Partner POV | Zscaler vs. VPN: A Classic Battle

This article was written by Steven Hajny, Healthcare Principal Sales Engineer at Zscaler, and was submitted for publication by Zscaler.

I was woken up last night by some rap music. I will spare you the details of who it was, but it made me think of when I head into a prospect or customer meeting to discuss why Zscaler is better than those old legacy technologies. I have a playlist that is full of classic rap battle music and some other pump-up jams that are available on Spotify, so if you need a link, let me know on Linkedin. This midnight wakeup though gave me inspiration for a blog about describing the perks of Zscaler Private access vs those legacy technologies or blue box vendors. 

Picture this: It's the mid-90s. The air is thick with competition. In one corner, you've got Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) coming in with the latest tech—smoke, lights, all the hype. In the other corner, the old-school champ, VPN, swagging in like it owns the block. It's the network security battle for the ages. Think Tupac vs. Biggie, Jay-Z vs. Nas. It's gritty. It's personal. And in this face-off, only one can claim the crown as the true zero trust king.

Let's break down this 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.

Round 2: The "Inside-Out" Struggle

The NGFW vendor isn't done yet—they brought backup. VPN steps in for a feature verse:
I'm the OG. I connect users quick, give them access wherever. VPN forever, baby—I'm the trendsetter!

Zscaler ZPA leans in:  
You hand out keys like candy, no wonder you're a hack target. They take your tunnel straight to the core, I keep 'em in the dark, like a locked market.

Old-school VPN is still out here, but it's the classic "give them an inch, they take a mile" problem. When VPN users connect, they get the keys to the whole network. That's like inviting someone into the VIP section, and then they start wandering through the kitchen, the office, and even the safe. You're trusting them to not overstep, but we all know how that ends. One slip-up, and the bad guys are moving through your network like it's open mic night at a cipher.

ZPA, on the other hand? It's like having a personal bouncer at every door. It doesn't just let users "in". It connects them directly to only the app they need—no network access required. ZPA keeps everything invisible until proven necessary. The network itself? It's like a shadow, unseen and unreachable. Bad actors are left stumbling in the dark.

Round 3: The Problem with Route-Based Connections

The NGFW vendor returns, doubling down:  

But I got firewalls and routing, bro. Secure tunnels all the way to the apps—what you know?

Zscaler ZPA laughs:  

Routing's cute, but zero trust is the goal. You're still exposing paths—I'm locking down the whole scroll.

Route-based inside-out connections work... until they don't. You're opening a tunnel, sure, but everything still passes through it. Whether it's hackers or a misconfigured app, there's always the risk of something sneaking through those open pathways. You're managing a maze of routes, hoping no one figures out the blueprint.

ZPA doesn't mess with routes or broad tunnel vision. It uses a brokered, app-to-user connection—every time. It's all about connecting users to applications directly, without exposing the network. ZPA's approach is like encrypting the map and locking it in a vault. You don't even see the path unless you're supposed to. No more routing or exposing IP addresses to hackers trying to find their way in.

Round 4: Setup and Maintenance—Easy Wins

VPN takes the mic one last time:
I'm easy to set up, just drop the hardware in. Updates are hard, but I'm here to win.

ZPA shakes its head:
You're still pushing hardware? That's so Y2K. ZPA's in the cloud, scaling up every day.

VPNs rely on aging infrastructure. You're constantly patching, updating, and troubleshooting physical appliances. This is risky in industries like healthcare or government, where downtime can mean more than lost dollars. Plus, VPNs aren't immune to vulnerabilities—we all have seen those CISA alerts.

ZPA, on the other hand, is cloud native. It doesn't need bulky appliances or constant hardware updates. You just deploy a lightweight connector, and your team's ready to roll. It scales effortlessly and adapts as you grow—no sweat, no downtime, just smooth, secure access.

Final Verdict: The Mic Drop

In the battle for zero trust supremacy, ZPA's the clear winner. It doesn't rely on outdated methods like VPNs or try to mask old tech with new acronyms like SASE. Instead, it builds from the ground up with a zero trust approach—verifying every connection, every time, without exposing your network to unnecessary risk. 

So, security pros, next time you're looking to upgrade your access game, ask yourself: do you want the outdated champ or the fresh, cloud native leader that truly gets zero trust? In this rap battle, the choice is clear. ZPA just dropped the mic.