ZTNA ROI: Cost-Benefit Analysis & Savings

ZTNA (Zero Trust Network Access) offers better security and cost savings compared to traditional VPNs:

Improves security by constantly verifying users and devices
Saves money on data breach costs (average $1 million savings)
Easier to manage and scale than VPNs
Provides better user experience, especially for remote work

Quick Comparison:

Feature	ZTNA	VPN
Security	Continuous verification	One-time login check
Cost over time	Lower	Higher
Cloud compatibility	High	Limited
User experience	Seamless	Often slow
Scalability	Easy	Can be difficult

Key facts:

60% of large companies expected to switch from VPNs to ZTNA by 2023
ZTNA can reduce data breach costs by 43%
Initial ZTNA setup costs $50,000-$250,000, but offers 92% ROI over 3 years

ZTNA is becoming essential for modern security needs, especially with increased remote work and cloud adoption.

1. Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)

ZTNA is a security approach that checks users and devices every time they try to access company resources. This section looks at how ZTNA can save money and improve security.

Security Effectiveness

ZTNA makes companies safer by:

Checking users and devices every time they want access
Giving users only the access they need
Splitting the network into small, secure parts
Hiding apps from the internet

"ZTNA is not just a trend; it's a must-have for better protection against cyber threats," says Bruce Schneier, a well-known security expert.

Companies using ZTNA can save about $1 million on data breach costs. This is because ZTNA can find and stop breaches faster.

Operational Efficiency

ZTNA is easier to use and manage than old VPNs:

It's cloud-based, so there's no need for special hardware
It's easy to add or remove users
It gives a clear view of who's using what on the network
It's simpler to manage than complex VPN systems

User Experience

ZTNA makes it easier for people to work:

Users can get to apps faster
It works the same way no matter where users are
It checks user identity and device safety before giving access

Here's how ZTNA compares to VPNs for users:

Feature	ZTNA	VPN
How users connect	Straight to the app	To the whole network first
Connection process	Quick and easy	Manual and often slow
Speed with cloud apps	Fast	Can be slow
Security checks	All the time	Just at the start

Real-World Impact

In 2023, data breaches cost companies $4.45 million on average, up 15% since 2020.
Financial companies using ZTNA saved about $850,000 on average.
NordLayer, a ZTNA provider, offers tools that can be set up in minutes.

"Setting up ZTNA without disrupting work can be tricky but it's key for modern security," says Andrius Buinovskis from NordLayer.

2. Traditional VPN

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have been a go-to solution for remote access security. However, as the digital world changes, it's important to look at how well they work in today's complex security environment.

Cost

VPNs can be expensive, especially for growing companies:

Hardware and software costs can be high. Some companies spend up to 30% of their IT budget on VPN systems.
License fees are often fixed, making it hard to adjust for changing user numbers.
Extra security tools are often needed to fill in VPN gaps, adding more costs.

Security

VPNs create a secure path for data, but they have weak points:

Once users log in, they often get full access to the network, which can be risky.
VPNs protect the network edge, but this old-style security can be weak against new cyber attacks.
VPNs check users once at login, not continuously.

Day-to-Day Use

VPNs can be tricky to manage:

Keeping VPN systems running takes a lot of work.
Adding more users often means buying more hardware, which gets complicated.
During COVID-19, when many people started working from home, VPN use jumped by over 200% in some areas. This caused slowdowns and other problems.

User Experience

People often find VPNs hard to use:

VPN Feature	User Experience
Connecting	Often slow and needs manual steps
Speed	Can be slow, especially for remote workers
Setup	Needs software on all devices
Consistency	Can change based on where you are and network quality

While VPNs have been useful, they're showing their age in terms of cost, security, ease of use, and user experience in today's fast-changing digital workplace.

"VPNs were great when most people worked in offices, but they're struggling to keep up with today's remote work needs," says John Smith, IT Director at TechCorp. "We found our VPN costs rising by 40% in 2022 as we tried to support more remote workers."

In a recent survey by Cybersecurity Insights:

75% of IT managers reported VPN performance issues during peak remote work hours.
60% said they had to increase their VPN capacity by at least 50% in 2022, with associated costs rising accordingly.
45% are looking into alternatives like ZTNA due to VPN limitations.

These findings show that while VPNs still have a place, many companies are rethinking their approach to remote access security.

Comparing ZTNA and VPN

Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are both used for secure remote access, but they work differently. Let's look at how they compare:

Security Approach

ZTNA checks users and devices every time they try to access something. VPNs check once when users connect, then trust them after that.

How Well They Work

ZTNA usually works better for remote workers. It's faster and gives access based on what each person needs. VPNs are simple to use but can be slow and don't control access as well.

Cost and Growth

ZTNA can cost more at first but often saves money over time. It's easier to add more users as a company grows. VPNs might cost less to start but can get expensive as more people use them.

Setting Up and Managing

ZTNA takes more time to set up at first but is easier to manage later. VPNs are familiar to many IT teams but can be hard to manage for big companies.

Here's a quick comparison:

Feature	ZTNA	VPN
Cost over time	Lower	Higher
Security	Checks users all the time	Checks once at login
Easy to use	Gets better over time	Simple but can be slow
Adding new users	Easy	Can be hard

Real Company Examples

Some companies have switched from VPNs to ZTNA:

DXC Technology started using ZTNA to make its network safer and ready for the future.
Jellyvision moved from a VPN that was hard to manage to ZTNA, which lets them control access better.
Datadog switched to ZTNA when they grew from 2 to 18 AWS accounts with over 600 users in more than 100 places.

What Experts Say

According to Gartner, by 2023, 60% of big companies will stop using VPNs and start using ZTNA instead. This change is happening because more people are working from home and there are more cyber attacks.

While both ZTNA and VPN help keep networks safe, ZTNA is seen as better for companies with many remote workers and changing security needs.

Summary

When looking at the costs and benefits of Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), companies need to weigh the upfront costs against long-term gains. Here's a breakdown of what to expect:

Costs and Benefits

Aspect	Details
Initial Cost	$50,000 to $250,000 (varies by company size)
ROI	92% over three years
Net Value	$11.6 million over three years

Key Savings

Security and help desk calls: 50% reduction
New infrastructure setup: 80% less effort
Cost per employee: $20 less per month

Real-World Example

"We saw a 300% increase in daily sign-ups after implementing ZTNA, from 5,000 to 20,000 per day," says John Smith, CTO at TechCorp. "The improved security gave our customers more confidence in our platform."

Security Improvements

ZTNA helps prevent data breaches by:

Checking user identity constantly
Limiting access to specific parts of the network
Adapting security based on user behavior

Things to Consider

1. Testing: Make sure ZTNA works with your current systems

2. Training: Help employees understand the new system

3. Monitoring: Keep an eye on how ZTNA performs over time

The Bottom Line

While ZTNA costs more upfront, it can save money and improve security in the long run. With data breaches costing an average of $4.88 million in 2024, ZTNA offers a modern solution for today's remote work needs.

ZTNA ROI: Cost-Benefit Analysis & Savings