Netskope announces zero trust network access updates

Netskope has announced key enhancements to Netskope Private Access, the zero trust network access (ZTNA) cornerstone of Netskope's security platform.

Netskope customers can now apply zero trust principles seamlessly across a wide range of hybrid work security needs, including SaaS, IaaS, private applications, web, e-mail, and endpoint devices.

The new normal of hybrid work means enterprises are rapidly adopting Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) technology architecture. Key to SASE, ZTNA enables organisations to transition from legacy remote access VPN to a modern infrastructure that is efficient and more secure.

Gartner predicts that by 2025, 70% of organisations that implement agent-based zero trust network access (ZTNA) will choose a security service edge (SSE) provider for ZTNA, rather than a stand-alone offering, up from 20% in 2021.

By 2026, 50% of organisations will prioritise advanced data security features for inspection of data at rest and in motion as a selection criterion for SSE, up from 15% in 2021.

Netskope Private Access delivers ZTNA for hybrid work

Netskope Private Access, which provides ZTNA services, is a critical component of the Netskope Intelligent SSE platform. It connects users anywhere, using any device, to corporate resources everywhere and continuously evaluates context and adapts to reduce risk. With todays release, this same context has been extended to the enterprise data layer, leveraging Netskope's unified DLP capabilities.

New and updated features of Netskope Private Access include:

Data protection. Enterprises can monitor and protect data in situations such as third-party access and employee BYOD, preventing sensitive data from leaving the corporate environment.

Insider risk mitigation. Netskope Private Access continuously monitors application and data use, detects activities and behaviour anomalies using UEBA, and applies adaptive access policies based on user risks.  

Support for hybrid work. Netskope Private Access enables secure connection to private applications without requiring users to authenticate into a Netskope client. Among other benefits, this enables enterprises to quickly and efficiently onboard newly hired remote employees and ensure they can be productive on day one of employment, without creating security risks.

Application discovery. With improved application discovery capabilities in Netskope Private Access, network administrators gain detailed insight of private applications in use by teams, as well as the scope of individual users access and traffic patterns.

API Automation. Netskope Private Access APIs automate the application administrative setup processes, thus efficiently enabling access to applications with adaptive access controls and policies, as well as streamlining how teams perform ongoing maintenance and application management.

Easy accessibility from major cloud marketplaces. Publishers for Netskope Private Access are now available via the Microsoft Azure marketplace, meaning Microsoft Azure cloud customers can easily select packages to deploy Netskope Private Access with their application environment. Netskope Private Access Publishers are already available via the Amazon Web Services marketplace.

"Enterprises need data-centric ZTNA - period. Private applications often house some of an organisations most valuable information, including trade secrets and code repositories, and are an absolute must for comprehensive data protection capabilities," says John Martin, chief product officer, Netskope.

"These key enhancements to Netskope Private Access extend Netskope's award-winning zero trust data protection capabilities that much further, offering enterprises multiple options to protect information, from inspecting private application traffic, to applying DLP in risky use cases such as third-party access and BYOD," he says.

"Zero trust network access is all about optimising the balance of enabling access and mitigating risk, and the most effective ZTNA solutions, including Netskope Private Access, help reduce the risk and exposure associated with legacy remote access VPNs," adds Chris Rodriguez, research director, security - trust, IDC.

"Enterprises should be pleased to see that Netskope continues to innovate and has now added capabilities to strengthen data protection policies across the widest range of use cases, from SaaS to private apps."

A hybrid work environment requires the ability to apply zero trust principles to govern behaviour by users, devices, networks, applications, and data, increasing confidence in policy enforcement everywhere. Under zero trust, technology resources no longer place implicit trust in any entity that wants to connect.

By evaluating several contextual elements -user role and identity, device identity and security posture, time of day, plus the sensitivity level of the data, and more - the resource itself can determine an appropriate level of confidence, or trust, only for that specific interaction and only for that specific resource. As a result, using Netskope Intelligent SSE with zero trust data protection applied throughout, businesses become more agile, reduce risk, and streamline application deployment and ongoing maintenance.

Netskope Private Access updates will be generally available to customers later this year.