Axis Security, a provider of cybersecurity services focused on zero trust, has announced a suite of new features on Atmos ZTNA (zero trust network access), the software-defined network access module within its cloud-native SSE (security service edge) platform, Atmosphere.
In addition, the company has unveiled a suite of tools to help businesses migrate from traditional ZTNA to Atmos’ ZTNA service.
“ZTNA 1.0 didn’t support legacy network protocols, and few even managed to inspect private traffic,” said Gil Azrielant, CTO and co-founder of Axis. “Atmos ZTNA supports all ports and protocols to completely replace VPNs. Moreover, with the new features added, the multicloud architecture makes Atmos ZTNA the most available and scalable ZTNA solution.”
The additions to Atmos ZTNA come shortly after the formal release of Atmos in April as a cloud-native alternative to data center-based, legacy network architectures and SSE platforms. Other modules on Atmos’ SSE include a secure web gateway (SWG), cloud access security broker (CASB), and a custom dashboard monitor for network data.
Atmos ZTNA offered connectivity at launch through its 350 Atmos edge facilities running on the backbone of global cloud services such as AWS Global Accelerator, Google Cloud Platform and Oracle.
Atmos ZTNA includes automation improvements
Atmos ZTNA now has several “hyper-intelligent” features built in that provide an edge over legacy ZTNA solutions, Azrielant adds. Among these features include using telemetry collected from identities, devices, and connectors to enable multicloud point of presence (PoP) resolution for selection of the most optimal connectivity path and automatic selection between AWS, Google, or Oracle PoP for brokering .
Also added using this continuous telemetry is an ability to automatically end sessions to end live sessions if an identity or user group change occurs. The telemetry now provides “live” device attitude status, which has been added to the Atmos dashboard to help IT administrators automatically detect jailbroken end-user devices, the company said.
New features in Atmos ZTNA also include a domain discovery tool that helps to automatically detect additional unknown related domains each time a new application is introduced, to allow addition to the existing application policy.
“One of the biggest goals we wanted to achieve was making new apps really easy for customers,” Azrielant adds. “With this tool, the administrator simulates access and behavior in the new web application while the system learns the domains and compiles a list of additional domains. The list is then submitted to the administrator for approval so that the administrator can select the domains to add to the application’s configuration.”
In addition, Atmos ZTNA has added a user group mapping capability to define the IP ranges and destinations that specific user groups can access. according to the company.
Rounding out the improvements are a series of new PoPs that Axis has added in San Jose, Phoenix, Northern Virginia, London, Frankfurt, Jerusalem, Hong Kong and Sydney in response to increased customer demand. Axis also unveiled a new “PoP desert” initiative to add customers as design partners to discover geographies for the implementation of new Atmos PoPs.
Axis adds migration tools and buyback program
Axis outlined many issues with ZTNA 1.0 solutions, calling them inadequate to support legacy protocols such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP), Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), and Application System AS/400.
Atmos ZTNA, a cloud service, supports all ports and protocols (including VOIP, ICMP and AS400), Azrielant adds. “It also provides agentless support for the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol, Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), Git, and databases. This enables full VPN replacement.”
To enable enterprise teams to migrate from legacy ZTNA applications to the Atmos ZTNA service, Axis has added a suite of tools that are claimed to be “industry first”. The migration tool takes application segments developed in Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) and converts them to Atmos ZTNA applications. Customers can then use the service’s policy system to define policies in minutes, Axis said.
All new tools and Atmos ZTNA enhancements are now generally available.
In addition, Axis has launched a ZTNA buy-back program, which provides ZTNA application customers with up to six months of free service when they replace their ZTNA service and agree to a three-year Atmos Core Edition subscription.
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