Zero Trust Security is a strategic approach to cybersecurity that centers on the principle of “never trust, always verify.” This model questions the standard security paradigm that previously assumed complete trust in everything within an organization’s network.
Zero Trust is a security framework that mandates that all users, whether inside or outside the organization’s network, must be authenticated, authorized, and constantly validated for security configuration.
With special attention paid to ransomware threats, hybrid cloud environments, and securing remote workers, it addresses the contemporary business challenges of today.
Experts from Cyber Security News tested the best Zero Trust security vendors for your organization involves a careful evaluation of your specific needs, the capabilities of the vendor, and how well their solutions align with your security objectives. Lets talk!.
What Are The Examples Of Zero Trust?
Zero Trust is a security concept centered on the belief that organizations should not automatically trust anything inside or outside their perimeters and instead must verify anything and everything trying to connect to its systems before granting access. Here are some best practices for implementing a Zero Trust architecture:
- Verify Explicitly: Always authenticate and authorize based on all available data points, including user identity, location, device health, service or workload, data classification, and anomalies.
- Use Least Privilege Access: Limit user access with just-in-time and just-enough-access (JIT/JEA), risk-based adaptive polices, and data protection to help secure both data and productivity.
- Assume Breach: Minimize blast radius and segment access. Verify end-to-end encryption and use analytics to get visibility, drive threat detection, and improve defenses.
- Microsegmentation: Implement microsegmentation to reduce the attacker’s ability to move laterally within your network.
- Multi-factor Authentication (MFA): Use MFA to provide an additional layer of security beyond just passwords.
- Continuous Monitoring and Validation: Continuously monitor and validate the security posture of all owned and associated assets.
- Security Across the Entire Digital Ecosystem: Extend Zero Trust principles to all parts of your environment (endpoints, networks, workloads, file storage).
- Educate and Train Employees: Regularly train employees on the principles of Zero Trust and the specific procedures in your organization.
- Automate Security Policy Enforcement: Use automated solutions to enforce and audit security policies.
- Regular Audits and Compliance Checks: Conduct regular audits and compliance checks to ensure that the Zero Trust principles are effectively implemented and followed.
Who Provides Zero Trust Security?
Simple implementation of Zero Trust policies, allowing remote workers to access only the private apps they require and not all apps in internal data centers and private clouds.
Defend internal apps from data theft and potentially compromised remote devices.
With the help of these top zero-trust network access (ZTNA) solutions, you can prevent and lessen insider threats and cyberattacks.
Zero Trust Security Vendors are the following: Perimeter81, Nord Layer, Good Access, Zscaler, CrowdStrike Zero Trust, Cisco Zero Trust Platform, and numerous others.
What Are The 10 Pillars Of Zero Trust?
The zero-trust framework is broken down into seven essential pillars to properly implement zero-trust security across all technologies and corporate cultures.
- User: Strongly emphasizes user identification, authentication, and access control policies that use dynamic and contextual data analysis to validate user attempts to connect to the network.
- Device security: validates user-controlled and autonomous devices using a “system of record” to determine their trustworthiness and an acceptable cybersecurity posture.
- Network security: Using the network security zero-trust pillar, sensitive resources are microsegmented and isolated to prevent unauthorized access.
- Infrastructure: A workload’s systems and services are protected from unauthorized access, potential vulnerabilities, and authorized and unauthorized access.
- Application: Secures access by integrating user, device, and data components at the application layer.
- Data Security: Organizing corporate data into categories is central to this zero-trust pillar. Data can be isolated from everyone except those who require access once it has been categorized.
- Visibility and analytics: It is crucial to keep a close eye on all security procedures involving access control, segmentation, encryption, and application or data organization.
- Orchestration and Automation: The ZTA’s security and network operations are more efficient when actions are coordinated between security systems and applications that are similar and those that are not.
- Endpoint Security:Endpoint security solution is to guarantee the security and compliance of all network-accessing devices. The aforementioned items encompass mobile devices, laptops, and various other endpoints.
- Identity and Access Management (IAM): The task at hand includes the management and validation of user identities, as well as the enforcement of appropriate access privileges.
- Least Privilege Access: Users should only be given the information they need to do their jobs and nothing else. This limits the damage that hacked accounts could do.
Why Is Zero Trust Better Than A VPN?
A VPN connects remote workers to the corporate network through a secure, private tunnel, enabling full access to the LAN. As opposed to VPNs’ “once verified, you are in” policy, it offers ongoing user verification as users connect to their apps.
Although this might seem like a workable solution, VPN sadly lacks the granularity and flexibility to precisely control and monitor what users can do and which apps they can access.
A user can access anything on the network once they have access, which causes issues with policy enforcement and security. Alternatively, Zero Trust Network Architecture offers granular access control policies-based secure remote access to applications.
By constantly monitoring user, device, and app behavior throughout a user’s session, Zero Trust Security Vendors offers a “never trust, always verify” least-privilege approach.
Here Are Our Picks For The 10 Best Zero Trust Security Vendors And Their Feature
- Perimeter 81: Cloud-based access management with VPN and firewall integration.
- Palo Alto Zero Trust: Comprehensive policy enforcement with advanced threat detection and visibility.
- Okta’s Zero Trust: Identity management and access control with single sign-on and multi-factor authentication.
- CrowdStrike Zero Trust: Endpoint protection and threat intelligence integrated with Zero Trust principles.
- Cisco Zero Trust Platform: Network segmentation and secure access with threat visibility and automated responses.
- Twingate: Secure remote access without traditional VPN, using a Zero Trust approach.
- Forcepoint Zero Trust: Data-centric security with behavioral analytics and risk-based access controls.
- Akamai Intelligent Edge: Cloud security with Zero Trust access and real-time threat protection at the edge.
- Illumio Core: Micro-segmentation and visibility to prevent lateral movement within the network.
- ThreatLocker: Endpoint security with application whitelisting and Zero Trust access controls.
10 Best Zero Trust Security Vendors Features
| Zero Trust Security Solutions | Key Features | Stand Alone Feature | Free Trial / Demo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Perimeter81 | Secure Network Access. Thoroughly examine and record ALL traffic. Implementing the principle of least privilege access control. Advanced Threat Protection. Enhance Visibility & Strengthen Security. | Cloud-based network security | Yes |
| 2. Palo Alto Zero Trust | Dynamic Enforcement of Policies Continuous Evaluation of Risk Security Based on Identity Access Controls That Adapt Partitioning the network | Integrated threat prevention | Yes |
| 3. Okta’s Zero Trust | Multifactor Adaptive Authentication Management of Identity and Access Evaluation of Device Trust Access Policies Based on Context Regularly checking for risks | Identity and access management | Yes |
| 4. CrowdStrike Zero Trust | Real-time authentication Security Based on Identity Finding threats in real time Access Controls That Adapt Microsegmentation of the network | Endpoint protection and monitoring | Yes |
| 5. Cisco Zero Trust Platform | Verification of Identity Evaluation of the Device’s Reliability Monitoring All the Time Flexible rules for security Small-Segment Planning | Network segmentation and visibility | Yes |
| 6. Twingate | Controlling access from one place Authentication with Multiple Factors Partitioning the network The least amount of privilege Access Provisioning Made Easier | Secure remote access solution | Yes |
| 7. Forcepoint Zero Trust | Partitioning the network Integration of Endpoint Protection Putting together threat intelligence Enforcement of Adaptive Security Policies Safe access from afar | Data-centric security controls | Yes |
| 8. Akamai Intelligent Edge | Capabilities of Edge Computing Access to a network without trust Safety for APIs Analysis of Behavior Management of Access | Edge security and performance | Yes |
| 9. Illumio Core | Small-Segment Planning Making and following policies Mapping of application dependencies Viewing in real time Flexible rules for security | Micro-segmentation and visibility | Yes |
| 10. ThreatLocker | List of approved applications Protecting the most important applications Controls for Endpoint Security Model of security with no trust Analysis and monitoring of behavior Controls based on policies | Application whitelisting and control | Yes |
1. Perimeter 81
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Perimeter 81, an Israeli cloud and network security provider, is a top Zero Trust Security Vendor because it builds safe distant networks for enterprises using the zero trust architecture.
VPNs and firewalls can be replaced with its technologies.Off-site enterprise network and resource access is easy and safe with Perimeter 81’s Remote Access VPN. It supports multi-tenant management and global gateway deployment, allowing the distributed workforce to securely access on-premises and cloud corporate resources.
The user-friendly Perimeter 81 UI includes mobile device support, two-factor authentication, and single sign-on integration. Since MPLS is replaced with a secure web gateway and SD-WAN joins offices, users’ data is protected.PCWorld’s top zero-trust security vendor is Perimeter.
Features
- Cloud-Native Architecture:This solution offers seamless integration capabilities with pre-existing cloud environments.
- User-Friendly Interface:This solution streamlines the administration and oversight of network security.
- Zero Trust Security:This system enforces rigorous identity verification protocols for each user and device.
- Automated Network Segmentation:The security is enhanced by implementing network access segmentation based on user roles.
| What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
|---|---|
| Both managed and unmanaged devices can be accessed securely. | On occasion, it disconnects without sending a notification. |
| All of the major cloud service providers are automatically integrated. | Upgrades are required for all SIEM integrations. |
| Apps that are simple to use (available for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android) | |
| It guarantees a reliable, quick connection while upholding the required security. |
2. Palo Alto Zero Trust
Palo Alto Networks is a prominent Zero Trust Security Vendor for cloud-delivered security services, network security, cloud security, endpoint security, and other solutions.
Choose Palo Alto Networks Zero Trust Enterprise for security. Security teams prioritize zero trust, security practice suggestions, and business procurement optimization. Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) technology grants secure remote access to applications and services using specified access control criteria.
All data is protected and can only be accessed by authorized individuals with Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks ZTNA 2.0’s continual security inspection and trust verification.
Features
- Authorizes entry based on user identity verification rather than network location.
- Consider user actions and device placement while assessing risk.
- Optimizes network access control by segmenting it.
- Requires stringent compliance according to individual, device, and app categories.
- Boosted safety through effective methods of threat detection and mitigation.
| What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
|---|---|
| Allows businesses to implement access control rules specific to a location or device. | The GlobalProtect Agent cannot be integrated natively. |
| Stop vulnerable or unpatched devices from logging into corporate services. | It could be improved on how things are run and set up initially. |
| Give the connecting user and device a pre-authentication trust evaluation. | |
| Data security policies are applied uniformly across all enterprise apps. | |
3. Okta’s Zero Trust
Okta’s Zero Trust solution enforces secure access by continuously verifying user identity and device health, ensuring that only authorized users can access critical applications and resources based on real-time context and risk assessments.
It integrates seamlessly with existing IT infrastructure, providing a unified approach to identity and access management while enabling adaptive security policies that respond to changing conditions and threats.
The platform offers extensive visibility and control over user activities, with detailed reporting and analytics to monitor and respond to potential security incidents, enhancing overall protection and compliance.
Features
- Adapts the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) to changing user context and anticipated risk.
- Before trying to access, make sure the user is who they say they are and that the equipment they are using is trustworthy.
- Identifies authorized users based on their location, device, and actions.
- Uses a single set of credentials to safely access many programs.
- Safeguards application programming interfaces and linkages between applications and their providers.
| What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
|---|---|
| Reduce friction for your users while reducing risk and enhancing operational efficiency. | An option for plug-ins for bookmark browsers might be useful. |
| Help a lot of organizations transform their businesses and secure their identities. | Enhanced integration of apps. |
| Makes applications require strong authentication. | |
| In order to further integrate outside risk signals, it is also investing in these strategies. | |
4. CrowdStrike Zero Trust
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CrowdStrike’s highly scalable, cloud-native architecture provides Zero Trust security for your hybrid enterprise’s workloads, multi-OS endpoints, and multiple directories (including Microsoft Active Directory and Azure Active Directory).
It allows security teams to achieve superior Zero Trust protection and speed without managing terabytes of data, threat feeds, hardware, or software. It’s often used instead of VPNs because it allows authorized users unrestricted access to the internet.
CrowdStrike’s industry-leading Security Cloud eliminates the headaches of implementing frictionless Zero Trust for businesses of any size. Access to the network and access to applications are treated differently. In contrast to utilizing the network, each application must have an authenticated user before it can be used.
Features
- With risk-based access, the network, device configuration, and user actions are all considered.
- Users are authenticated in real-time and access rules are enforced.
- Please ensure the device is secure and healthy before granting it any resources.
- Uses user and device attributes to segment the network and enforce rules.
- Never ignore suspicious activity on any device or user.
| What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
|---|---|
| Helps the company in containing breaches and reducing potential harm. | If compatibility issues arise, system and technology integration may be problematic. |
| Keeping the most important areas of enterprise risk secure. | Staff training and education may be needed to implement Zero Trust. |
| An improved user experience is offered. | |
| Automated protection and incredibly accurate detection. |
5. Cisco Zero Trust Platform
Cisco Zero Trust Platform delivers comprehensive security by continuously verifying user identities, device health, and network access, ensuring that only authenticated and compliant entities can access critical resources and data.
It integrates seamlessly with Cisco’s broader security ecosystem, including threat intelligence and network security tools, providing a unified approach to managing and enforcing Zero Trust policies across diverse IT environments.
The platform leverages advanced analytics and machine learning to detect and respond to anomalies in real time, enhancing threat visibility and enabling proactive protection against sophisticated attacks and insider threats.
Features
- Complete protection through networking and security integration.
- Before granting access to any device, be sure you know who it is and that it is secure.
- Identifies and thwarts complex attacks on electronic devices.
- Partitions the network and controls who may access it.
- enforces access policies that are application-, device-, and user-specific.
| What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
|---|---|
| For the workforce, tasks, and workplace, secure access is necessary. | Implementing and running it frequently takes more personnel. |
| Enforce policy-based controls in a consistent manner. | The performance of the application may be slowed. |
| You can discover specific details about network and application performance. | |
| Organize management effectively by utilizing a single security dashboard. |
6. Twingate
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Twingate makes it easy to adopt and manage a Zero Trust security strategy. Simply draw a diagram of your network, designate access points, and link up. Twingate’s Zero Trust Network Access was built from the ground up to be an easy-to-use enterprise-level service.
They create products that simplify Zero Trust deployment for companies of all sizes, from sole proprietorships to the Fortune 500. Twingate’s cutting-edge, zero-trust, remote access security focuses on improving security without compromising usability or maintainability.
Twingate’s invisible operation seems magical. These simple apps make private network access easier than ever. Twingate’s Smart Routing network engine ensures a fast and secure connection via NAT traversal, QUIC, private proxies, and split tunneling.
Features
- Access is determined by the user’s employment and permissions.
- Using many layers of authentication during access attempts makes the system safer.
- Manages every environment’s user access and permissions from a central platform.
- Permits access control for resources and apps down to a fine grain.
- Maintains a record of all resource and user actions for audit and security purposes.
| What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
|---|---|
| Allocate resources to authorized users. | The solution does not provide access control to servers at the port level. |
| Gives access to and control over all networks within an organization. | There isn’t a Linux GUI client right now. |
| Lets you apply Zero Trust to any resource, whether it’s cloud-based or runs locally. | |
| While learning how Twingate’s solution operates, you can manually deploy its components. | |
7. Forcepoint Zero Trust
Forcepoint has centralized several crucial security services, including Secure Web Gateway (SWG), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA).
Forcepoint is the first firm to offer revolutionary user activity-tracking solutions that transform data security into risk-adaptive customization depending on user actions. Zero Trust CDR, specific to Forcepoint, automatically suspects all data.
Forcepoint File Exchange (PX) lets users with footprints on two networks send files to themselves on the other. Your Secure Email Gateway with Forcepoint Zero Trust Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR) provides unmatched inbox protection. Forcepoint’s DLP security system applies policies based on incoming material.
Features
- Limits access to sensitive data depending on user actions and context.
- modifies the permissions granted to users in response to actual threats.
- Boundaries are less secure than user identities and devices.
- observes user actions for any unusual or suspicious patterns.
- Constantly monitoring user actions and authentication is done to assure security.
| What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
|---|---|
| Based on the actions of your people, automatically restrict access and usage. | It would be nice if it could integrate better with other programs and services. |
| Understand the locations of sensitive data storage and use. | with some websites, it seems to be the cause of connection timeouts. |
| To reduce attack exposure, segment your networks, apps, and data. | |
| Automatically take appropriate action before risks develop into violations. | |
8. Akamai Intelligent Edge
Akamai set out to execute a zero-trust security strategy, doing away with the standard corporate VPN and converting to a paradigm of security without perimeters.
Akamai has assembled a formidable portfolio to provide all the Zero Trust solutions required by today’s businesses.Akamai Guardicore Segmentation is the industry-leading micro-segmentation solution for preventing the spread of ransomware and other malware.
Zero Trust is a set of principles that Akamai IT has adopted to ensure that neither users nor computers are automatically trusted.The automation found throughout Akamai’s Zero Trust portfolio drastically lessens the need for personalization and complexity.
Features
- Protects against distributed denial of service attacks, data breaches, and web applications.
- swiftly disseminates data, improving internet functionality and user experience on a worldwide scale.
- Data and apps are safeguarded by cloud-based security.
- Authentication, permission, and secure access are all guaranteed by zero trust.
- The security of application programming interfaces and their connections is ensured.
| What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
|---|---|
| Assist desk calls for application access should be minimized. | It’s difficult to understand the admin interface. |
| Enable secure web gateways and internet access. | The configuration interface for Akamai platforms is not user-friendly. |
| With Akamai API Acceleration, you can improve the performance of your API. | |
| Enhance user experience, streamline operations, and expand cloud infrastructure. | |
9. Illumio Core
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Illumio will help you find non-compliant flows and automatically generate the optimum policy for the application. Illumio Core’s Zero Trust architecture solves cloud security problems without the added complexity and risk of using unproven technology.
Illumio Core’s host-based technology enables large-scale microsegmentation deployment easy and efficient. Illumio Edge adds endpoint segmentation, making it possible to implement true end-to-end segmentation.
Illumio uses application dependency maps and external vulnerability scanning to find attack vectors. Default-deny security with a granular micro perimeter surrounding data and programs inside the firewall tackles the problem of concealed East-West connections in networks.
Features
- Sections the network into smaller ones so that access can be better controlled and threats can be contained.
- Modifies security policies based on user, workload, and application actions.
- Verifies and regulates all attempts at communicating across workloads, irrespective of physical location or network boundaries.
- Provides insight into program interactions for accurate policymaking.
- Gives a comprehensive view of data and network activities to detect and resolve threats.
| What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
|---|---|
| Workload segmentation for on-site and cloud data centers. | Supporting more operating systems would help the Illumio Adaptive Security Platform. |
| Minimizing the effects of a breach and preventing ransomware from spreading. | Illumio Core is an expensive tool with a convoluted user interface. |
| Gives you real-time visibility into workloads and applications. | |
| PCE Supercluster enables Zero Trust on a global scale. | |
10. Threat Locker
ThreatLocker Zero Trust Security offers a comprehensive approach to endpoint and application control by enforcing strict access policies, ensuring only authorized users and applications can interact with sensitive data and resources.
It features advanced application whitelisting, which blocks unauthorized applications and processes while allowing only pre-approved ones, thereby reducing the risk of malware and unauthorized access.
The platform provides real-time visibility and control over applications and devices, enabling organizations to monitor and manage security policies dynamically, ensuring adherence to Zero Trust principles and enhancing overall security posture.
Features
- Prevents unauthorized software installations and manages program access.
- Reduces device access to stop infections and data leakage.
- Prevents unauthorized file transfers and data loss by controlling access to storage devices.
- Delivers tools for detecting and responding to threats in real-time.
- leverages the context of the user, the application, and the content to control access.
| What is Good? | What Could Be Better? |
|---|---|
| By putting restrictions on what applications can do, you can stop fileless malware. | It lacks an integrated access rights manager of its own. |
| Allows you to authorize the use of particular applications as administrators. | This application cannot be used in a set-and-forget manner. |
| Immediately after the policy’s expiration, block the application automatically. | |
| the choice to ask for access to the storage device appears in a pop-up window. | |