Cloud security company Zscaler Inc. today announced Zero Trust Segmentation, a solution that offers more secure, agile and cost-effective means to connect users, devices and workloads across distributed locations.

Core to the new offering is the ability to eliminate the need for traditional firewalls, software-defined wide-area networks and site-to-site virtual private networks by turning branches, factories and cloud environments into isolated, secure “virtual islands.” These environments connect directly to the Zscaler cloud platform, which enforces business policies to prevent ransomware spread, secure internet of things and operational technology systems, and reduce network complexity.

Zscaler argues that traditional networks, including SD-WAN and site-to-site VPNs, while extending enterprise connectivity, have also accelerated the spread of ransomware. Although firewalls can be used to do segmentation on networks, they often add complexity and increase cost.

The company’s new Zero Trust Segmentation tackles these problems by preventing ransomware attacks and turning branches into “simplified cafe-like environments” and, in doing so, eliminating the need for firewalls, network access controls, SD-WAN and site-to-site VPNs.

With the new offering, each location becomes a virtual island that communicates directly with the Zscaler cloud security platform. The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform then applies business policies to securely connect users, workloads and devices, with a result being a minimized attack surface, the prevention of ransomware from spreading between locations and the elimination of firewalls and other traditional solutions.

The offering comes in two parts — Zero Trust Segmentation for Branch and Factories and Zero Trust Segmentation for Data Centers and Public Clouds.

The version for branches and factories is focused on protecting environments with a high prevalence of IoT and operational technology systems. With many OT devices running on outdated operating systems that are vulnerable to attacks, Zscaler’s solution enables rapid segmentation of these devices within hours, eliminating the need for a traditional north-south firewall.

The data center and public cloud version addresses the complexities of securing hybrid and multi-cloud environments. By eliminating internet-facing firewalls and site-to-site VPNs, the solution reduces attack surfaces while standardizing security across diverse cloud services. It secures traffic between clouds, data centers and virtual private clouds, streamlining workload communications without relying on legacy infrastructure such as direct connections.

“Using firewalls to segment business networks is extremely complex, turning into a never-ending initiative for many organizations,” said Dhawal Sharma, executive vice president of product management at Zscaler. “Integrating advanced technology from the recent AirGap acquisition, Zscaler Zero Trust Segmentation now offers the most advanced, robust protection against ransomware attacks, which can be implemented in days.:

Sharma added that “additionally, it delivers up to 50% cost savings by eliminating the need for legacy firewalls and complex infrastructures.”

Sam Curry, chief information security officer at Zscaler, spoke to theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s live steaming studio, in August, when he discussed the role of leadership in cybersecurity innovation:

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