Zscaler Internet Access
A cloud-delivered security service edge platform that protects users and data in a hybrid workforce environment.
| Category | Threat Detection & Response |
|---|---|
| This page updated | a month ago |
| Pricing Details | Contact for pricing details. |
| Target Audience | Enterprises and organizations with a hybrid workforce. |
Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA) addresses the core security challenge of protecting users and data in a hybrid workforce environment by providing a comprehensive, cloud-delivered security service edge (SSE) platform. This AI-powered secure web gateway (SWG) sits inline between users, the web, and SaaS applications, inspecting all internet traffic and applying user-centric security and access policies in real-time.
The technical architecture of ZIA is built on a global cloud infrastructure with 150 data centers, enabling direct-to-cloud connections that eliminate the need for backhauling traffic over MPLS or through centralized hubs. This approach ensures low latency, with proxy latency of less than 100 ms, even when performing threat and DLP scanning. ZIA supports full TLS/SSL inspection, URL filtering, and advanced threat protection, including malware prevention, phishing detection, and data loss prevention (DLP) with features like exact data match (EDM) and optical character recognition (OCR).
Operationally, ZIA simplifies security management by consolidating multiple point solutions into a single cloud-first platform. It uses a lightweight, tamper-resistant Client Connector to secure traffic for all ports and protocols, and also supports GRE tunnels for unauthenticated users and devices. The platform is designed for scalability, with a 99.999% availability SLA and the ability to dynamically expand usage without adding hardware. However, it requires careful configuration and policy management to ensure optimal performance and security, particularly in complex environments with diverse user and device profiles.
From a technical standpoint, ZIA integrates various modules such as cloud SWG, cloud access security broker (CASB), and cloud DLP, all of which are delivered as a scalable SaaS platform. This integration allows for consistent security across all users, apps, devices, and locations, with advanced threat protection that includes AI/ML-powered analysis to detect and prevent polymorphic threats and ransomware.