For decades, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have been the go-to solution for enabling secure remote access. But the modern work environment, defined by hybrid workforces, cloud-native applications, and increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, has exposed the inherent limitations of traditional VPNs. As organizations look to modernize their security posture, Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) has emerged as a compelling alternative.
ZTNA operates on the principle of “never trust, always verify,” enabling secure access based on identity, context, and risk rather than implicit network trust. This evolution aligns particularly well with certain industry verticals, where remote access, third-party collaboration, regulatory compliance, and data protection are business-critical.
In this article, we explore the industries best positioned to benefit from a shift to ZTNA and why that transition is both urgent and strategic.
1. Education: Supporting Flexible Learning with Secure Access
Educational institutions, from K–12 districts to major universities, have seen a dramatic shift toward digital learning environments. Whether it’s remote lectures, online examinations, or research collaboration, access needs have become more complex and diverse. However, the underlying infrastructure in many schools and universities remains outdated.
Challenges with VPNs:
- Difficult to scale across thousands of students, faculty, and researchers
- Poor visibility into device posture and usage
- Inability to enforce strong, role-based access controls
- Broad network access increases the risk of lateral movement and ransomware
Why ZTNA Works:
ZTNA enables context-aware access, ensuring that only authorized users can reach specific resources, regardless of their device or location. It supports BYOD environments, enforces granular access policies, and aligns well with privacy regulations like FERPA and GDPR.
Real-World Example: A university implementing ZTNA can restrict a guest lecturer’s access to only the course content and collaboration tools needed, without giving them full network access, as would be the case with a VPN.
2. Healthcare: Protecting Patient Data and Enabling Telemedicine
Healthcare providers face mounting cybersecurity threats while navigating strict regulatory frameworks such as HIPAA. At the same time, the rise of telemedicine, cloud-based Electronic Health Records (EHR), and connected medical devices demands secure access beyond the traditional network perimeter.
Challenges with VPNs:
- VPNs grant broad access, risking exposure of sensitive health data
- Third-party providers often need access, but controlling their permissions via VPN is cumbersome
- Legacy infrastructure is often ill-suited to the speed and agility needed for modern care delivery
Why ZTNA Works:
ZTNA supports identity-based, least-privilege access, ensuring users (or systems) only reach the data or applications they need. It allows hospitals to isolate access for different user groups such as doctors, administrative staff, IT support, and vendors, while providing full audit trails.
Real-World Example: A remote radiologist accessing imaging systems from home can do so securely with ZTNA, without needing a clunky VPN or risking overexposure of network resources.
3. Financial Services: Enabling Compliance and Containing Risk
Banks, insurance providers, and fintech companies manage high-value transactions and sensitive customer data daily. Their cybersecurity strategies must reflect this reality, balancing compliance, customer trust, and innovation.
Challenges with VPNs:
- Flat networks and implicit trust increase the blast radius in case of compromise
- Regulatory frameworks like PCI DSS and SOX demand strict segmentation and access control
- The move to cloud services complicates VPN configurations and exposes performance bottlenecks
Why ZTNA Works:
ZTNA creates micro-perimeters around critical applications and data. This ensures that employees, contractors, and systems only access what’s necessary, even if their credentials or devices are compromised. It simplifies auditing, supports identity federation, and ensures continuous verification.
Real-World Example: A global bank moving to cloud-native applications uses ZTNA to allow secure access for traders in different regions, while ensuring compliance with local data residency and access control requirements.
4. Manufacturing: Securing the Convergence of IT and OT
Manufacturers are rapidly adopting Industry 4.0 technologies, integrating cloud platforms, IoT devices, and remote operations. With increased digitization comes a larger attack surface, especially when legacy VPNs are used to connect IT and operational technology (OT) environments.
Challenges with VPNs:
- VPNs cannot differentiate between IT and OT systems, leading to flat network risks
- Vendors and third-party contractors often need short-term or specialized access
- VPNs lack real-time visibility and control, leading to unmanaged risk
Why ZTNA Works:
ZTNA provides granular, time-bound access control, ideal for external technicians or partners. It prevents unauthorized lateral movement between production systems, supports compliance with industrial cybersecurity frameworks, and enables more agile, secure remote support.
Real-World Example: A manufacturer uses ZTNA to give a third-party vendor access only to a specific SCADA system for maintenance, with full logging and no broader network exposure.
5. Government and Public Sector: Building Trust Through Secure Modernization
Public sector agencies and government organizations are under increasing pressure to modernize IT infrastructure while safeguarding citizen data. Many are adopting zero trust architectures in line with national mandates, such as the U.S. Executive Order on Cybersecurity or the EU’s NIS2 directive.
Challenges with VPNs:
- Legacy infrastructure and outdated VPN solutions are common
- Distributed teams, often in the field, require secure but flexible access
- Regulatory oversight demands transparency, access logs, and segmentation
Why ZTNA Works:
ZTNA aligns directly with zero trust mandates, offering visibility, adaptive access, and strong authentication controls. It enables agencies to reduce risk without hindering operational efficiency, particularly during emergencies or crises.
Real-World Example: A local government uses ZTNA to provide secure access for election officials and IT contractors during elections, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive systems.
6. Legal and Professional Services: Securing Confidential Client Engagements
Law firms and consulting companies routinely handle highly confidential client information, often requiring access from remote locations, during travel, or through external collaborators.
Challenges with VPNs:
- VPNs often provide excessive access, risking data leakage
- Inconsistent security postures across client devices and collaboration platforms
- Difficulty controlling access for temporary or contract staff
Why ZTNA Works:
ZTNA ensures that each user’s access is limited to specific client files or platforms based on their role and context. It supports secure document sharing, auditing, and device compliance enforcement, critical in high-stakes legal or advisory engagements.
Real-World Example: A global law firm uses ZTNA to enable its lawyers to securely access client case files from mobile devices during travel, without compromising firm-wide network security.
7. Retail and Hospitality: Supporting Scalability and Simplicity
Retailers and hospitality providers often operate across many distributed locations — stores, hotels, or franchises — with a transient workforce and a strong reliance on point-of-sale (POS) and customer-facing applications.
Challenges with VPNs:
- High staff turnover means constant onboarding and offboarding challenges
- VPNs increase risk by exposing backend systems and databases
- Limited IT staff on-site makes centralized security essential
Why ZTNA Works:
ZTNA delivers secure, simplified access that can scale across many endpoints and store locations. It allows for least-privilege access to sales systems, HR platforms, or inventory management tools, while enabling secure remote support when needed.
Real-World Example: A global fast-food chain uses ZTNA to grant store managers access only to the centralized ordering system and HR portal, reducing risk while maintaining operational efficiency.
ZTNA: A Common Solution Across Diverse Needs
While each industry has its unique drivers and constraints, a few common threads emerge:
- Increased reliance on remote work and third-party collaboration
- Need for compliance with evolving regulatory frameworks
- Challenges in managing access to both legacy and modern cloud-based systems
- Growing cyber threats exploiting VPN vulnerabilities
ZTNA addresses these challenges by enforcing identity-centric access, segmenting application access, and continuously verifying trust. It effectively renders the network invisible to unauthorized users and helps organizations adapt to change without compromising security.
Conclusion: Zero Trust is Not Optional
The shift from VPN to ZTNA is no longer a niche trend; it’s a fundamental security evolution. Organizations across education, healthcare, finance, manufacturing, government, and beyond are realizing that traditional perimeter-based models simply don’t work in today’s dynamic, cloud-first environments.
ZTNA is not just a replacement for VPNs; it’s a gateway to a more secure, agile, and resilient digital future. For industries that handle sensitive data, enable remote work, and face constant change, the time to make the switch is now.
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