Introduction
In the era of digital transformation, the need for secure, flexible, and efficient access to internal applications for remote users has never been more critical. As organizations continue to adopt cloud technologies and support remote workforces, traditional network security models are proving inadequate. This whitepaper introduces Thinfinity Remote Workspace, a Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution that addresses these challenges.
The Need for ZTNA
Traditional network security models, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), have been the backbone of remote access for many years. However, these models expose the entire network to the user, creating a vast attack surface that can be exploited. Furthermore, they do not scale well with the increasing number of remote users and cloud-based applications.
ZTNA, also known as the software-defined perimeter (SDP), is a modern approach to network security that operates on an adaptive trust model. Trust is never implicit in a ZTNA model. Instead, access is granted on a need-to-know, least-privileged basis defined by granular policies. This approach ensures secure connectivity to private apps without placing users on the network or exposing the apps to the internet.
Thinfinity Remote Workspace: A ZTNA Solution
Thinfinity Remote Workspace is a ZTNA solution that provides secure, seamless access to internal applications for remote users. It leverages the principles of ZTNA to offer a user-to-application connectivity, isolating the network and reducing the attack surface.
Core Principles
Thinfinity Remote Workspace operates based on four core principles:
Application Access Isolation: It isolates the act of providing application access from network access. This reduces risks to the network, such as infection by compromised devices, and only grants access to specific applications for authorized users who have been authenticated.
Outbound-only Connections: Thinfinity makes outbound-only connections, ensuring both network and application infrastructure are invisible to unauthorized users. IPs are never exposed to the internet, creating a “darknet” that makes the network impossible to find.
Native App Segmentation: Once users are authorized, application access is granted on a one-to-one basis. Users have access only to specific applications rather than full access to the network. This segmentation prevents overly permissive access and the risk of lateral movement of malware and other threats.
User-to-Application Approach: Thinfinity takes a user-to-application approach rather than a traditional network security approach. The network becomes deemphasized, and the internet becomes the new corporate network, leveraging end-to-end encrypted TLS micro-tunnels instead of MPLS.
Benefits of Thinfinity Remote Workspace
Thinfinity Remote Workspace offers several benefits over traditional network security solutions:
Improved Security: By connecting users directly to apps and not the network, it minimizes the attack surface and eliminates lateral movement.
Scalability: As a cloud-native service, it can easily scale to accommodate an increasing number of remote users and applications.
User Experience: With direct, fast access to applications, user experiences are significantly improved.
Reduced Complexity: It simplifies the network architecture by eliminating the need for VPNs, VPN concentrators, DDoS protection, global load balancing, and firewall appliances.
Conclusion
Thinfinity Remote Workspace is a robust ZTNA solution that addresses the challenges of modern network security. By adopting a user-to-application approach and leveraging the principles of ZTNA, it provides secure, scalable, and efficient access to internal applications for remote users. As organizations continue to navigate the complexities of digital transformation, solutions like Thinfinity Remote Workspace will be critical in ensuring secure, flexible, and efficient operations.