The Top 10 Zero Trust Security Solutions
Discover the top Zero Trust Security solutions. Compare key features including user authentication, data segmentation, deployment, and pricing.
Zero Trust Security, also referred to as Zero Trust Networks or Zero Trust Architecture, is a security concept with one basic principle: don’t automatically trust anything to access your data, whether it’s connecting from outside your organization or from within. Implementing Zero Trust involves a range of different technologies, policies and processes that help you to better respond to the sophisticated approaches cybercriminals are using to gain access to sensitive data.
The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) defines Zero Trust security as an “evolving set of cybersecurity paradigms that move defenses from static, network-based perimeters to focus on users, assets, and resources.” Zero Trust Security is not something that organizations can implement by purchasing one solution, but rather something that is incrementally implemented with a combination of solutions and process that are underpinned by Zero Trust principles.
As such, the Zero Trust security solutions included in this list comprise a range of different technologies and processes that authenticate user access, segment and manage access to data, and continuously monitor your network for malicious network activity; three of the most important features in any Zero Trust security model.
We’ve researched the top Zero Trust security solutions, considering key features including authentication methods, policies, and monitoring and reports. We’ve also considered pricing, target markets, and the deployment process, to help you find the right Zero Trust Security solutions for your organization.
The Top Zero Trust Security Solutions includes:
- Duo Beyond | Ping Identity | Thales SafeNet Trusted Access | Prove | Google BeyondCorp | Microsoft 365 Azure | Okta Identity Cloud | Palo Alto Networks | Proofpoint Meta | Unisys Stealth
Duo Beyond
Duo Beyond is a Zero Trust security solution that provides granular user verification, authentication, single sign-on and multi-factor authentication, designed with Zero Trust principles in mind. Duo Beyond allows you to securely authenticate access to any user, with any device to ensure data stays protected and secure. Duo Beyond combines multi-factor user authentication, with device verification and secure single sign-on to secure all of your organizations’ trusted assets. Duo Beyond includes all features offered by Duo’s Access and MFA product, with Single Sign-On, policies and controls, device insights, and directory sync. Duo was acquired by Cisco in 2018 and is now one of the core pillars of their Zero Trust security suite, fully integrated into the Cisco Zero Trust solutions portfolio.
Duo Beyond Features
Duo Beyond offers two major features: Trusted Endpoints and Duo Network Gateway. With trusted endpoints, you can define and manage devices connecting to your company accounts, and grant secure access with device certificate verification policies. Trusted, managed devices can be classed as safe with a Duo certificate, and are then allowed to gain access to sensitive accounts. Unmanaged endpoints without the certificate in place can be blocked from accessing applications according to admin policies. These can be configured at a group or user level.
The Duo Network Gateway allows users to securely access internal web applications using any device or browser, from any network in the world, without having to use remote access software or VPNs. Duo uses MFA to authenticate user access, and provides granular access control per application, SSH servers and user groups, so you can fine tune the security processes for each application.
Alongside Trusted Endpoints and the Network Gateway, Duo provides Trust Monitor, Single Sign-On, Directory Sync and more. Cisco recently announced Duo’s passwordless authentication capabilities would be added to its Zero Trust platform.
Duo Beyond Deployment
Deploying Duo requires that the Duo certificate is present on your organization’s trusted devices. This can be achieved through the Duo mobile app, integrations with Active Directory Domain Services, AirWatch, Cisco MSP, Cisco Meraki, and a range of other applications.
Duo Beyond Summary
Duo Beyond is a powerful tool for authenticating and managing user access – a central component of any strong Zero Trust Security solution. Duo Beyond is fully integrated into Cisco’s existing Zero Trust security portfolio, and the solution provides granular access controls for admins. Customers also report that the user interface is intuitive and easy to use, with powerful analytics and reporting available. Duo Beyond is a strong authentication solution for SMBs and enterprise customers to achieve Zero Trust security.
Ping Identity PingOne
Ping Identity is an identity and access management provider that offers solutions that ensure maximum security of account and application access across your organization. Utilized by 60% of Fortune 100 companies, PingOne for Workforce is a cloud identity solution that provides robust, adaptive user authentication with in-built single sign-on and a unified admin portal to create a seamless, secure login process for both employees and admins.
PingOne Features
PingOne offers adaptive authentication for users and devices across a wide range of SaaS, on-prem and cloud applications. The platform provides the ability to detect high-risk behaviors, such as unauthorized logins or malicious attacks. If such behaviors are detected, PingOne can require a user to reauthenticate or deny their login attempt, per predefined policies. If no anomalous behavior is detected, the user is granted access without . This gives admins greater assurance that users are legitimate, without adding unnecessary friction to all users’ login experiences.
The PingOne platform also provides in-built SSO across all applications, service providers and identity providers, meaning that users can sign in across each of these accounts with just one set of credentials, no matter now the accounts have been configured. PingOne’s SSO also works across mobile applications, ensuring a seamless login experience no matter from which device a user is connecting.
From the universal management console, designed with simplicity in mind, admins can generate useful insights into the state of authentication across their business and set up granular adaptive authentication policies in line with their zero trust principles. They can also automate and delegate certain administrative tasks, making it easier to keep on top of support tickets.
Alongside it’s MFA and SSO capabilities, PingOne offers a number of technology integrations with other third-party vendors, including device and network security providers, to help you build a complete zero trust architecture.
PingOne Deployment
PingOne is a cloud-based platform delivered as-a-Service and, as such, is relatively easy to deploy. The solution offers Active Directory integration, which takes the complexity out of onboarding users initially but also enables the automatic removal of users from the Ping platform if they leave the company.
Pingne also offers integrations with an extensive range of SaaS, legacy, on-prem and custom applications, so that organizations can easily create a seamless, universal login experience across all of their workplace apps.
PingOne Summary
PingOne is a powerful identity and access management tool that enables admins to easily verify and manage user access to all on-prem, SaaS and cloud applications. Admins can configure granular adaptive access policies to bring the platform in line with their business’ zero trust architecture, as well as streamline the login process for their end users. We recommend PingOne as a strong solution for organizations of any size looking to integrate identity and access management into their zero trust security stack.
Thales SafeNet Trusted Access
Thales is a global technology company, providing security and technology solutions for over 30,000 organizations in 68 countries globally. SafeNet Trusted Access is a cloud-based access management and authentication solution which provides secure multi-factor authentication and single sign-on in one, integrated cloud-based platform. The solution enables organizations to more effectively protect online identities and securely authenticate access with granular, situation-based admin policies to verify external and internal access to systems; helping organizations to achieve one of the central tenets of a zero trust approach.
Thales SafeNet Trusted Access Features
SafeNet Trusted Access is a cloud-based solution that provides identity-as-a-service, combining single sign-on and multi-factor authentication into a seamless authentication solution that allows users to verify identities easily and securely. SafeNet Trusted Access Smart Single Sign-On allows users to securely authenticate access to all cloud applications with just a single set of credentials, verifying identities continuously without reliance on often unsecure methods of verification through the use of passwords.
This also helps to reduce the burden on admin teams, by removing the need for password resets and account unlocking. Admins can configure scenarios-based policies to govern single sign-on access, including requiring additional authentication steps for specific accounts and applications.
SafeNet Trusted Access also supports multi-factor authentication, allowing users to authenticate access using a number of different authentication methods. The platform supports adaptive context-based authentication meaning that users are only prompted for additional verification steps in high-risk scenarios, according to admin policies.
Thales SafeNet Trusted Access Deployment
SafeNet Trusted Access is fully-cloud based, and so can be very quickly deployed and rolled out to users. The service is highly scalable, and admins can apply regional compliance controls to specific groups of users. SafeNet Trusted Access is a strong solution when it comes to integrations, featuring hundreds of 0 out-of-the-box integrations with third party applications, such as privileged access management providers.
Summary
Thales SafeNet Access is a leader in Zero Trust solutions for organizations. Referenced as a leading vendor by Gartner in their user authentication market guide, Thales provides secure access management, enabling single sign-on and adaptive authentication in one integrated cloud-based platform, with granular access policies. The service is highly regarded by customers who praise the visibility and control on offer, as well as the powerful authentication capabilities, ease of management and user policies. Thales SafeNet Access is a strong Zero Trust solution for enterprises looking for powerful, secure user authentication.
Prove
Prove is a market leading identity proofing and affirmation vendor that helps organizations to enable zero trust user access to applications and services. Prove’s Phone Centric Identity Platform utilizes phone numbers as secure methods of user authentication. The platform allows users to log in, authenticate their identity and get access to account services all with just a cell phone and phone number. Prove is currently used by more than 1,000 organizations globally to secure access to applications, with several enterprise customers in the financial and healthcare space, including nine of the top ten US financial institutions.
Prove Features
Prove’s Phone Centric Identity platform uses billions of signals from authoritative sources to enable digital identity trust. Signals used to verify identity access include phone line tenure, phone behavior, such as calls, texts, and logins, phone number changes and account takeovers such as SIM-swapping events, to build a highly accurate digital profile which covers many years, to authenticate user access to accounts and services.
Phone Centric Identity allows users to authenticate their identity in web services, mobile apps, live chats, and even in person, without needing to use any complex authentication processes. Users can easily authenticate using their existing mobile device.
Prove’s Pre-Fill feature leverages Phone Centric Identity to authenticate digital identities and provide a more seamless onboarding process. Online applications for banking services for example can be automatically verified and processed leveraging phone number data, preventing account takeover and identity fraud attempts, while creating a much more seamless onboarding process for end users.
Prove also provides a holistic overview of customer identities across your whole platform, allowing admins to easily manage, add and update customer accounts and access, key tenants of zero trust security.
Prove Management
Prove is fully cloud-based, deployed via a single API. Their “Fonebook” feature provides a registry of identity tokens for your customers, which admins can manage and update as needed. Ongoing management of the service is straightforward, with easy token management. Over time, the authenticated data in Fonebook ensures that customer identities are securely authenticate at all interactions throughout the customer journey.
Prove Summary
Prove’s Phone Centric Authentication is a leading authentication solution in the banking, commerce, payments, gaming, insurance, and healthcare industries, supporting organizations needing to authenticate and verify user identities to prevent account breach and identity fraud. The platform enables secure, seamless authentication for users, and powerful controls and protection for service providers. Utilizing mobile networks and the phone number is a highly secure method of authentication, and Prove’s recent acquisition of mobile behavioral biometrics provider UnifyID promises to further enhance the security of the platform with added biometric controls. We recommend Prove for organizations looking for a seamless authentication experience for users that provides enhanced security and admin oversight.
Google BeyondCorp Enterprise
Google BeyondCorp is Google’s own implementation of Zero Trust security, enabling access controls to be moved from your network perimeter to individual users. BeyondCorp allows users to securely connect to enterprise applications virtually from anywhere at any time, without the use of a VPN. BeyondCorp is the result of a decade of security processes being built within Google and was initially designed as an internal initiative to allow Google employees to access internal applications. Since then, BeyondCorp has been developed as an enterprise Zero Trust solution, delivered via Google’s global network, that allows secure access to applications and cloud resources.
Google BeyondCorp Enterprise Features
BeyondCorp provides a range of features to secure access to corporate applications, with integrated data and threat protection. Admins are able to configure risk-based access policies based on user identity, device health and other contextual factors to ensure that only authorized users can gain access to corporate applications, virtual machines and Google APIs. Google also provides data loss protection, with anti-malware and phishing protection built into the Chrome browser and automated alerts for IT admins.
BeyondCorp provides a range of integrations from leading cybersecurity vendors for greater control and visibility into your network. Google’s solutions are highly scalable, and BeyondCorp also provides integrated protection against DDoS attacks.
Google BeyondCorp Enterprise Deployment
BeyondCorp enterprise is delivered entirely via the cloud and requires no agents to deploy. BeyondCorp uses Google’s global network infrastructure to support low-latency connections and elastic scaling. BeyondCorp allows users to connect to any SaaS apps, web apps and cloud resources from anywhere in the world. BeyondCorp is delivered as a subscription service with per-user-per-month pricing.
Summary
BeyondCorp provides continuous, multi-layered security for users, access data and applications that helps to prevent malware and reduces the risk of data breach. Google provides granular access management policies and controls for IT admins, while ensuring end users are able to quickly and easily gain access to the applications they need to. Google provides strong data and threat protection features, with integrated protection against DDoS attacks. Google is fully committed to Zero Trust principles and has partnered with a variety of market leading cybersecurity vendors to help customers implement a Zero Trust approach. Forrester credits Google as being one of the pioneers of Zero Trust solutions, with their range of solutions (BeyondCorp included) being suitable for SMBs and enterprises alike looking to implement a Zero Trust security model.
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft, developer of the world’s market leading email platforms Exchange and Office 365, offers a Zero Trust security stack through Azure, its cloud-based identity and access management solution. Microsoft Azure Active Directory enables you to manage all of your Office 365 users, synchronizing user accounts and passwords across corporate applications and enabling multi-factor authentication and single sign-on for users. This means that you can gain greater control and visibility over your users and their level of access, while ensuring that users can easily access all of the accounts and services they need to, through Microsoft and beyond. Azure also features a scalable VPN gateway as an alternative to using a third-party VPN, as well as a range of other applications to help execute Zero-Trust.
Microsoft Azure Features
Using Azure, you can verify and secure each user with strong authentication standards across your Microsoft applications. Microsoft provides an easy-to-use authenticator smartphone app for free, which allows users to easily scan their fingerprint or generate an OTP. Microsoft also provides a range of reports around user access, improving visibility over who is accessing applications.
Using Azure, admins have greater control over in-app permissions for different user groups and can control user permissions and restrict access to sensitive data as needed. Microsoft also uses real-time monitoring to detect potentially malicious user behaviours to prevent data breaches. Microsoft’s status as a market leading provider means Azure is widely supported by third-party applications, enabling the use of single sign-on for users.
Microsoft Azure Pricing
Azure AD is included with all paid subscriptions to Microsoft 365. The Azure Active Directory service can be managed from the Microsoft 365 admin console. From here you can create and manage user groups. Pricing options for Microsoft 365 varies depending on organization size, and level of functionality required.
Summary
Microsoft have made a strong commitment to Zero-Trust principles throughout their solutions. Many of the core features needed to execute an organization-wide Zero Trust policy are available across Microsoft 365, giving admins the tools they need to continuously and autonomously verify user identities and segment access to sensitive data. There are also a strong range of reports available to suit the needs of small and mid-sized organizations – although larger organizations and those with more stringent compliance needs may wish to augment Microsoft’s protection with a third-party solution. Forrester praises Microsoft as being one of the ‘dominant’ providers of Zero-Trust throughout the coronavirus pandemic, protecting hundreds of thousands of remote workers globally.
OKTA Identity Cloud
OKTA is a market leading identity and access management provider who offer a number of different products and solutions aimed at helping organizations to manage access to systems and achieve Zero-Trust security. OKTA serve two distinct audiences: organizations who are looking for solutions to authenticate access for their employees with OKTA Workforce Identity, and developers who need to implement secure login access for their applications, with OKTA Customer Identity. OKTA provides Zero Trust security for applications, servers and APIs, and provides secure access for both cloud-based and on-premise applications. OKTA is also known for its OKTA Integration Network, which provides over 7,000 integrations to enable identity management across applications.
OKTA Identity Cloud Features
OKTA provides a number of different products and feature sets to help organizations achieve Zero Trust. OKTA Workforce Identity allows organizations to support remote workers and secure access with single sign-on, a universal user directory, server access controls, adaptive multi-factor authentication, granular provisioning controls and API controls. OKTA Customer Identity allows developers to implement MFA, secure authentication, user management and more, which can all be managed via one scalable platform. OKTA also provides a variety of platform services to support Zero Trust, including a range of integrations, reporting and data insights, customizable identity workflows and device management.
OKTA Identity Cloud Deployment/Integrations
OKTA can be deployed across cloud-based or on-premises applications. Deployment steps vary for different solutions and applications; OKTA offers comprehensive guides within their knowledge base. OKTA helps to manage easier deployment with their integration wizard, as part of the OKTA Integration Network. OKTA provides 7,000 pre-built integrations with cloud and on-premise systems, allowing you to easily provision SSO and MFA across third-party accounts and applications. This allows users to centralize user management and automate access to workflows and policies.
Summary
OKTA is a leading identity management vendor that helps organizations to implement a reliable and scalable Zero Trust policy, and developers to implement Zero Trust security controls into their applications. Forrester recognises OKTA as one of the leading Zero Trust vendors for its ‘powerful, broadly adopted platform.’ For end-users, OKTA’s SSO and MFA functionality is easy to use, providing easy authentication for applications. For admins and developers, OKTA provides a huge range of integrations, policies, controls and advanced functionality to support growth and security. OKTA is an enterprise-focussed solution, and best suited to mid-sized and large organizations. OKTA can help to achieve core Zero-Trust goals, prevent data breaches, centralize access controls, and automate onboarding and off-boarding of users.
Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks delivers Zero Trust security through their Network Security solution suite, which includes a range of different products and services. Palo Alto provides a market-leading firewall service, which provides intelligent network security for enterprise applications. Palo Alto Panorama provides centralized management features and insights into network traffic, reporting and automated threat response. With Panorama, admins can also create and edit security rules, and centrally manage connected devices and security configurations across firewalls. Palo Alto also provides web protection via DNS filtering and a secure web gateway, as well as a leading SD-WAN solution.
Palo Alto Networks Features
Palo Alto Networks delivers Zero Trust security through their Network Security solution suite, which includes a range of different products and services. Palo Alto provides a market-leading firewall service, which provides intelligent network security for enterprise applications. Palo Alto Panorama provides centralized management features and insights into network traffic, reporting and automated threat response. With Panorama, admins can also create and edit security rules, and centrally manage connected devices and security configurations across firewalls. Palo Alto also provides web protection via DNS filtering and a secure web gateway, as well as a leading SD-WAN solution.
Palo Alto Networks Deployment
Palo Alto offer a Zero Trust design service to help customers successfully deploy and implement Zero Trust architecture. Their Panorama solution is available as an on-premises hardware solution, as a virtual appliance and can also be applied in public cloud environments. Specific deployment methods can differ if you are an existing Palo Alto firewall customer, and depending on the type of network environment.
Summary
Palo Alto are a leading provider of Zero Trust solutions, with a huge range of solutions on offer that are most suited to enterprise organizations who are looking for powerful, flexible and scalable Zero Trust security. Forrester recognizes Palo Alto as a “force to be reckoned with,” in the Zero Trust space. Palo Alto have focussed heavily on their Zero Trust offering, developing a range of services that they argue delivers an “end-to-end” solution for securing users, applications, data and devices, with granular controls and reports. Palo Alto also offers a Zero Trust design service for their enterprise customers, working with them to develop a custom Zero Trust roadmap for their organization.
Proofpoint are a market leading cybersecurity provider for SMBs and large enterprises, known for their cloud-based security solutions in across email, web, security awareness training and DLP. Proofpoint Meta is Proofpoint’s cloud-based software-defined perimeter (SDP) and secure remote access solution, providing Zero Trust security to organizations as an alternative to using a traditional VPN solution. Meta is delivered through the cloud and provides secure access to data centres and cloud-based applications. Proofpoint Meta was launched after Proofpoint’s 2019 acquisition of Meta Networks, a Zero Trust security specialist.
Proofpoint Meta Features
Proofpoint Meta provides a software-defined perimeter, allowing organizations to securely connect remote employees to corporate cloud infrastructure and data centres, without the use of traditional VPN technologies, which can often provide slow connections and offer minimal admin controls. Meta provides segmented, verified and audited access for users, while ensuring users can still easily manage systems. Meta also features enhanced controls and visibility into connected users in the management console.
Meta allows you to segment access to data and applications – one of the core principles of Zero Trust. Admins can secure remote access to cloud applications such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud. Admins are able to set up cross-cloud connections and apply security policies across applications, including automating API access and automatically applying workflows. Application policies can be configured to provide contextual protection, ensuring the user-experience remains consistent and easy for users inside and outside your network environment.
Proofpoint Meta Deployment
Proofpoint Meta is fully cloud-based. Deployment involves onboarding your user devices and network resources to Proofpoint’s cloud network, and then configuring your access policies, workflows and user groups, alerts and procedures. Access to private applications is protected by a software-defined perimeter at a per-user level, avoiding the need to deploy VPNs.
Summary
Proofpoint Meta provides powerful cloud-based access management and control to enterprise applications. It provides simple deployment, centralized policy management, and micro-segmented application access to help organizations implement Zero Trust for all users whether in the office, working remotely, or external contractors. Meta is a strong Zero Trust solution for enterprises looking to accelerate cloud migration, as this solution is fully cloud based, leveraging Proofpoint’s global cloud networks for flexibility and scalability. Proofpoint has continued its strategy of growing its platform though acquisition, adding to its Zero Trust offering with the acquisition of ObserveIT and a range of other security vendors.
Unisys Stealth
Unisys is a global information technology and cybersecurity provider that offers a vast range of cybersecurity solutions and services. Unisys is a market leader in a number of different areas: supporting large scale cloud migrations, working with healthcare providers on COVID-19 vaccination passport technologies, and in managed workplace services. Unisys Stealth is an enterprise-focussed Zero Trust security solution. Stealth provides businesses with the tools they need to reduce their risk of data breach and prevent unauthorized users and devices from accessing corporate networks. There are three options for purchasing Unisys Stealth: Stealth Core, the core network security offering, Stealth Identity, which provides biometric controls, and Stealth Services, a managed service offering.
Unisys Stealth Features
When a suspected attack occurs, Stealth promises to dynamically isolate suspicious users and devices in under 10 seconds, to prevent data exfiltration and financial lossas well as limit the spread of malware and preventing data loss. Stealth Smart Wire protects connected devices and isolated assets. Stealth Identity provides biometric identity management to control access to your networks and reducing reliance on weak and unsecure passwords. This also helps to ensure compliance and prevent unauthorized access to data and systems, reducing your risk of falling victim to a phishing or social engineering attack. Unisys Stealth also provides data micro-segmenting and security customized to your network.
Unisys Stealth Deployment
Unisys Stealth is a software-only solution that can be installed and deployed quickly and efficiently – Unisys claims it takes just 30 minutes to install and configure the management console. The deployment does not require any network configuration changes and can scale to support the growth of your organization. Stealth is also available as a managed service, with Unisys experts available to help design, implement and improve your network security as part of an ongoing service.
Summary
Unisys is a leader in the Zero Trust space, offering a range of powerful solutions to control and manage access to corporate applications. Unisys Stealth provides powerful protection against data exfiltration, and granular access controls for organizations to segment access to data. Unisys has a focus on quick deployment, and one of their unique features is a focus on biometric security controls, helping organizations to move away from password management to more secure authentication methods.
Unisys also offers a fully managed Zero Trust offering, allowing organizations to benefit from hands-on planning and design services, training, and managed deployment and segmentation of data. Unisys is a strong Zero Trust solution for large enterprise organizations and has a variety of customers in the US Government, including the Department of Defence and various other agencies.