In many conversations I have with security and infrastructure leaders, the discussion inevitably turns toward a zero trust project either already underway or set to begin soon. More often than not, this conversation is specifically about zero trust network access (ZTNA), because ZTNA technology has been frequently positioned as the solution for something every team really wants to achieve right now: total replacement of remote access VPNs.

AWS Verified Access (AVA), a feature of Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) networking, delivers secure, zero-trust access to private applications without a VPN by continuously evaluating each request in real time based on contextual security signals like identity, device security status and location. The service grants access based on the security policy configured for each application and then connects the users, thereby improving the security posture of the organization.

Why should organizations fund zero-trust architectures? The business benefits of zero-trust are significant. By adopting the "never trust, always verify" mindset, organizations shift to a more centralized security management approach, which can result in cost-effectiveness and a stronger layer of protection for resources such as identities, data, and applications.

Tanium and Microsoft reveal more about their value-add for large organizations.