Zscaler Security-as-a-Service Platform

Zscaler is a global information security company offering a unified, cloud-based Security-as-a-Service platform for internet security, compliance, and advanced threat protection. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in San Jose, it serves millions of users across more than 185 countries through a combination of direct enterprise relationships and a partner network. The core premise is that the traditional security perimeter is dissolving as companies become more distributed and mobile, making appliance-heavy, hub-and-spoke security architectures expensive, complex, and often ineffective—especially for small sites and mobile users.

Zscaler’s alternative is a massively distributed cloud comprising over 100 data centers with thousands of Enforcement Nodes (ZEN) for inline traffic inspection, a Central Authority for policy management, and the NanoLog service for rapid log collection and correlation. NanoLog enables centralized analytics within seconds, and the addition of regional NanoLog clusters—including one in Europe—supports requirements such as GDPR compliance. Organizations forward traffic to the Zscaler cloud via options like PAC files, GRE, or IPsec tunnels; policies follow users as they move between nodes via ShadowPolicy, reducing latency and eliminating the need to backhaul traffic.

The portfolio centers on Zscaler Internet Access (secure web gateway with access control, threat prevention, and data protection including DLP and cloud application control) and Zscaler Private Access (ZPA), which provides “zero trust” application-level remote access without inbound connections, reducing exposure and improving control compared to VPNs. A universal Zscaler app simplifies device connectivity and policy enforcement. Key limitations include privacy concerns around SSL inspection and the fact that web-focused controls do not replace endpoint or email security tools.

• Zscaler was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in San Jose, California.
• The company serves millions of users across more than 185 countries.
• Zscaler has over 1,000 employees.
• The security cloud comprises over 100 data centers worldwide.
• The cloud includes thousands of Enforcement Nodes (ZEN) that perform traffic analysis and enforce policies.
• The platform includes a Central Authority for creating and managing policies.
• NanoLog collects and correlates transaction logs and makes analytics available within seconds.
• Multiple NanoLog clusters exist, including one in the USA and one in Europe, plus private ones for large enterprise customers.
• The company completed an IPO in March 2018 and more than doubled its market capitalization in the subsequent six months.
• Zscaler’s portfolio includes Zscaler Internet Access and Zscaler Private Access, which can be purchased separately while using the same cloud infrastructure.

• “As businesses become more interconnected, the traditional notion of a security perimeter gradually ceases to exist.”
• “Zscaler provides a unique alternative approach to this problem by moving away from specialized on-premise security tools towards a unified, completely cloud-based Security-as-a-Service solution.”
• “Its massively scalable architecture ensures that there is never a bottleneck or a single point of failure like in a traditional central gateway even for customers with hundreds of thousands of protected users.”
• “The patented NanoLog technology allows collecting and correlating massive amounts of log data, which is then made available for centralized reporting and analytics within seconds.”
• “Zscaler’s ShadowPolicy technology guarantees that security policy is consistently applied even when a device moves from one node to another.”
• “Zscaler Cloud is no longer offered just as a cloud replacement for on-premises security appliances – instead, it is supposed to replace the entire DMZ (demilitarized zone) of the corporate network.”
• “At the same time, this architecture allows the company to offer a new method of secure remote access to on-premises and cloud services as a replacement for traditional VPN solutions that lack the granularity of access control and are notorious for inconsistent and inconvenient user experience.”
• “Zero Trust networking is an emerging alternative approach towards IT security that does away with the traditional notion of network perimeter and treats every user, application or data source as untrusted and enforces strict security…”
• “As opposed to traditional VPN solutions, Zscaler Private Access ensures that no application is ever exposed to unauthorized access, that no inbound connections are ever established, preventing DDoS attacks…”
• “One has to keep in mind however that Zscaler platform’s ‘cloud-only’ architecture sets natural limits to the security coverage it can provide.”