Webinar Description
Key Takeaways
- Practical guidance for migrating from legacy VPN to Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)
- Phased migration strategies designed to maintain operational continuity
- Understanding ZTNA as a foundational step toward Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) architecture
- Targeted at CISOs, IT Directors, Network Architects and security decision-makers
- Addresses VPN end-of-life pressures and the risks of rushed infrastructure transitions
Introduction
Zero Trust Starts Here: A Practical Path from VPN to ZTNA is a live webinar hosted by Versa Networks that examines the operational and security challenges organisations face when transitioning away from traditional VPN-based remote access. The session is designed for security and network leaders responsible for protecting hybrid workforces and cloud-first environments, offering a structured approach to adopting Zero Trust Network Access without disrupting business operations. With many enterprises now confronting VPN end-of-life deadlines and the architectural limitations of perimeter-based security, the timing reflects broader industry pressure to modernise remote access infrastructure.
About This Event
This webinar provides a practical framework for organisations seeking to replace legacy VPN solutions with ZTNA. Rather than advocating for immediate, wholesale infrastructure replacement, the session emphasises a phased migration strategy that allows security teams to maintain continuity while progressively implementing Zero Trust principles. The presentation is led by product marketing and systems engineering specialists from Versa Networks, combining strategic perspective with technical depth.
The format is a live, interactive webinar, allowing participants to engage with the material in real time. This approach suits the subject matter, which requires careful consideration of organisational context, existing infrastructure and risk tolerance rather than one-size-fits-all recommendations.
Why VPN Architectures Are Reaching Their Limits
Virtual Private Networks have served as the backbone of enterprise remote access for decades, but their architectural assumptions increasingly conflict with modern working patterns. Traditional VPNs were designed for a world where applications resided in corporate data centres and remote access was the exception rather than the norm. In environments dominated by SaaS applications, distributed workforces and cloud infrastructure, these assumptions create significant friction.
The limitations manifest in several ways. VPNs typically grant broad network access once a user authenticates, creating lateral movement opportunities for attackers who compromise credentials. Performance suffers when traffic must backhaul through centralised gateways to reach cloud applications, introducing latency that degrades user experience. Visibility into user behaviour and application access remains limited, complicating threat detection and compliance reporting. These constraints become more acute as organisations scale remote work and adopt multi-cloud strategies.
Compounding these technical challenges, many VPN products are approaching or have reached end-of-life status, forcing organisations to make infrastructure decisions under time pressure. Rushed migrations carry their own risks, potentially introducing security gaps or operational disruptions that a more deliberate approach would avoid.
Zero Trust Network Access as a Foundation for Modern Security
ZTNA represents a fundamental shift in how organisations approach remote access. Where VPNs operate on implicit trust—authenticating users at the perimeter and then granting broad access—ZTNA applies the principle of least privilege continuously. Access decisions consider not only user identity but also device posture, location, time of access and the sensitivity of the requested resource. This granular, context-aware approach reduces the attack surface and limits the potential impact of compromised credentials.
The webinar explores several core ZTNA capabilities that distinguish it from legacy approaches. Continuous verification ensures that access permissions are re-evaluated throughout a session rather than granted once at login. Device posture checks confirm that endpoints meet security requirements before allowing connections. Inline threat inspection examines traffic for malicious content, providing protection that traditional VPNs cannot offer without additional security layers.
Importantly, the session positions ZTNA not as an isolated technology but as the logical first step toward a broader Secure Access Service Edge architecture. SASE converges networking and security functions into a unified, cloud-delivered service, and ZTNA provides the access control foundation upon which other SASE components build. Organisations that implement ZTNA with this longer-term architecture in mind can avoid rework and ensure their investments remain strategically aligned.
A Phased Approach to Migration
One of the central themes of the webinar is the importance of measured, phased migration rather than disruptive replacement. Security teams face legitimate concerns about introducing new access infrastructure while maintaining protection for critical systems. A phased approach allows organisations to pilot ZTNA with specific user groups or applications, validate performance and security outcomes, and expand deployment incrementally.
This methodology acknowledges operational realities. Most enterprises cannot simply decommission VPN infrastructure overnight; they must run parallel systems during transition periods, manage user training and support, and address integration requirements with existing identity providers and security tools. The webinar addresses these practical considerations, offering guidance on sequencing migration activities to minimise risk and disruption.
The phased model also provides opportunities to demonstrate value progressively. Early wins—improved access performance, reduced helpdesk tickets related to VPN connectivity, enhanced visibility into application usage—can build organisational support for continued investment in Zero Trust initiatives.
Who Should Attend
The webinar is designed for technical and strategic decision-makers responsible for network security and remote access infrastructure. CISOs and security directors will find value in the strategic framing of ZTNA within broader security architecture evolution. Network architects and engineers will benefit from the technical discussion of ZTNA capabilities and migration planning. IT directors managing hybrid work enablement will gain insight into how modern access solutions can improve both security posture and user experience.
The content is most relevant to mid-to-large enterprises that have adopted or are adopting hybrid work models and cloud-first strategies. Organisations currently operating legacy VPN infrastructure, particularly those facing vendor end-of-life timelines, represent the primary audience. However, the principles discussed apply broadly to any organisation reconsidering its approach to secure remote access.
Industry Context
The shift from VPN to ZTNA reflects broader changes in enterprise security philosophy. The traditional perimeter-based model assumed that threats could be kept outside the network boundary, and that users and devices inside that boundary could be trusted. This assumption has proven inadequate in an era of sophisticated phishing attacks, credential theft and supply chain compromises. Zero Trust architectures acknowledge that threats may originate from anywhere and that verification must be continuous rather than point-in-time.
Regulatory and compliance pressures are also accelerating ZTNA adoption. Frameworks increasingly expect organisations to demonstrate granular access controls, continuous monitoring and least-privilege principles. ZTNA implementations can simplify compliance by providing detailed audit trails and policy-based access decisions that map directly to regulatory requirements.
The convergence of networking and security under the SASE model represents another significant industry trend. As organisations distribute applications across multiple clouds and edge locations, the traditional model of backhauling traffic through centralised security stacks becomes untenable. SASE delivers security functions at the point of access, improving performance while maintaining protection. ZTNA serves as a critical component of this architecture, controlling who can access what resources under which conditions.
Conclusion
For organisations still reliant on legacy VPN infrastructure, the question is no longer whether to adopt Zero Trust principles but how to do so effectively. This webinar from Versa Networks offers a pragmatic perspective on that transition, emphasising operational continuity and strategic alignment over disruptive change. As VPN end-of-life deadlines approach and the limitations of perimeter-based security become increasingly apparent, the guidance provided may help security leaders navigate a complex but necessary infrastructure evolution.