Zscaler vs. VPN: A Classic Battle

Round 1: Who's Really About Zero Trust?

NGFW steps up to the mic, all firewalls and no swagger:
Yo, I'm cloud now. SASE this, SASE that. I'm keeping data safe, no questions, no cap.

Zscaler smirks and steps to the mic:
Firewalls in the cloud? You're just repping your old kit, acting like it's fresh. That's no zero trust-more like zero finesse.

The crowd goes wild.

See, here's the thing: Just because you move firewalls into the cloud and throw around terms like "SASE" (Secure Access Service Edge) doesn't mean you're rolling with true zero trust principles. You're just putting old ideas in new threads. A firewall, even in the cloud, is still looking at things like IP addresses and routing traffic. It's still treating everyone inside as "trusted," which-spoiler alert-isn't really zero trust at all. It's like trying to win a rap battle by recycling bars from the last decade.

Zscaler ZPA? Now, that's zero trust. It doesn't just shift your traditional firewalls to the cloud and call it a day. ZPA's whole deal is about never trusting anyone by default. It ensures that every user and every device proves their credentials every time they try to access an app whether it's on-prem or in the cloud. No open gates, no inside-out connections. You're only allowed access to the specific apps you need and nothing more. It's like giving access to only the VIP lounge, while the rest of the building stays locked down.