Is Traditional VPN Holding Your Enterprise Back? Here’s a Smarter Way to Secure Remote Access

A modern, zero-trust approach to remote access that meets the performance, security and scalability demands of today’s enterprises.

Remember when traditional VPNs were considered top-notch security? I don’t. That was 2005. I was 10 years old, playing Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 on my older brother's GameCube. Now I’m 30 and working in cybersecurity. C’est la vie. I provide that context to make a point – your traditional VPN tech? It’s old. We’re talking about technology from a period in time where we had green and blue ketchup. A time when remote work was the exception, not the norm. And when it comes to the modern enterprise where hybrid workforces, multi-cloud environments and third-party access are the standard, these legacy solutions are no longer cutting it. And, perhaps more importantly, we know ketchup should be red, and only red.

While there’s bad news about traditional VPNs, there’s good news about cybersecurity. Our tech has come a long way. Enter SonicWall’s Cloud Secure Edge (CSE) Secure Private Access (SPA): a powerful, enterprise-ready solution that’s designed to simplify secure access while maintaining top-notch cybersecurity posture.

What Exactly is Secure Private Access?

Secure Private Access is just one part of a whole – the whole being SonicWall’s Cloud Secure Edge. SPA gives enterprises the ability to grant secure, reliable access to the right users, wherever they may be, without lowering the castle bridge over the mote, so to speak.

Unlike traditional VPNs that rely on perimeter-based security, SPA uses Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) principles. SPA doesn’t just check credentials one time and then say, “Welcome in, here’s the key to the safe, don’t steal anything!” SPA continuously verifies users based on identity, trust score and context before they can access any resources. It makes no assumptions and grants no unnecessary exposure.

Why This Matters for Modern Enterprises

It’s becoming increasingly apparent that legacy VPNs simply weren’t built to stand up to the challenges faced by the modern enterprise. Remote users have to funnel through centralized servers which causes performance to suffer. Misconfigurations are ever-present. Overprovisioning becomes a risk. And if a threat actor worms their way inside the network? It’s a free-for-all. They can go wherever they want to go. SPA eliminates those gaps and more. Whether it’s remote employees, contractors, M&A users or BYOD access, SPA lets you manage who can access what — and nothing more — from one central console.

Here’s what enterprises gain with SPA:

• Stronger security posture: Continuously verify user and device trust. Limit lateral movement and reduce your attack surface.
• Smooth, secure access: No clunky VPN clients or constant logins. Users connect quickly and easily, with no training required.
• Lower costs and complexity: No more expensive VPN hardware or complex firewall rules. Just fast, scalable access from the cloud.
• Enterprise-scale flexibility: As your business grows, SPA scales with you — without reengineering your entire security architecture.

SPA is Built for Today and Tomorrow

If your organization is feeling the limitations of legacy VPN or other remote access solutions, take this time to rethink your approach. With Cloud Secure Edge Secure Private Access, you can make life easier for your employees, proactively address security gaps and simplify management, all with one cloud-delivered solution.

Want to see CSE in action? Request a live demo.

Ready to secure your enterprise with SonicWall? Talk to our sales team today.

Let’s bring your remote access strategy up to modern standards.