Overview of Zscaler
Zscaler is a cloud-based cybersecurity platform designed to provide secure internet and application access, protecting businesses from modern cyber threats while optimizing network performance and user experience.
Key Functionality
- Secure Internet and Application Access: Zscaler acts as a secure gateway between users and the internet, inspecting every byte of traffic inline to ensure that no malicious content enters the network and no sensitive data is leaked. This is achieved through its cloud-native architecture, which integrates multiple security services.
Key Features
Secure Internet Experience (ZIA)
- Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA) secures all user internet traffic, providing a consolidated security stack that includes:
- Full SSL/TLS inspection
- Secure Web Gateway (SWG)
- URL filtering
- Cloud application visibility and control
- Inline malware prevention
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
- Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)
- Bandwidth control and digital experience monitoring.
Secure Private Access (ZPA)
- Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) provides secure access to internal applications without the need for traditional VPNs. It connects users directly to private apps, minimizing network exposure and reducing the attack surface. Key features include:
- VPN replacement
- Clientless access (browser, RDP/SSH/VNC)
- Segmentation for remote access
- Threat prevention with deception
- Digital Experience Monitoring.
Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)
- Zscaler’s Zero Trust Exchange™ platform operates on the principle that traditional security measures are no longer effective. It verifies user identities, monitors activity, and blocks malware in real-time, ensuring that users are connected directly to applications rather than the network. This approach minimizes potential entry points for attackers and prevents network breaches and data loss.
Risk Management and Cyberthreat Protection
- Four-Step Risk Management Process:
- Identity verification through integrations with third-party identity providers
- Destination identification (e.g., websites, SaaS apps, private apps)
- AI-driven risk assessment based on user behavior, device posture, content, and third-party intelligence
- Real-time policy enforcement on a per-session basis.
- Advanced Threat Protection:
- AI-powered protection against advanced threats such as malware, ransomware, supply chain attacks, and phishing
- Inline data protection, including full TLS/SSL inspection and advanced measures like exact data match (EDM) and optical character recognition (OCR)
- Cloud Sandbox for stopping never-before-seen malware
- AI-Powered Cloud Browser Isolation to prevent web-based attacks.
Performance Optimization
- Network Performance:
- Zscaler optimizes traffic flows by allowing secure, direct connections to the internet over broadband, reserving MPLS for data center traffic.
- It reduces latency and speeds up access to cloud services by directing network traffic to the fastest and most reliable paths and caching frequently accessed content.
Additional Features
- Digital Experience Monitoring: Provides a unified view of application, cloud path, and endpoint performance metrics for analysis and troubleshooting.
- IoT Device Visibility: Offers automated discovery, continuous monitoring, and AI/ML classification of IoT devices.
- Zero Trust Branch Connectivity: Reduces risk and complexity with non-routable branch and data center connectivity for users, servers, and IoT/OT devices.
Benefits
- Comprehensive Security: Zscaler offers a unified platform with real-time threat correlation, cloud intelligence, and insights from over 500 trillion daily threat signals.
- Improved User Experience: Delivers the world’s fastest internet and SaaS experience, boosting productivity and business agility.
- Cost Efficiency: Replaces costly, complex, and slow appliances with a fully cloud-native zero trust platform, realizing up to 139% ROI.
In summary, Zscaler is a robust cloud-based cybersecurity solution that integrates multiple security services to protect users, devices, and workloads from modern cyber threats while enhancing network performance and user experience. Its zero trust approach and AI-powered protection make it a comprehensive solution for secure internet and application access.