Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform Reviews

The security issues one faces with legacy VPN solutions are addressed using a SaaS VPN platform. If an organization wants to implement a zero-trust network architecture, then a SaaS VPN platform is the way to go about it.

The most valuable features of Zscaler Private Access are its ability to integrate with multiple IDPs and application segmentation.

More on-prem infrastructure is required when Zscaler Private Access is to be implemented as a single point of entry.

Since the whole concept of app segmentation is license based, making the app segmentation extremely granular becomes very expensive for an organization. As a result, not all organizations would adopt a granular approach for rolling out their Zscaler Private Access solution. So the entire approach must be seen differently, not the standard license-based approach. As an organization, if I want to make the access for my employees more granular, then it means that I will have to buy more licenses. Organizations with 10,000 to 20,000 applications, including their business partners also connecting to their applications, would need to invest a lot of money into making it granular. Okay. That kind of investment may not be viable for every organization to make, which could limit the use of Zscaler Private Access.

I have been using Zscaler Private Access for about two and a half years.

I rate Zscaler Private Access a nine out of ten for stability.

I rate Zscaler Private Access a ten out of ten for scalability. Zscaler Private Access can be used for more than 2,00,000 users.

Zscaler tells you right at the front that the implementation needs to be taken up by Zscaler-certified people. It does require a good amount of knowledge of the platform. Other options are available where Zscaler makes professional services and resident engineers available. So Zscaler Private Access is a complicated solution, but they facilitate much of that implementation. I rate Zscaler Private Access a seven out of ten for ease of initial setup.

Zscaler Private Access's deployment depends on how much time an organization spends preparing for the solution's implementation. If you have a checklist prepared beforehand, you can deploy the solution in probably one and a half or two months. But if you start deploying it and then start making the necessary preparations for the change, it could easily take more than a year for a large organization.

To deploy Zscaler Private Access, you need to follow a full-fledged project management process. This process includes requirement definitions, coming up with a high-level design document, preparing your project plan, coming up with a low-level design document, going into a pilot phase, and then the production rollout.

Zscaler Private Access is extremely expensive. I rate Zscaler Private Access an eight out of ten for pricing.

Zscaler Private Access has its own data centers and its own private cloud.

Overall, I rate Zscaler Private Access a seven out of ten.

We've so far recommended the solution in one or two engagements.

We work with customers who have various businesses like banking, finance, travel, et cetera, where we do a solution for them, a security solution for them. We are an IT service consultant company.

We generally use that product for the proxy setup, for URL dealing and blacklist blocking, and all that stuff. When the customer has a requirement where their workforce is very mobile or if they're on-premise and moving the workforce, we do recommend the Zscaler product.

There are also other cases. We extend other modules like CASB or another setup, where we say they can access the public cloud or send some data against the policy.

Scanning the internet traffic for any malware, et cetera, is quite useful. That is the primary use case. 

It is straightforward to set up.

The solution is stable.

It's scalable.

We would like to extend the SASE applications for Zscaler. We'd like to see more work in the area. In our understanding of it, SASE features are very helpful in extending to various other applications like CASB, DLP, et cetera, ensuring the network can be set up to be very agile. SASE adoption is a very prime focus for most customers due to its benefits.

We've dealt with the solution for a year and a half. 

For our use cases, we have found the solution to be reliable and stable. I haven't dealt with crashes or it freezing. There are no bugs or glitches. 

The solution is scalable. It's cloud-based, making it scalable and agile. It's great if companies are going through mergers and acquisitions. 

I've never reached out to technical support.

Before Zscaler, we used to use a lot of other products, however, when we were introduced to Zscaler we became confident it could meet the use cases. Due to its cloud features and cloud-based proxy, unless the customer has very specific use cases that don't include the cloud, it's one of the best products. 

The solution is straightforward to set up. There may be certain use cases where it may be more complex; however, largely, it is easy.

How long it takes to deploy depends on how the workforce is enabled and how they are deployed across, as well as whether they are in a single country or multiple countries. There are instances where we have deployed within a country within less than three months for a scale of 10,000 users.

We typically go for annual license payments.

I'm not a product seller. I'm a service seller. We are mainly a service integration team. We do recommend certain products. However, we don't sell products. I'm a consultant.

If it aligns with a client's needs, I would recommend this solution to others. 

I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.

We have found that Zscaler SASE is a good product and we use it as a proxy.

Zscaler SASE is probably the number one cloud-based proxy security solution. Just on name recognition alone, I would say that is the main value it is bringing right now.

The management of the product has to be clearly defined or they will conflict. Sometimes you have to add bypass rules allowing specific websites access for internal purposes or for it to completely bypass altogether.  Make sure that it is the same teams who are managing the firewalls and the product. They should all be on the same team. If you have two teams managing it separately, you are going to run into a lot of problems.

I have been using Zscaler SASE for the past three years.

It is very stable. I have never seen it go down, not once, but then again I do not manage that portion specifically.

Zscaler SASE looks to be scalable to me.  We have about seven hundred and fifty using it in the USA and two hundred in Europe.

We were using another product before switching over to Zscaler SASE because it is number one.

It is pretty straightforward and does not create any major challenges. You whitelist specific URLs to either be allowed or to be bypassed.

We do deployment in-house. It is just a click and that is it.

The pricing is expensive and on the higher end. Honestly, in my opinion, it is not worth the price. 

I would rate Zscaler SASE an eight out of ten.

It serves as a globally distributed solution, differing significantly from MPLS. Unlike traditional firewalls, it seamlessly accommodates cloud services and enables remote work from any location. The product's global distribution across the cloud facilitates internal access with the necessary licenses. Whether connecting from a branch office, on-premises solution, private data system, public data center, or the cloud, the platform ensures consistent and robust security protection throughout the entire infrastructure.

The most valuable feature is its seamless integration capabilities, streamlining the process by eliminating the need for extensive installations. Users can connect to the SaaS solution by simply installing the necessary apps. This includes the flexibility to connect with any firewall or router capable of setting up IPSec, providing users the freedom to choose their preferred hardware. This versatility extends beyond Zscaler-specific applications or devices, making it compatible with a range of SD-WAN solutions, such as Cisco Meraki, Palo Alto, and Juniper.

A suggestion for improvement is the development of their own proprietary SD-WAN device. Currently, the experience can vary when integrating cloud protection with different vendors, such as Palo Alto, Meraki, or Juniper. Having a Zscaler-specific device could streamline this process and provide a more consistent user experience across diverse branches. Additionally, expanding their offerings to include solutions like SIEM, similar to competitors, could enhance their portfolio and cater to clients interested in a broader range of services.

I have been working with it for two years.

It is highly reliable and ensures that users receive optimal performance regardless of their physical location, creating a more seamless and user-friendly experience.

The initial setup was straightforward.

The perception of cloud services being expensive is often a result of the initial migration costs, especially when transitioning from traditional and limited MPLS environments. In the long run, cloud services are not inherently costly. If you're starting fresh and adopting a cloud-first approach from the beginning, the perceived expense is considerably less significant.

It is not economically viable for individual users but is highly recommended for companies with a substantial user base, multiple branches, extensive cloud operations, and remote employees. The solution offers enhanced protection across network, on-premises, and cloud environments, making it valuable for enterprises adapting to the evolving landscape of cloud adoption and seeking comprehensive security and networking benefits. Overall, I would rate it nine out of ten.

Zscaler is a cloud proxy that scans and provides security for traffic to cloud-based applications and resources.

Zscaler is location-independent. Even if you switch to another country, users will have the same security posture. For example, if you are in one country and travel to India tomorrow, you will still have the same security posture as the rest of your team. You will also be able to access all your resources over the Internet as a team, regardless of location. There is no dependency on local firewalls at the site. Everything is in the cloud, so you get security wherever you go.

Zscaler provides several security features, including encryption, URL filtering, application control, and credential theft protection. They are also updating their DLP capabilities.

The reports can be made easier. The solution takes time to fetch reports in the Database section. Otherwise, the reporting module itself is well-designed.

I have been using Zscaler SASE for two and a half years.

Zscaler is very stable. The customers use web services that cause issues over the internet.

Zscaler is highly scalable. Zscaler is a cloud-based service, so it takes care of all the data center and hardware infrastructure. Even if you only have one license, you will still have access to all of Zscaler's security features and performance capabilities. Around 2Lakh users are in Nestle, and all are using Zscaler.

We work with enterprise-level customers.

The customer support is good.

Positive

I have experience with Prisma Access. In terms of scalability and tech support, Zscaler is better. However, Prisma is better in other parameters because they have more experience in the firewall industry and are the leader in firewall technology. We at Nestle are forwarding most of our traffic to Zscaler for scalability. We are using Prisma for some essential functions.

The initial setup is easy. You have to plan very carefully how you are going to use Zscaler. Planning is critical, but implementation is achievable. You need to purchase cloud or host services and synchronize your user database to the rescheduler. Then, you just need to use the application to create a folder application on the system, and you are good to go.

Zscaler deployment time depends on the number of users and the policies to be deployed. A very simple setup can take around two to three weeks, while a very complex setup with multiple components can take months to implement.

We are the service providers of Nestle, which is a user of Zscaler. 

New functionality is always being added to Zscaler's products, but there are some features that we cannot have in the cloud-based platform. For example, Pulse QoS and VPN are still available as standalone products. However, Zscaler offers a variety of products that can meet these needs, such as ZIA, ZPA, and ZDA.

Maintaining Zscaler is easy. It has a well-designed admin portal and policy control. At least 20-30 people are required to manage the Zscaler product with a worldwide presence, depending on the setup. For example, Nestle requires 1-2 people to manage their Zscaler deployment.

I recommend the Zscaler solution. If I get an opportunity to use it in an environment where the users are mostly roaming users and the entire network stack is in the cloud, I will recommend they use Zscaler products. It's a great product.

Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

Zscaler functions as a kind of proxy, but they lack responsiveness when it comes to customer requests. The granularity in blocking is not sufficient. For example, when a new domain is detected, it is automatically blocked for 30 days. If there is no further information, it is added to the trusted list. Attackers are aware of this and take advantage of it. They set up a benign site, get it categorized as safe, and then introduce malicious content afterward. Trying to get the categories reassigned or realigned is a challenge, as Zscaler is not very responsive in addressing such issues. In my experience, compared to BlueCoat, Zscaler falls short in terms of responsiveness.

I'm currently reviewing Zscaler for our organization. We implemented it about two years ago. It's part of our zero-trust architecture initiative. 

However, we need to compare it with NetScout. Zscaler has certain capabilities like SD-WAN, and the proxy is quite good. Although, I had to stop using SD-WAN because it wasn't integrating well with Microsoft or Kaspersky.

It is stable. In my experience of about five years, I have only encountered two problems caused by it. So, I wouldn't rate it a nine out of ten. It's generally stable, with occasional issues.

The scalability is pretty good. I would give it an eight out of ten. However, their responsiveness to customer concerns is not as strong as other vendors I have worked with.

There is definitely an ROI. Before I joined my current company, it was implemented about a year and a half ago, and it significantly reduced noise and improved team visibility. The SOC has always been satisfied with its performance. 

So, I believe there has been a good return on investment compared to my company's previous solution, Fortinet, which wasn't very effective. We are very happy with Zscaler.

When it was implemented, it beat the competition on price according to the two companies I know that have it.

Overall, I would rate the solution a seven out of ten. 

I work for a service provider for a defense customer. We are using Zscaler Private Access to connect to the Internet. This is how we keep our customers protected with the latest inspection of the URLs.

The most valuable feature of Zscaler Private Access is the categorization of the dynamic URLs which keeps the customer's environment protected. The threats and the malware are correctly categorized.

Zscaler Private Access's reporting is poor. We should have more insight into the reports regarding what is blocked and allowed.

I have been using Zscaler Private Access for approximately four years.

I rate the scalability of Zscaler Private Access a ten out of ten.

I rate the support of Zscaler Private Access a five out of ten.

Neutral

There is a lightweight agent on six laptops and the agent reaches out to the SaaS-based cloud.

The process of deployment takes 15 to 30 days.

I rate the initial setup of Zscaler Private Access an eight out of ten.

I rate the ROI from Zscaler Private Access a seven out of ten.

The price is competitive. 

I rate the price of Zscaler Private Access five out of ten.

If the reports were improved the customer would have more insight.

I rate Zscaler Private Access nine out of ten.

We use this solution for traffic and establishing the connection.

It's deployed on-premises.

There are 60,000 people who use Zscaler in my organization.

The best feature is the ability to establish the connection between your public network and automatically connect to the intranet connection.

The stability could be improved.

I have worked with Zscaler Private Access for six months.

I would rate the stability as eight out of ten.

I would rate Zscaler as eight out of ten.