The traditional approach to network security is changing. Is your organization still relying on a VPN that grants users more access than they actually need?
As businesses increasingly adopt cloud applications, remote work, and interconnected digital systems, protecting corporate networks has become more complicated than simply securing the office perimeter. Employees, contractors, vendors, and business partners now access sensitive information from different locations, devices, and networks.
Traditional Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have long provided a way to establish secure remote connections. However, many legacy VPN architectures grant authenticated users broad access to internal networks, creating opportunities for attackers who obtain legitimate credentials to move between systems.
Two important developments are helping organizations address these risks: Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and Continuous Exposure Management (CEM).
Together, these approaches support a more targeted, proactive, and continuously informed approach to cybersecurity.
In this article, we explore the differences between ZTNA and traditional VPNs, why the network security perimeter is evolving, and how continuous exposure management can help organizations identify and reduce their attack surfaces.
1. Understanding Legacy VPNs and Their Security Limitations
A Virtual Private Network creates an encrypted connection between a user’s device and a private network or VPN gateway. This allows remote employees to access internal business resources as though they were connected to the organization’s network.
VPN technology remains valuable, particularly when organizations need secure connectivity between offices, systems, and remote users.
The challenge is not that VPNs are inherently insecure. Rather, the level of access granted after authentication can create significant security risks when it is broader than necessary.
The problem of excessive network access
Consider an employee who needs to access an organization’s payroll application.
Under a traditional VPN configuration, the employee might connect to the corporate network and gain access to several internal systems, depending on the network segmentation and access controls in place.
If an attacker steals that employee’s login credentials, compromises their device, or hijacks an authenticated session, the attacker may inherit some of the employee’s network access.
If additional security controls are weak, the attacker could attempt to discover other systems, access sensitive information, or move laterally through the network.
This is known as lateral movement: an attacker’s progression from an initially compromised device or account to other systems within an environment.
Why VPN-based security can become a problem
Common risks associated with poorly configured or overly permissive legacy VPN deployments include:
- Excessive access privileges: Users may have access to network resources they do not need for their jobs.
- Credential compromise: Stolen passwords or session credentials may provide an entry point into internal systems.
- Lateral movement: Attackers may exploit accessible systems to reach more valuable targets.
- Limited visibility: Security teams may struggle to determine which resources users can reach and whether that access remains appropriate.
- Complex access management: Maintaining VPN configurations, network rules, and exceptions can become difficult as organizations grow.
- Third-party exposure: Contractors and vendors may require access to internal resources, increasing the importance of restricting and monitoring their connections.
These risks are not inevitable. Strong multifactor authentication, network segmentation, endpoint protection, least-privilege policies, and monitoring can significantly improve VPN security.
However, organizations with increasingly distributed workforces and cloud-based applications may benefit from a different approach to granting access.
That is where Zero Trust Network Access comes in.
2. What Is Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)?
Zero Trust Network Access is a security approach that provides users with controlled access to specific applications and resources based on their identity, permissions, device security, and other relevant contextual signals.
ZTNA is built around the principle of never automatically trusting a user or device simply because it has connected to an organization’s network.
Instead, access is explicitly authorized and restricted to the resources the user is permitted to access.
This approach is closely associated with the broader Zero Trust security model, which assumes that threats may exist both inside and outside traditional network boundaries.
How ZTNA works
A typical ZTNA deployment may involve the following components:
1. Identity verification
The system verifies the user’s identity through an identity provider. Multifactor authentication can add another layer of protection beyond a password.
2. Device assessment
Depending on the implementation, access policies may consider whether the device is managed, updated, encrypted, and compliant with organizational security requirements.
3. Context-aware access decisions
The system evaluates applicable policies and contextual signals, such as the requested application, user role, device posture, and sign-in risk.
4. Application-specific authorization
The user receives access only to the applications and resources authorized by the relevant policy, rather than automatically receiving broad access to the internal network.
5. Monitoring and reassessment
Depending on the architecture, the system can monitor sessions and reassess access when risk signals or policy conditions change.
For example, if a device becomes noncompliant or an account shows signs of compromise, the organization may be able to restrict or revoke the relevant access.
The exact capabilities depend on the ZTNA product and its integration with identity, endpoint management, and security monitoring systems.
A practical example
Imagine a district assembly, financial institution, school, or private company operating several digital systems, including:
- Payroll and employee records.
- Financial management and accounting.
- Customer or citizen databases.
- Document management.
- Inventory and procurement.
- Internal reporting dashboards.
An accounts officer may need access to the financial management system but not the payroll administration interface or the organization’s underlying database servers.
With an appropriately configured ZTNA solution, the organization can grant the accounts officer access to the approved financial application without exposing unrelated internal resources.
A compromised account would therefore have a more limited starting point for an attack.
This does not eliminate the possibility of data theft or unauthorized activity within the permitted application. Strong application-level permissions, logging, and other security controls remain essential.
Nevertheless, limiting access can reduce the potential impact of a compromised identity.
3. ZTNA vs. Legacy VPNs: What Is the Difference?
Although both technologies can support secure remote access, they approach authorization and network exposure differently.
Feature
Traditional VPN
Zero Trust Network Access
Primary access model
Connects users to a private network or network segment
Grants access to specifically authorized applications or resources
Trust assumptions
Depends on configuration; network connectivity may confer additional reachability
Explicit authorization based on identity, policy, and relevant context
Access scope
May expose multiple internal resources after connection
Designed to limit access to approved resources
Identity controls
Can integrate with MFA and identity providers
Commonly integrates identity, contextual policies, and application-specific authorization
Device security
Depends on VPN configuration and integrations
Can incorporate device posture into access decisions
Lateral movement risk
May be elevated when network access is broad and segmentation is weak
Can be reduced by limiting access to individual applications and resources
Cloud application access
May route traffic through a VPN gateway or corporate network
Can provide direct, policy-controlled access to supported applications
Monitoring
Depends on VPN logs and connected security tools
Depends on the ZTNA platform, policy engine, and integrated monitoring
Best fit
Secure network connectivity, including appropriate site-to-site and legacy system use cases
Least-privilege access to private applications for distributed users
Important distinction: VPNs are not automatically insecure, and ZTNA is not automatically secure. Both depend on sound implementation, identity security, access policies, and operational monitoring.
A VPN with strong segmentation and least-privilege controls can be substantially safer than an inadequately configured ZTNA deployment.
The key advantage of ZTNA is its application-centric access model, which can make restricting and managing access more straightforward.
4. Replacing the Perimeter: Why Application-Centric Security Matters
For many years, enterprise network security followed a relatively simple model: establish a strong boundary around the internal network, then control who can enter it.
Firewalls, VPN gateways, and other perimeter defenses were central to this strategy.
However, cloud computing, remote work, mobile devices, software-as-a-service applications, and third-party integrations have changed the environment.
Business applications may operate across multiple cloud platforms and data centres. Employees may work from home, while vendors and contractors access selected services remotely.
As a result, the concept of a single, clearly defined corporate network perimeter has become less useful as the sole foundation of security.
From network access to resource access
Instead of asking only whether someone should enter the corporate network, organizations increasingly need to ask:
- Who is requesting access?
- Which application are they trying to access?
- What permissions do they require?
- Is their device sufficiently secure?
- Does the request match expected behaviour?
- Should access be limited, denied, or reassessed?
These questions shift security decisions closer to the individual application and the resource being protected.
The principle of least privilege
Least privilege means giving users and systems only the permissions they need to perform their authorized functions.
For example:
- A human resources officer may access employee records but not administer the organization’s network.
- A software developer may access a development environment without automatically receiving access to production databases.
- A third-party support engineer may access a designated support application without gaining unrestricted access to the internal network.
- A finance officer may view approved financial reports without being permitted to modify payroll records.
These restrictions should be enforced through identity systems, application permissions, network policies, and appropriate monitoring.
ZTNA can help implement this approach by restricting connectivity to authorized resources.
However, organizations should also secure the applications themselves. If a user is authorized to access an application with excessive privileges, ZTNA alone will not correct that application-level weakness.
Does this mean VPNs are obsolete?
No.
VPNs continue to serve important purposes, including connecting entire office networks, supporting legacy applications, and enabling particular administrative or infrastructure workflows.
Some organizations will benefit from a hybrid approach in which ZTNA handles user access to business applications while VPNs remain available for specific network-level requirements.
The objective should not be to replace technology simply because it is older. It should be to reduce unnecessary exposure, simplify access management, and improve the organization’s ability to control and monitor access.
5. Continuous Exposure Management (CEM): Moving Beyond Periodic Security Testing
Improving remote access controls is only one part of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy.
Organizations must also understand what attackers can discover, reach, and potentially exploit.
This is the purpose of Continuous Exposure Management (CEM).
CEM is an ongoing approach to identifying, assessing, prioritizing, and reducing security exposures across an organization’s digital environment.
Rather than treating security assessments as isolated events, it establishes a continuous process for understanding changes in the organization’s exposure to threats.
The limitations of quarterly penetration testing
Penetration testing is an important security practice. Qualified testers simulate attacks within an agreed scope to identify vulnerabilities and demonstrate how weaknesses could be exploited.
However, a penetration test conducted once every three months provides a snapshot of the environment at the time of testing.
Between assessments, an organization may introduce new applications, publish additional services, change firewall rules, install new software, or grant access to a third-party provider.
A newly exposed service or misconfigured cloud resource could create a security risk before the next scheduled test.
This is not a reason to abandon penetration testing. It is a reason to supplement it with continuous monitoring and exposure management.
What continuous exposure management involves
A mature CEM programme can include several complementary activities.
1. Continuous asset discovery
Identify internet-facing websites, servers, APIs, cloud resources, remote access gateways, and other digital assets.
The goal is to discover what the organization actually exposes, including assets that may have been overlooked or are no longer properly managed.
2. Vulnerability monitoring
Identify known vulnerabilities in supported systems and software.
Security teams can use vulnerability scanners, software inventories, threat intelligence, and vendor advisories to identify weaknesses that require investigation.
3. Attack-path analysis
Map potential routes an attacker might use to move from an exposed entry point toward sensitive systems.
For example, an internet-facing application with a known vulnerability might connect to a server holding sensitive information. A compromised user account might also have permissions that provide access to other systems.
Understanding these relationships helps security teams assess the significance of individual weaknesses.
4. Exposure prioritization
Not every vulnerability represents the same level of risk.
A useful assessment considers factors such as exploitability, internet exposure, asset importance, available security controls, known exploitation activity, and the sensitivity of affected data.
This helps organizations prioritize issues that could have the greatest operational impact.
5. Remediation and verification
Security teams address identified exposures through software updates, configuration changes, access restrictions, service removal, or other appropriate measures.
Follow-up checks help establish whether the corrective action worked and whether the exposure has been reduced.
6. Continuous reassessment
The cycle repeats as the organization’s systems, applications, users, and external exposure change.
The result is a more current view of the security environment than periodic assessments alone can provide.
Continuous exposure management is more than automated scanning
Automation is essential for monitoring large and frequently changing environments, but continuous exposure management should not be reduced to running vulnerability scans around the clock.
A vulnerability scanner can identify a known weakness without fully explaining whether an attacker can reach it, what sensitive assets it could expose, or how it relates to other weaknesses.
A more mature CEM programme combines asset discovery, vulnerability intelligence, configuration assessment, identity and access analysis, attack-path evaluation, and remediation workflows.
Human security professionals remain important for validating findings, interpreting business context, and making risk-based decisions.
The aim is to understand and reduce meaningful exposure—not simply to produce a larger list of vulnerabilities.
6. How ZTNA and CEM Work Together
ZTNA and CEM address different but complementary security problems.
ZTNA controls access to applications and resources. CEM helps organizations understand and reduce the exposures that could allow attackers to reach or compromise those resources.
Consider an organization that operates an employee portal, a payroll application, and a financial management system.
A continuous exposure management process may discover that an externally accessible service has an outdated software component. Further assessment reveals that the service is connected to an environment containing sensitive business data.
At the same time, a review of remote access policies may reveal that several users have broader network permissions than their roles require.
The organization can respond by:
- Investigating and remediating the vulnerable service.
- Restricting access to the affected environment.
- Reviewing the identities and permissions that could reach it.
- Using ZTNA to provide authorized users with application-specific access where appropriate.
- Enforcing multifactor authentication and suitable device security requirements.
- Monitoring relevant logs and access events for suspicious activity.
- Continuously reassessing the environment as systems and permissions change.
This approach addresses both the exposure itself and the pathways through which an attacker might exploit it.
However, neither technology eliminates every attack path. Effective security also requires secure software development, endpoint protection, data access controls, backups, incident response, and staff awareness.
An integrated security strategy
Organizations seeking to modernize their security architecture should consider combining:
- Identity and access management: Centralized identities, multifactor authentication, and least-privilege permissions.
- ZTNA: Controlled access to authorized applications and resources.
- Endpoint security: Protection and monitoring of laptops, desktops, and other managed devices.
- Network segmentation: Separation of systems to restrict unnecessary communication.
- Continuous exposure management: Ongoing discovery, assessment, prioritization, and remediation of security exposures.
- Security information and event management: Collection and analysis of security events from relevant systems.
- Incident response: Defined procedures for investigating suspicious activity, containing threats, and recovering operations.
These capabilities work best when they share relevant information and support a consistent security policy.
7. Practical Steps for Businesses and Government Institutions
Organizations do not need to replace their entire network infrastructure overnight.
A phased approach can help reduce risk while controlling implementation costs and operational disruption.
Step 1: Identify critical systems
Begin by listing applications and services that support essential business operations.
Examples include payroll, financial management, customer databases, document repositories, procurement systems, and administrative portals.
Identify where these applications are hosted, who uses them, and what information they contain.
Step 2: Review existing remote access
Examine VPN accounts, permissions, network segments, administrator privileges, and third-party access.
Look for dormant accounts, shared credentials, excessive permissions, and connections that no longer serve a business purpose.
Disable unnecessary access and strengthen authentication before introducing new technologies.
Step 3: Map internet-facing assets
Identify publicly accessible systems, including websites, APIs, remote access gateways, cloud services, and forgotten subdomains.
Confirm who owns each asset, whether it is still required, and whether its security configuration is appropriate.
Step 4: Prioritize high-risk exposures
Assess vulnerabilities and misconfigurations according to their practical risk.
An actively exploited vulnerability on an internet-facing server containing sensitive information may require more urgent attention than a lower-risk weakness on an isolated test system.
Use verified findings and business impact to guide remediation decisions.
Step 5: Pilot ZTNA
Select a limited group of users and applications for an initial deployment.
For example, begin with remote access to an internal reporting dashboard or document management system.
Test authentication, device compliance, application permissions, logging, and the user experience.
Ensure that legitimate users can perform their duties without receiving unnecessary access.
Step 6: Introduce continuous exposure monitoring
Implement suitable tools and processes for tracking external assets, identifying vulnerabilities, reviewing configurations, and monitoring changes.
Establish clear procedures for assigning findings, setting remediation priorities, verifying fixes, and escalating urgent risks.
Step 7: Measure results
Use measurable indicators to evaluate whether the programme is improving security.
Useful metrics include:
- Percentage of critical applications protected by appropriate access controls.
- Number of unnecessary or dormant remote access accounts removed.
- Percentage of privileged accounts protected by multifactor authentication.
- Time taken to remediate critical, verified vulnerabilities.
- Number of unknown or unmanaged internet-facing assets discovered.
- Percentage of high-risk exposures remediated within the organization’s target timeframe.
- Number of users or systems with excessive permissions identified and corrected.
These indicators should support risk reduction rather than reward teams for generating large volumes of alerts or closing tickets without verifying the underlying fix.
8. Challenges to Consider Before Adopting ZTNA and CEM
Although these technologies offer significant benefits, implementation requires careful planning.
Legacy application compatibility
Some older applications depend on network-level connectivity or protocols that may not work with every ZTNA solution.
Organizations should assess application dependencies and test compatibility before migrating critical systems.
Integration complexity
ZTNA may need to integrate with identity providers, endpoint management systems, security monitoring tools, and application platforms.
CEM may require additional integrations to discover assets and understand relationships between systems.
Cost and skills
Licensing, implementation, staff training, and ongoing operations all contribute to the total cost.
Organizations should evaluate the capabilities they genuinely need and avoid purchasing overlapping tools that create additional complexity without a clear security benefit.
Poorly designed access policies
ZTNA cannot compensate for inaccurate identity records, excessive application permissions, or weak authentication.
Likewise, continuous monitoring will not reduce risk if findings are ignored or remediation responsibilities are unclear.
Privacy and governance
Monitoring user activity and device posture must be balanced with applicable privacy, employment, data protection, and organizational requirements.
Security teams should establish appropriate access restrictions, retention periods, accountability, and oversight for collected information.
The strongest implementations combine suitable technology with clear policies, trained personnel, and consistent operational processes.
9. The Future of Network Security: From Trusted Networks to Verified Access
The direction of modern cybersecurity is clear: organizations must increasingly make access decisions based on identity, context, resource sensitivity, and continuously assessed risk rather than relying exclusively on network location.
ZTNA supports this transition by restricting users to the applications and resources they are authorized to access.
Continuous exposure management complements it by helping security teams discover external assets, identify meaningful weaknesses, understand potential attack paths, and prioritize corrective action.
Together, these practices help organizations move away from a security model that focuses primarily on keeping attackers outside the network toward one that also limits what attackers can do if they get inside.
For businesses handling financial records, customer information, employee data, and other sensitive assets, this shift is particularly important.
The objective is not to eliminate every conceivable threat. It is to reduce unnecessary exposure, make unauthorized access more difficult, and limit the potential consequences of a successful compromise.
Organizations that begin reviewing their access architecture and external exposure today will be better positioned to respond to evolving threats tomorrow.
Conclusion: Secure Access Starts with Knowing What You Expose
Legacy VPNs remain useful, but broad network access should never be treated as proof that a user or device can be trusted.
ZTNA offers a more targeted approach by granting access to specific applications according to defined policies. Continuous exposure management adds an ongoing view of the organization’s assets, vulnerabilities, configurations, and potential attack paths.
Neither is a complete security solution on its own. Their value comes from how effectively they work alongside identity security, network segmentation, endpoint protection, vulnerability remediation, and incident response.
For organizations modernizing their digital infrastructure, the priority should be practical: know what you expose, control who can access it, grant only the permissions required, and continuously verify that your security measures are working.
That is how modern network security becomes a continuous business discipline rather than a series of isolated technical exercises.
How Sikaba Systems Can Help
At Sikaba Systems, we believe technology should help organizations operate more efficiently while supporting responsible, secure digital transformation.
As businesses, churches, public institutions, and other organizations adopt interconnected digital systems, understanding access permissions, protecting sensitive information, and maintaining reliable infrastructure become increasingly important.
Our technology solutions focus on helping organizations strengthen their digital operations through business systems, custom web applications, reporting dashboards, and practical technology support.
Whether your organization is modernizing its systems, reviewing its digital infrastructure, or planning its next stage of growth, a clear understanding of security and operational risks is an essential starting point.
Visit Sikaba Systems to explore digital solutions for your organization and learn how better technology can support more effective operations.
Website: https://sikabasystems.com
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is ZTNA more secure than a traditional VPN?
ZTNA can reduce risks associated with excessive network access by restricting users to authorized applications and resources. However, actual security depends on implementation, identity protection, application permissions, monitoring, and other security controls.
2. Does ZTNA eliminate the need for VPNs?
No. VPNs remain useful for site-to-site connectivity, certain legacy applications, and other network-level requirements. Some organizations use ZTNA and VPNs together.
3. What is Continuous Exposure Management?
Continuous Exposure Management is an ongoing process for discovering assets, identifying security weaknesses, evaluating their potential impact, prioritizing remediation, and reassessing exposure as an organization’s environment changes.
4. How is CEM different from penetration testing?
Penetration testing evaluates security through authorized simulated attacks within a defined scope. CEM provides an ongoing process for discovering and prioritizing exposures across an organization’s environment. They complement one another rather than replace one another.
5. Can small businesses benefit from ZTNA?
Yes. Small businesses that rely on remote workers, cloud applications, external service providers, or sensitive customer information may benefit from application-specific access controls. The appropriate solution should match their risk, infrastructure, budget, and technical capabilities.
6. How can an organization begin implementing Zero Trust?
Start by identifying critical applications, reviewing existing permissions, enabling multifactor authentication, removing unnecessary access, and strengthening device security. Introduce application-specific access controls gradually and evaluate the results.
7. Why is continuous exposure management important?
Digital environments change frequently. New applications, vulnerabilities, cloud services, and configuration changes can introduce risks between scheduled security assessments. Continuous exposure management helps organizations identify and address these changes more promptly.