with different ZTNA platforms and can assist you in deciding which ones work best, how to go about enforcing strict access controls without frustrating your employees, and provide you with ongoing support as you grow.

If you’re dealing with VPN frustrations or want to strengthen your data security, RTS, a leading Baltimore managed IT services provider, can help you evaluate your options and find a ZTNA solution that fits your business. Ready to move on from VPN? Contact Lenny Giller at lenny@reliabletechnology.co.