Zero Trust & Access
Identity-aware access for workforce and customers — no VPN, no flat networks, no implicit trust.
What you're up against.
VPNs grant too much access
Traditional VPNs authenticate the user once and grant broad network access. A stolen credential is effectively a skeleton key to your entire infrastructure.
Third-party access is hard to control
Giving vendors and contractors VPN access creates persistent, hard-to-revoke connections that frequently outlast their intended purpose — and your awareness of them.
No visibility into what's actually accessed
Legacy access controls log connection events but don't tell you what was accessed, by whom, from which device, and whether the session was legitimate.
From deployment to continuous operation.
Assess
We map your current access patterns — users, applications, devices, and third parties — to identify where implicit trust exists that shouldn't.
Design
We design identity-aware policies per application, not per network segment, using your existing identity provider (Okta, Azure AD, Google Workspace).
Deploy
Akamai Enterprise Application Access replaces VPN with per-application tunnels — users only reach what they're authorised for, nothing more.
Operate
Continuous access monitoring, certificate lifecycle management, and policy updates as your workforce and application estate change.
What's included.
Application-layer access control
Users authenticate per application, not per network segment. No broad access granted, no flat network exposure from a single compromised credential.
Identity provider integration
Connects to your existing IdP (Okta, Azure AD, Google Workspace) — no new directory infrastructure required.
Device posture checks
Access decisions factor in device health, certificate validity, and endpoint compliance before a session tunnel is established.
Agentless browser access
Internal web apps accessible from managed and unmanaged devices via browser — no client software required for contractors or BYOD users.
Third-party access management
Time-limited, application-scoped access for vendors and contractors — revoked automatically when the engagement ends.
Access analytics
Full audit trail of who accessed what, when, from which device — designed for both security investigation and compliance evidence.
Zero Trust means exactly that. Every user, every device, every session is verified against policy before access is granted — with no implicit trust for being 'inside' the network.
Common questions.
What is zero trust and why does it matter now?
Zero trust removes the assumption that anything inside your network perimeter is trustworthy. Every access request is verified against identity, device posture, and context - regardless of where the user is. It matters now because the perimeter no longer exists: users work from anywhere, applications live in multiple clouds, and credential theft is the most common initial access vector.
How is zero trust access different from a VPN?
A VPN authenticates once and grants broad network access - a compromised VPN credential gives an attacker a foothold on your entire network. Zero trust grants access only to specific applications, verified per session, with no lateral movement possible. If a credential is stolen, the attacker reaches one app, not your whole infrastructure.
How long does a zero trust deployment take?
A pilot covering your highest-risk applications typically takes 4-6 weeks. Full estate migration depends on the number of applications and identity sources, but we phase deployment to avoid disrupting existing workflows - starting where the risk is highest, not where it is easiest.
Do you need to replace our existing identity provider?
No. Akamai Enterprise Application Access integrates with your existing IdP - Okta, Azure AD, Google Workspace, or most SAML/OIDC-compatible providers. You keep your existing authentication workflows; we add application-layer enforcement on top.
Let's plan your next move.
A 30-minute consultation with one of our senior architects. Walk away with a clear, vendor-neutral assessment of your security and performance posture.