Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA)

My main use case for Zscaler Internet Access  is preventing our endpoints such as laptops and movable endpoints which are all malware threats. Our organization uses Zscaler Internet Access  for securing these critical asset resources.

I use it for securing our roaming users, to restrict web browsing to only the allowed URLs that need to be accessed on corporate laptops. Apart from that, it restricts access to any other URLs. It is very useful and has CASB  security features where we can provide application controls for restricting downloads, uploads, and other functionalities within Zscaler Internet Access.

The best features Zscaler Internet Access offers include application control, tenant segregation, and PoP center regions which have low availability zones. The internet access is very successful and bandwidth speed is excellent. It also has application-based control, URL-based control, and SSL inspection capabilities, which are very useful. Additionally, the in-depth CASB  segregation is very beneficial to us.

One unique feature I found helpful is the tenant level restrictions, which we use to only access our organization's tenant level mail IDs, drives, and specific tenant level access while restricting public access.

Zscaler Internet Access has positively impacted our organization as we have noticed substantial outputs and income. It has improved our security environment control and endpoint protection. It prevents numerous web attacks through its AI/ML incorporated capability which identifies malware, threats, and viruses. It has a toggle button to enable features entirely at the tenant level for all users onboarded into Zscaler Internet Access, resulting in much better outcomes.

Improvement in Zscaler Internet Access has not presented huge challenges. The issues we face are minimal and manageable.

Zscaler Internet Access has introduced AI control for tools such as ChatGPT, providing options to restrict to text-only input without file or image uploads through CASB  restriction controls. This provides users with safe search capabilities for AI tools. The segregation of AI and ML applications into a single cloud app control is very useful.

The admin console needs improvement as it loads slowly and sometimes takes two to five minutes to open. Improving admin console accessibility would be beneficial.

I have been using Zscaler Internet Access for the past three and a half years.

Zscaler Internet Access is stable.

Before implementing Zscaler Internet Access, we tested multiple solutions through POC evaluations. After our assessment, Zscaler Internet Access performed significantly better and was more suitable for our environment. We chose Zscaler Internet Access, and it has been working smoothly.

My advice for others considering Zscaler Internet Access is to understand the console behavior, policy implementation, and settings before onboarding users. Once suitable organizational policies are implemented, then scaling up to 1000 or 2000 users becomes manageable. Understanding policies and use case conditions that meet your environment requirements is crucial before implementation. Implementing policies after onboarding hundreds of users can create complicated situations. I recommend exploring with one or two machines, implementing entire policies, and then onboarding additional devices. I rate Zscaler Internet Access 9 out of 10.

Public Cloud

Other

I am using Zscaler Internet Access  to protect all assets and our users' laptops both on-prem and remotely.

Provides peace of mind protecting devices and users from malicious Internet threats.

The strong features of Zscaler Internet Access  that I appreciate include security, performance, and the extensibility of the logs.

The ease of client updates is one of the benefits.

I have utilized Zscaler Internet Access's SSL Inspection feature. It has helped in threat prevention by giving the opportunity to delve inside our data to see exactly what is going on, what a request is, and what's happening.

The beneficial impact Zscaler Internet Access brought to my organization includes peace of mind, especially during the COVID period, enabling people to work from home without overloading VPN infrastructure while still being protected.

I would really like to see the elimination of these confusing PAC files for how Zscaler Internet Access could be improved.

In future updates, I would like to see some of the features bundled into the existing product set, perhaps more AI features and a refreshed interface, and lower pricing also matters.

I have been using Zscaler Internet Access for three years.

Yes, lacked functionality.

My implementation strategy during those three months involved testing and comparatively testing against other vendors.

Three people were involved in the process of deployment from my side.

An architect and two engineers were part of the deployment team.

I focused on Zscaler Internet Access because they stood out from their competition in terms of performance and scalability.

They beat off their competition with the fidelity of logs.

When asked about Zscaler Internet Access's application control for managing access to applications, we combine it with our existing CASB  and can control access to applications effectively.

We augment Zscaler Internet Access's Data Loss Prevention with Purview .

As an architect, I am actively pursuing completing a Zero Trust Architecture implementation, and Zscaler Internet Access definitely provides the right tools to move to that architecture.

To measure the effectiveness of Zscaler Internet Access's Advanced Persistent Threat Protection, I look at the lack of our users being infected, breached, controlled, or going to malicious links.

On a scale of one to ten, I rate Zscaler Internet Access an eight out of ten.

Public Cloud

Other

The solution is used for security purposes especially. Any solution in the organization has its purpose.

We have been reselling this solution for more than five years now.

Zscaler Internet Access  integrates effectively, especially with the high-level IP services. However, there are some challenges with new software development on the SD-WAN part and sometimes with routing of data. Issues appear sometimes with upgrades, but that's really an exception; it's not happening frequently.

Regarding scalability, it's a challenge for Zscaler Internet Access  at this moment, so I rate it a seven.

For us, it's recent, but we are also a distributor and reseller, having been using and working with this product for more than five years now.

It's very stable; however, due to the success, they are slightly behind with resources. This includes following up on new opportunities and finding the right resources to be available for customers' questions when sold.

Zscaler Internet Access is quite expensive, but it delivers. Sometimes, depending on the customer and the service and why it's used, it's acceptable.

The deployment process for Zscaler Internet Access is quite straightforward. I think the success of Zscaler has had an impact on their resources.

The quality of technical support depends on which department you're reaching out to at Zscaler Internet Access.

Positive

We are providing installation and deployment for our customers with Zscaler Internet Access.

The installation may take a couple of weeks, but it depends on the customer. The experience I have until now is a couple of weeks.

The implementation is done together with the project managers of Zscaler Internet Access.

From our side, the whole process mostly involves the project manager that is dealing with the deployment.

I think as long as Zscaler Internet Access is stable, it can have some financial benefits. Until now, we can confirm that for a few customers I am working with.

Zscaler Internet Access is quite expensive, but it delivers. Sometimes, depending on the customer and the service and why it's used, it's acceptable. We get more and more reactions about the price going up, sometimes too much or too little.

For the stability of Zscaler Internet Access, I would recommend it, but for the price, I think it's too expensive. Most customers that use it have the money and want the whole package, a managed service. However, I think it should be less expensive because we're losing customers to the competition.

On a scale of one to ten, I rate this solution an eight.

On-premises

Other

Use cases for Zscaler Internet Access  match with business requirements from clients, typically involving navigation. It depends on the company, but navigation encompasses different scenarios based on the client.

For example, in my current client, there are around five main use cases involving navigation from internal staff, external people outside the organization when service is being provided, remote sites, and IoT infrastructure. This involves providing navigation for schools, hospitals, policy, and internal staff.

There are multiple use cases, and each client has their own requirements. Server navigation and data centers have different use cases when connected directly to the client's network versus when users work from home. When third parties connect to the client's infrastructure, it creates another use case. These use cases also depend on the SD-WAN component and how the flows move from the sites to the SSE and beyond.

The most valuable features of Zscaler Internet Access  include its capacity to scale. In my last project, this proved quite challenging. The security implementation capabilities and the ability to integrate public IPs related to clients allow traffic to present on the internet as a client rather than as Zscaler.

The capacity to have a hybrid solution in cloud and on-premises, along with connectivity with third parties such as CNFs (connect network facilities) including Equinix, digital reality, and similar data centers for interconnecting customers, is very valuable.

The facility to interoperate with SSEs is quite challenging when adapting the flows and maintaining the same security mechanisms from on-premises to cloud environments. The connectivity is particularly important because SASE  solutions often face challenges in their connection methods.

I have experience with these solutions from previous interactions.

I would evaluate the stability of Zscaler Internet Access at 8-9. There are minimal downtimes reported, and they maintain redundancy with two nodes in different regions, which is quite effective.

The scalability of Zscaler Internet Access rates at 7-8 in the majority of cases. However, I am currently working with a client that requires very high internet throughput, which has been challenging. They require hundred's megabits per second, and this bandwidth requirement has posed problems for Zscaler and other vendors.

The technical support and customer service of Zscaler Internet Access merits a rating of 7-8.

Positive

Zscaler Internet Access is one of the best solutions currently available. Other vendors offers a good solution with many years of market experience, covering legacy infrastructure effectively. They are fully cloud-based but maintain the background that enables service provision in more legacy environments.

Only small or medium-sized companies with simple use cases can move directly to the cloud. Many solutions have been created as cloud-native, but implementation requires evaluation of the transition from existing infrastructure to the new environment. Zscaler handles this transition aspect very effectively.

Zscaler Internet Access encompasses internet connectivity and Zscaler ZTNA  network access. Regarding pricing, compared to competitors, all solutions initially appear expensive. However, through negotiation and positioning, the final prices with discounts can vary significantly. Zscaler demonstrates effective negotiation skills and positions their pricing appropriately. Some competitors maintain higher prices, but my last experience with Zscaler's pricing was satisfactory.

On a scale from 1 to 10, where one is the worst and 10 is the best, I rate Zscaler Internet Access at 8.

Public Cloud

Other

What do you like best about the product?

Best thing about zcaler which i like is the ease of use and no specific need of deploying or managing appliances which makes it suitable for an organization with any type of workforce, it being remote, offsite or in office. It is also a full stack of internet security offering an ecosystem advantage

What do you dislike about the product?

Worst thing about zcaler as a user is that whenever we switch from work from home to in office or change networks anytime, it takes a long time to reconnect or it simply does'nt connect to network, because of which multiple diagnostic steps has to be taken.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

1. Secure internet access which keeps our data safe and prevent from connecting to unsafe networks
2. Different layer of security at different work environments. ex work from home, in office, off site etc
3. Ease of use as a user not in cybersecurity, the diagnostic steps although lenghty are easy to fix ourselves with some minor fixes rather than dependening on the it team