External reviews are not included in the AWS star rating for the product.
Our use case for Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) is that it provides Private Access.
Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) means allowing users access to the internal network in AWS in a secure way.
I use Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) to secure remote access to internal applications.
The most valuable feature of Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) is the ability to manage access with policies, all in one, which provides our security team the ability to provide the required permission for each team, and also visibility. If something goes wrong, I have a very friendly UI to see what's going wrong, why the user is blocked, or what the issue might be.
Zscaler has allowed an easy, secure way for us to access our internal resources from outside.
Its effectiveness for my organization is mainly security, as users can access those applications only if they have the permission to go through Zscaler.
Zscaler has helped with operational flexibility because when a new employee starts, it's very easy to give them the required permissions. Everything is managed in an Active Directory or Okta in our case, and it's very easy to have the user ready to start working with just a few clicks.
Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) is a very good product, though there are some areas for improvement.
The solution is not scalable; we deploy it in a high-availability environment, but it's not automated. We need to deploy it and ensure it will be available in two different Availability Zones, but it's not something that can be done with automation, such as auto-scaling.
I would appreciate seeing dynamic scaling implemented because it would be beneficial if an instance goes down to automatically start another one.
I have used Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) for a minimum of two to three years.
When we tried to deploy it, the first thing it indicated was that we were not subscribed, so we subscribed, and then the product was available for us.
The solution is not scalable; we deploy it in a high-availability environment, but it's not automated. We need to deploy it and ensure it will be available in two different Availability Zones, but it's not something that can be done with automation, such as auto-scaling.
Regarding auto-scaling or dynamically scaling, I am not familiar with this capability if it exists as a new feature.
I have not worked with customer support, as our IT department takes care of anything that isn't working and requires support.
Positive
The deployment process is actually very easy; we manage it with Terraform, so we are deploying the instance, activating it, and it's ready to go.
After we have the Terraform set up, it takes just minutes to deploy.
I do not use the micro-segmentation feature.
I'm not exposed to the pricing, so I cannot give feedback on that as I'm just a technical DevOps person deploying it.
Zscaler has helped to manage complexity and cost compared to traditional network architecture.
On a scale of 1-10, I rate Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) a 9.
The main use cases for Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) include allowing network access. We use it mostly for private laptops and Macs, and we are also using it for communication between EC2s.
I can provide examples of how it has been effective in the organization. We use Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) to control the communication, mostly for the bands and working groups within the organization itself, so we can have complete control of who can access which resources on Amazon.
The features I appreciate the most about Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) are that it is very easy to use, and we have Terraform for it, which makes it even easier and very straightforward.
I have utilized the segment feature, and we call it segmentation, though I am not certain if there is a difference between micro-segmentation and segmentation itself.
It has helped my organization in terms of minimizing lateral movement within the network, and I can confirm that.
I have not thought about how Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) can be improved, so I do not have any specific suggestions.
For the next release, I hope to see features that would make Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) even better, but I am quite satisfied with the product, so I am unsure if there is anything better they can implement.
I have used Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) for two years now, as I have been with the company for two years.
I have not used Zscaler Private Access (ZPA)'s cloud-native architecture for scaling.
I have not had to use their customer service or technical support.
Perhaps our IT department did, but I have not had any issues since then.
In terms of the setup, I am using Terraform for it, so it is very straightforward. We are using Infrastructure as Code, so I am not certain if there is an interface that can be improved.
I was not involved in the setup as it was implemented before I joined the company.
I have found Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) to be very effective at providing operational flexibility during my organization's transition to cloud environments.
I do not remember the name of any other solutions that were considered before implementing Zscaler Private Access (ZPA), but there were several POCs conducted before the company decided on Zscaler Private Access (ZPA).
It is pretty straightforward and easy to use. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) a ten.
I worked with these organizations for implementing Secure Service Edge and SASE solutions, including Cloud Access Security Brokers, such as Netskope and Zscaler.
Zscaler and Netskope are the main solutions I work with for various use cases.
Based on my experience, I have worked at the enterprise level only, for large companies such as banks and financial institutions that are transitioning from traditional solutions to new secure service edge solutions.
Zscaler has three components. Specifically, Zscaler Internet Access for secure web access, Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) that is a replacement of traditional VPN solution for securely accessing internal private applications without giving access to the whole network. It works by giving access to the particular application the user wants to access, and it checks numerous factors before granting access to the particular application, including posture checks, authentication, and authorization. Zscaler Digital Experience is a monitoring tool that monitors all application performance, network performance, and more. It helps us troubleshoot issues in a very short time.
When discussing Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) mainly, it is very helpful as a replacement for traditional VPN. In traditional VPN, we used to give access to the whole network, which increased attack vectors. Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) is more secure than these particular VPN solutions. We have implemented this solution for enhanced security. As a cybersecurity professional, I approach these answers from a security perspective.
Micro-segmentation, authentication, and authorization are key features in Zscaler Private Access (ZPA). We can implement role-based access and limit user access by creating different groups. For example, if the HR department needs access to only HR applications, we can create specific groups with appropriate access levels. This segregates access and makes it more secure. They also provide features such as browser isolation, which creates a separate browser when users are accessing content, thus creating an isolated environment to prevent attacks.
They provide integrations with various other security tools. The solution utilizes AI capabilities for various detections and responses. The solution has inbuilt AI for all detection capabilities.
Sometimes the team takes more time to provide responses on certain issues, which is why I do not rate it a perfect 10 out of 10.
Overall, with Zscaler, I have worked for around five years, and particularly with Zscaler Private Access (ZPA), I have three years of experience.
The deployment took approximately six months.
Sometimes connection errors occur when users are unable to connect to the particular cloud.
These connection errors started occurring post rollout, not just during the implementation.
For small and medium enterprises, it will be too expensive.
I have worked with the Zscaler technical team.
I would rate them around eight as they were pretty good.
The traditional solutions were still in use when we migrated to the current solutions. The migration process required extensive documentation and multiple testing phases.
Prices for Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) are higher than traditional solutions, but it provides enhanced security.
Product-wise, I would give Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) a seven. The overall rating for the solution is eight out of ten.
The main use case is to access the local network or the customer network, the servers, and applications. This is the primary use case for Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) as we use it. Additionally, we use it to access cloud resources such as Microsoft Azure, as it's the easiest and most secure way to access these servers.
Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) is much more secure than VPN because users are only allowed to access specific applications rather than the whole network. The seamless operation ensures users don't experience any issues or the need to sign in separately. It's very comfortable to use, especially with remote work, as there is no difference whether users are in the office or working from home.
The rollout process could be much easier, and the configuration of identity providers like Azure is more complicated than with other zero trust network providers. This can be a pain point. Additionally, the software rollout process needs improvement as it requires knowledge of Linux command lines.
We have been working with ZPA for about four to five years.
Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) is highly stable, and I rate it ten out of ten.
I rate the scalability of ZPA as ten out of ten because it's a cloud service and can scale as needed.
The technical support for ZPA is excellent, rated ten out of ten. We have a perfect support system, and they are always helpful.
We started using ZPA because it was the leading solution on the market, although we reviewed other options.
The initial setup is rated as three out of ten because it involves Linux and command lines, making it relatively difficult.
One person is usually enough for deployment, depending on the time slot available. We conduct onboarding workshops to define use cases and server access needs.
The pricing of ZPA is rated five out of ten, which I consider to be in the middle. I believe it is justified for the capabilities provided.
We reviewed other solutions, but Zscaler offered much more features and configuration options tailored to customer needs.
ZPA is rated eight out of ten due to deployment complexity, but it's a very good solution overall.
We do not manage the vendor machines. We provide them with a passwordless solution. Multiple tenants are enabled on the vendor's machines from their organizations. Accordingly, they connect to both Zscaler and their own environment. We provide limited access to servers and use privileged remote access or browser access when needed.
Zscaler Private Access helps by resolving network choke issues, allowing application access from public networks without needing to integrate with internal networks. We provide browser and privileged remote access for vendors without managing their machines. The deployment of app connectors through MLA eliminates duplicate rules and policies.
One area for improvement is setting posture profiles for vendor machines. It's not yet enabled by Zscaler, however, it is in the pipeline.
I have been working with Zscaler Private Access for more than six or seven years.
Due to posture setting issues, I rate the stability as eight out of ten.
Scalability is ten out of ten as it's effective and expansive.
Customer service and support are rated seven or eight out of ten, needing improvement in quality and response time.
The setup process is simple if approached appropriately. It involves understanding use cases, reviewing customer feedback, and planning project execution geolocation-wise.
Although the solution is costly, its features justify the price for securing the organization from various access types. Competitors with lower pricing exist.
Netskope is a competitor product to Zscaler.
Overall, I rate Zscaler Private Access as nine out of ten.
The solution is more suitable for enterprise-level companies because of its cost.