Zero Trust Network Access with Zscaler and Cisco in Northern Virginia
Give each person access to the applications they need, not to the whole network, and retire the VPN in stages.
Zero trust connects a verified person on a healthy device to one application at a time, instead of putting them on your network through a VPN.
It suits hybrid teams, firms with several offices, businesses that give contractors limited access, and anyone whose VPN has become the riskiest way into the office. DistrictConnects maps your applications, then deploys and manages Zscaler or Cisco Secure Access, keeping a VPN only for the apps that still need one.
- 0Inbound ports opened for Zscaler Private Access connectors
- Per appAccess granted to one application, never the whole network
- 10+Years of hands-on engineering
Why the VPN has become the weak point
A VPN checks a password once, then trusts the device on your network. NIST’s zero trust architecture (SP 800-207) drops that assumption: no user or device is trusted because of where it connects from.
- One stolen password, the whole network. A phished VPN login reaches every server and file share on a flat network, and the attacker moves sideways from there.
- Contractors with more access than the job. A bookkeeper or vendor who needs one application gets a tunnel to everything.
- Slow cloud apps. Traffic to Microsoft 365, Azure and Salesforce hauls back through the office before going out again, and video calls suffer for it.
- Laptops nobody can see. Off the VPN, a laptop on home or hotel Wi-Fi skips the office firewall’s filtering entirely.
- AI tools outside policy. Staff paste contracts and client files into personal AI accounts, and to a standard firewall that looks like ordinary encrypted browsing.
- Access that never expires. VPN accounts for former staff and finished projects stay live until someone notices.
Zero trust does not replace your firewall; it limits what a stolen password or an infected laptop can reach.
Zscaler or Cisco: which fits
Both platforms deliver zero trust access from the cloud. We recommend one after the assessment, based on what you already run and what you need to control.
- Zscaler. Zscaler Private Access replaces the VPN, and its App Connectors only make outbound connections, so your applications are never exposed to the internet. Zscaler Internet Access filters web and SaaS traffic. A strong fit for Microsoft-centric offices, using Entra ID Conditional Access signals in every access decision.
- Cisco Secure Access. A security service edge with ZTNA, secure web gateway, CASB and firewall as a service, plus a VPN as a service for apps ZTNA cannot handle and AI Access for generative AI tools. A strong fit for offices on Cisco firewalls, Meraki or Duo, and DistrictConnects is a Cisco Certified Integrator.
Either way, the decision is made per person, per device and per application, and the endpoints underneath stay protected by EDR.
What is included
Assessment and application inventory
We review your VPN, firewall, identity provider, devices, DNS and every internal and cloud application, then record who uses what. The result is an access matrix: which people and devices need which apps, and nothing more.
Application classification
Each application is sorted into one of three groups: ready for zero trust access now, needs a VPN for the time being, or should be redesigned or retired. That list sets the order of the migration.
Identity and device policy
Access decided per request by who the user is, the health of their device and the sign-in risk. We connect Microsoft Entra ID Conditional Access, Okta or Cisco Duo, and device compliance from Intune or your EDR.
Private application access
Zscaler Private Access or Cisco Secure Access ZTNA for apps in your office, Azure or AWS. Staff use a lightweight client; contractors can use clientless browser access to the one or two apps they need.
Internet, SaaS and AI controls
Secure web gateway, URL and DNS filtering, cloud firewall, CASB for sanctioned and unsanctioned SaaS, and data loss prevention. With Cisco AI Access, generative AI tools can be discovered, allowed, blocked or redirected to the approved one, with DLP on prompts and uploads.
Ongoing management
Policy reviews, onboarding and offboarding, performance monitoring and security event review after go-live, with the whole transition documented for your compliance and cyber insurance records.
How the work runs
Assess
We document your current VPN, firewall, identity provider, endpoints, internal apps and remote access patterns, plus any HIPAA, CMMC or insurance requirements, and recommend Zscaler or Cisco based on what you already run.
Design
We write the access policies app by app and connect your identity provider, so the platform knows who each user is and whether their device meets your rules.
Pilot
A small group, usually IT plus a few willing staff, moves first. We confirm every app works, sign-ins feel normal and performance holds up before anyone else changes.
Migrate in phases
Groups and applications move in order of risk and importance. Nobody loses access on a cutover day, because the VPN stays up until each group is confirmed.
Retire the VPN
Once the last ZTNA-ready app has moved, VPN access is switched off or narrowed to the legacy apps that still need it, using Cisco's VPN as a service where it fits.
Manage and tune
We review policies, access logs and security events on a schedule, adjust as staff and apps change, and report the results at your quarterly review.
Platforms we work with
- Zscaler
- Cisco
- Cisco Meraki
- Microsoft 365
- Microsoft Intune
- CrowdStrike
Industries we do this for
Related guides
Service area
On-site across Northern Virginia and DC.
Prince William
- Manassas
- Haymarket
Arlington and Alexandria
- Arlington
- Alexandria
DC and Maryland
Common questions
What is zero trust network access, in plain terms?
A VPN puts a remote user on your network, and from there they can usually reach far more than they need. Zero trust network access (ZTNA) checks who the user is, which device they are on and whether it meets your rules every time they open an application, then connects them to that one application only. The rest of the network stays invisible to them.
Can Zscaler or Cisco Secure Access replace our VPN?
For most applications, yes. Zscaler Private Access was built as a VPN replacement, and Cisco Secure Access offers ZTNA plus a VPN as a service for older applications that cannot use ZTNA. We migrate in phases, app by app and group by group, so the business keeps running. Some offices end with no VPN at all; others keep a small one for one legacy system.
Do we still need a firewall with zero trust?
Yes. They solve different problems. The firewall protects the office network, its devices and its internet connection. Zero trust controls who reaches which application, from anywhere. A complete setup includes both, plus endpoint protection, identity security and segmentation. On Cisco, Secure Access shares policy with Cisco Secure Firewall, so on-site and remote rules are managed together.
What is the difference between Zscaler ZIA and ZPA?
Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA) inspects and filters traffic going out to the internet, SaaS and cloud apps: web filtering, cloud firewall, DNS security, sandboxing and data loss prevention. Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) replaces the VPN for your internal applications. Most businesses deploy both, so the same policy applies whether staff are in the office, at home or travelling.
Can contractors use it without access to our whole network?
Yes, and this is one of the strongest reasons to adopt it. A contractor or vendor can be given clientless, browser-based access to the one or two applications they need, with no software on their device and no route into the rest of your network. Access ends the day the engagement does, with one change in the policy.
Can it control what staff paste into ChatGPT and other AI tools?
Yes. AI Access in Cisco Secure Access shows which generative AI tools staff are using, scores them by risk, and lets us block or allow them or redirect people to your approved tool. DLP rules inspect prompts and file uploads and stop client records, financial data or source code before they leave. On Zscaler, web filtering and DLP policies cover AI sites like any other web traffic.
How long does a zero trust rollout take?
It depends on the number of users and applications, the state of your identity provider and how much VPN access has to be replaced. We give you a schedule after the assessment. Every rollout starts with a pilot group and moves in phases, so there is no single risky night where the VPN goes off and everyone hopes the new system works.
How much does zero trust access cost?
Cost depends on the platform and license tier, the number of users, how many private applications need connectors, the identity and device work needed first, and how much VPN retirement is in scope. We do not publish prices. After a free assessment you get an itemized quote covering licensing, deployment and ongoing management, month to month with no long-term contract.