IT Teams

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Top 10 Zscaler Alternatives & Competitors To Try in 2024

Sreenidhe S.P

18th October, 2023

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As technology advances, cybersecurity and cloud solutions evolve to meet emerging needs. Considering Zscaler alternatives becomes imperative as it allows for a comprehensive evaluation of solutions. These Zscaler competitors may better resonate with your organization's requirements and strategic goals

Discover the top 10 Zscaler data protection alternatives & competitors and stay ahead of the curve. 

Zscaler, a cloud security technology, empowers users to securely access cloud resources, regardless of their device, location, or network. This cloud-native platform diligently oversees internal data center communications, serving as a cloud-based proxy and firewall. It efficiently routes all internet traffic from fixed locations through its strategically positioned points of presence, ensuring adherence to stringent business and security standards.

Although, it does come with certain limitations that may hinder your ability to secure your cloud environment effectively. One notable issue is the time-consuming setup and configuration process, which can result in delays in detecting security issues. 

Hence, it might be prudent to explore Zscaler alternatives. But before we delve into those alternatives, let's give you a brief overview of Zscaler and its associated limitations. This will equip you with the insights necessary to make an informed decision later on.

Zscaler Cloud Security Solution: A Quick Look

Zscaler, a cloud security solution, is known for its robust data protection capabilities through its Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) solution. This platform integrates traditional CASB functions with cutting-edge security features, including machine learning and behavior analysis.

With Zscaler CASB, you gain comprehensive insights into your organization's cloud usage, enabling your IT team to monitor user activity, detect potential threats, and enforce policies across various cloud services. The system intelligently classifies sensitive data and applies access policies based on sensitivity, ensuring that only authorized individuals can access it.

In addition, Zscaler CASB harnesses the power of machine learning and behavior analysis to proactively identify and thwart cyber threats, including malware, phishing attacks, and data exfiltration.

Drawbacks of Zscaler CASB Solution

The key limitations of Zscaler are as follows:

• High Cost: Zscaler can be expensive, making it less suitable for organizations with limited budgets, especially compared to more cost-effective CASB solutions.

• Integration Challenges: Zscaler's integration into an existing IT infrastructure can pose challenges, especially for organizations with complex systems. Seamless integration may require substantial effort and expertise, potentially leading to disruptions during the transition phase.

• Complex Implementation: The initial setup and configuration of Zscaler can be complex and time-consuming. It may require substantial adjustments to your existing infrastructure, potentially causing disruptions and delays in cloud security implementation.

• Steep Learning Curve: Implementing Zscaler may require significant training and resources due to its complex features, potentially leading to longer onboarding times for your team.
  
  In this post, we'll delve into a selection of viable Zscaler alternatives that could benefit your organization.
  
  But before we delve into top Zscaler competitors , let's begin by introducing ourselves and shedding light on the solutions we offer here at Zluri.

Zluri: A Solution For Streamlining SaaS Security & Management

Zluri is an intelligent SaaS management platform designed to help you seamlessly identify, track, and manage your organization's entire SaaS landscape. It uses smart SaaS discovery methods to achieve a 100% discovery rate for all SaaS applications within your organization. Once these applications are identified, Zluri offers a comprehensive suite of security and compliance information to guarantee that you fulfill all necessary compliance requirements.

Zluri sets itself apart through its unmatched data accuracy, solidifying its position as the leading SaaS management solution. It guarantees the information you access is both dependable and current, offering your organization the assurance needed to make confident, well-informed choices.

Whether your focus is software usage monitoring, compliance tracking, or SaaS investment planning, Zluri's pinpoint data accuracy ensures you have a transparent and precise view of your SaaS environment.

Zluri offers a comprehensive repository of SaaS app insights concerning events, shared data, and compliance and security assessments for your SaaS applications. This enables you to progress towards compliance while aligning with your security objectives seamlessly. 

How does Zluri secure your SaaS applications? Heres’s an overview:-

• Events related to your in-use applications

Zluri ensures you stay well-informed about any events linked to your in-use applications. We diligently aggregate this data from diverse online sources and present it in a centralized hub - the 'Events' section. This encompasses crucial updates, security vulnerabilities, data breaches, and pertinent news that might impact your SaaS applications.

• High-risk/low-risk application data

Connecting applications with each other can result in different levels of data access, spanning from read-only permissions to the capacity to write, edit, and delete data. The risk associated with data access intensifies as the sensitivity of the accessed data increases. This is how Zluri assesses and presents apps as either high-risk or low-risk.

For example, an application with the ability to access Google Drive and make modifications or deletions to files is classified as a high-level security risk.

• The compliance related data for each app

Zluri offers extensive compliance insights for every application, clearly indicating which compliance standards they align with. This simplifies the process of evaluating the compliance status of your SaaS applications and ensures they align with your organization's regulatory mandates.

In addition, Zluri employs a risk-scoring system that factors in the quantity of compliance frameworks to which an app adheres. Apps adhering to a greater number of frameworks will receive a higher risk score, signifying a reduced risk of non-compliance and an improved overall compliance standing.

• Technical app scanning to match organization's needs

Lastly, Zluri's security probes provide insight into technical scans, which are conducted on a monthly basis. However, these scans are customized to align with your organization's specific requirements.

• Robust encryption algorithms

Furthermore, Zluri places paramount importance on safeguarding your sensitive data through the use of robust encryption algorithms. This guarantees the security of all your data, offering you peace of mind. Additionally, Zluri furnishes a detailed and auditable log of critical activities, allowing you to meticulously monitor all security-related events within your applications.

Any data collected, including metrics on SaaS-app usage, is retained indefinitely unless a request for removal is submitted. Zluri securely stores all data in an encrypted format, backing it up for a period of 60 days, ensuring its availability whenever required.

• Identification of critical apps & users

Zluri goes above and beyond by offering insights into critical apps with elevated threat levels and risk scores. It proactively notifies you against the use of such critical apps that could compromise data confidentiality or make your organization vulnerable to cyber threats. This ensures that you c

an take the required measures to enhance your organization's security.

In addition to its robust security features, Zluri offers some more benefits:

• SaaS License Optimization: Zluri simplifies SaaS license optimization, tracking, identification, and reporting, offering a centralized view of all licenses for enhanced visibility into your SaaS stack. Efficient monitoring helps identify redundant apps, aiding cost-saving and security.

  

  

• Renewal Management: Zluri's renewal calendar ensures seamless subscription renewals, providing proactive alerts and allowing manual notifications for critical renewals, streamlining the process and preventing disruptions.

  

  

• Usage Monitoring: Zluri facilitates efficient tracking of SaaS application usage, aiding in identifying underutilized apps for optimized efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

• Cost Optimization: Zluri identifies unused licenses, compares prices across vendors, and offers insights to negotiate better contracts, helping reduce SaaS expenditure.

• Vendor Management: Zluri automates vendor management, providing essential features to efficiently handle your SaaS stack. Integration with core business systems ensures accurate and accessible data for streamlined vendor lifecycle management.

Experience Zluri's Benefits Firsthand – Schedule a Demo Today!

Now, let's dive into our compilation of Zscaler alternatives. Here we begin!

List of 10 Best Zscaler Alternatives

Whether you're looking for comprehensive cloud security, robust threat protection, or specific features, this list will introduce you to Zscaler alternatives that could be the perfect fit for your requirements.

1. Fortinet CASB

Fortinet , one of the Zscaler competitors, offers a range of cybersecurity solutions tailored to organizations of all sizes. Their extensive product suite encompasses FortiGate firewalls, FortiAnalyzer for security analytics, and FortiManager for centralized management.

Among Fortinet's notable offerings is its CASB solution, which enhances visibility and control over cloud applications and services within your organization.

FortiGuard CASB allows you to monitor and manage access to cloud applications and services across all endpoints, including mobile devices and remote workers. This guarantees the protection of sensitive data from unauthorized access and ensures compliance with regulatory standards.

Pros

• The tool gives you real-time threat insights, providing up-to-date information about potential cyber threats.

• It incorporates advanced threat intelligence to proactively identify and mitigate potential security threats, bolstering your organization's overall security posture.

Cons

• It lacks visibility in tracking the attacks, making it difficult for your team to manage the security efficiently.

• Some of its features are complex, resulting in investing more time in practice or getting trained by experts.

Customer Rating

• G2: 4.7/5

2. F5 security solutions

F5 specializes in delivering network security solutions tailored for businesses of all scales. Their solutions are meticulously crafted to shield networks from a diverse spectrum of threats, encompassing malware, phishing, and DDoS attacks.

F5's suite of network security solutions offers real-time monitoring and management of network traffic, allowing you to oversee your organization’s network for potential threats and proactively thwart them before any harm is done. Additionally, these solutions incorporate advanced capabilities to protect against emerging threats, enabling swift and effective responses.

Moreover, F5's network security solutions boast sophisticated access control features, empowering you to ascertain that only authorized users gain access to their respective networks. This stringent access control not only acts as a deterrent against data breaches and other security incidents but also aids in maintaining compliance with industry regulations and standards.

Pros

• It grants immediate insight into network traffic, facilitating real-time detection of issues and prompt blocking of unauthorized access.

• Configuring and managing security policies across the entire network is straightforward, streamlining the management process and minimizing the potential for configuration errors.

Cons

• The tool comes at a higher cost than other CASB tools, which might pose a challenge for adoption, particularly for smaller organizations with budget constraints.

• Implementing and managing F5's network security solution involves a steep learning curve, necessitating a significant investment of time and resources in training your team to effectively utilize the product.

Customer Rating

• G2: 3.9/5

3. Kaspersky Security for Internet Gateway

Kaspersky Security for an internet gateway helps to limit the risk of being exposed to threats and allows managing various workstations. It protects against modern web threats by automatically responding to threats and blocking the danger or malware before it can cause harm.

Kaspersky provides the capabilities of scanning all VPN servers, email traffic protection, and browsing HTTP and FTP traffic, among other things. Its capacity to accommodate the most recent technologies, as well as its scalability and optimization technology, makes it the ideal solution for large enterprises.

Pros

• Comprehensive Threat Protection: Kaspersky Security offers robust protection against various cyber threats, including malware, phishing, and ransomware. Its advanced detection and prevention capabilities help safeguard your digital assets effectively.

Cons

• Kaspersky Security can be resource intensive, potentially slowing down older or less powerful computer systems. This might lead to performance issues when running resource-demanding security scans.

• Kaspersky has faced privacy concerns in the past due to its ties with Russia. Some users may have reservations about using security software that has been the subject of such controversies.

Customer Rating

•  G2: 4.3/5

4. Netskope

The Netskope Security Cloud provides comprehensive visibility and safeguarding for cloud services, websites, and private applications, accessible from anywhere and on any device. Its data-centric approach strikes the perfect equilibrium between security and performance, ensuring the safety of your digital transformation journey.

Netskope's threat protection integrates CASB, a secure web gateway, and multiple layers of threat detection and remediation to deliver complete protection for cloud and web services. This guarantees a strong defense mechanism against a wide array of threats and vulnerabilities, thus enhancing the safety and security of organizations that rely on this platform.

Pros

• Netskope simplifies the management of your cloud platforms, supporting popular services such as Office 365, Box, and Dropbox.

• It provides a suite of risk assessment and threat discovery tools, enhancing visibility and ensuring adherence to security regulations.

Cons

• The initial implementation cost can be a barrier, particularly for smaller organizations operating within tight IT budgets, posing a challenge in justifying the expenditure.

• Its intricate learning curve may impede users from fully leveraging its capabilities, demanding a significant investment of time to master the complete tool.

Customer Rating

•  G2: 4.4/5

5. Cisco Cloud Security

Cisco Umbrella is integral to Cisco's SASE architecture, offering robust protection against online threats. It empowers enterprises to oversee and secure the usage of cloud-based applications over the Internet, safeguarding their valuable assets.

Cisco Umbrella amalgamates multiple security services within a unified, cloud-native solution that's managed centrally, assuring the security of internet access and control over cloud application usage. This comprehensive platform integrates elements like a secure web gateway, firewall, DNS-layer protection, and threat intelligence into a singular framework.

Pros

• Cisco Cloud offers seamless deployment and integration with your current systems, simplifying the process of monitoring, identifying, and resolving security concerns for your team.

• The solution delivers timely security alerts, keeping you informed about threats and cyberattacks and empowering you to identify and address issues swiftly.

Cons

• Cisco may not be the ideal choice for organizations with budget constraints, as it falls into the premium category, accompanied by a higher price point.

• Navigating the solution's interface can be challenging, demanding extra time and resources for training and implementation.

Customer Rating

•  G2: 4.5/5

6. Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway

 Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway provides real-time protection against online security threats by enforcing enterprise security policies and screening malicious internet traffic. It provides URL filtering, application controls for web-based applications, and the detection and filtering of dangerous code, to name a few essential features. Additionally, it also protects against data leaks.

Forcepoint's CASB offers precise control over the usage of cloud applications, allowing you to establish policies that regulate access permissions and prohibit unauthorized data sharing.

Additionally, the solution boasts robust threat detection features, harnessing advanced analytics and machine learning to identify unusual activities and proactively address threats in real-time.

Pros

• The solution's features are straightforward to implement, facilitating rapid comprehension and allowing you to secure your organization's IT infrastructure while managing it through a unified console.

• It provides you with the flexibility to customize your systems with email notifications, enabling swift monitoring and troubleshooting of issues.

Cons

• In terms of CASB and Google Cloud integration, the solution falls short of delivering robust security capabilities, potentially limiting your capacity to detect issues comprehensively.

• The licensing structure of the solution may pose challenges, potentially consuming valuable time that could be allocated to other critical tasks.

Customer Rating

•  G2: 4.5/5

7. Lookout Cloud Security

Lookout Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) stands as a robust CASB solution within the world of cyber security solutions, purpose-built to bolster cloud application security and fortify against the ever-looming threat of data breaches. This cutting-edge CASB delivers in-depth visibility into cloud applications and takes proactive measures against both external and internal web-based threats.

Lookout CASB empowers organizations with a comprehensive understanding of user interactions, endpoints, cloud applications, and their data. It safeguards users, all while enabling real-time threat detection and response capabilities through advanced threat defense and heightened application visibility.

Pros

• This CASB solution excels in automating assessments for all cloud applications and infrastructure, ensuring that configurations are consistently maintained at a high-security level. This automation streamlines security management and reduces the risk of misconfiguration.

• It offers a high degree of customization, allowing users to tailor the CASB to meet their specific security requirements. This adaptability ensures organizations can align the CASB with their unique security needs and preferences.

• It also offers advanced search capabilities, enabling users to efficiently locate and access the information they need. This feature enhances usability and simplifies the management of cloud security.

Cons

• The extensive range of features this CASB provides may result in an overwhelming user interface. Users may find it challenging to navigate and utilize the platform effectively due to the abundance of options and functionalities.

• The documentation provided for end-users can be complex and challenging to comprehend.

Customer Rating

•  G2: 4.2/5

8. Cato SASE Cloud

Cato SASE Cloud is an SD-WAN and network security cloud platform developed by Cato Networks, capitalizing on the cloud's scalability, self-service capabilities, and agility. This innovative solution seamlessly consolidates all data centers, branch offices, mobile users, and cloud resources into a unified, streamlined system.

Cato empowers you with the flexibility to establish, fortify, and administer your network independently, offering the choice of professionally managed services tailored to your specific needs. It extends its vigilance to scrutinize all WAN and Internet traffic through a top-tier enterprise-grade network security stack that is seamlessly integrated into the Cato SASE Cloud. Being one of the leading zscaler alternatives, it safeguards your network from malicious insider threats while providing active users with secure access to cloud apps.

Pros

• Cato SASE seamlessly integrates all data centers, branch offices, mobile users, and cloud resources into a unified platform, streamlining network management and enhancing operational efficiency.

•  Cato SASE incorporates an enterprise-grade network security stack, offering robust protection against a wide range of cyber threats, ensuring your network and data remain secure.

•  Leveraging the cloud's scalability and self-service capabilities, Cato SASE allows for flexible scaling to accommodate changing business needs and ensures agility in network operations.

Cons

• For some users, the initial setup and configuration of Cato SASE may be complex, potentially requiring additional time and resources for deployment.

• The extensive range of features and functionalities within Cato SASE could lead to a steep learning curve, making it challenging for users to fully exploit the platform's capabilities. 

Customer Rating

•  G2: 4.3/5

9. Citrix Gateway

Citrix Gateway is a comprehensive solution that provides single sign-on across all applications, whether they are hosted in a data center or as SaaS apps. Apps can be accessed from a single URL or a single platform on every device, regardless of the platform. Citrix Gateway is straightforward to set up and manage, making it one of the best zscaler alternatives.

Using Citrix Gateway, users can connect to a variety of virtual desktops, SaaS apps, and other types of heterogeneous computing environments with a single, unified user interface.

Pros

• The tool facilitates seamless integration with other applications, streamlining the management of security for all cloud-based applications within your organization.

• Citrix's secure access empowers your employees with secure remote access to company resources from any location and on any device, enhancing efficiency and collaboration, and ultimately boosting productivity.

Cons

• The solution's initial setup and configuration can be challenging, demanding valuable time and potentially necessitating expert training.

• Occasional system slowness may result in user delays when accessing essential applications or files, potentially diminishing efficiency and causing downtime.

Customer Rating

•  G2: 4.1/5

10. Symantec's CloudSOC CASB

Symantec's CloudSOC CASB (Cloud Access Security Broker) is a robust security management software and one of the best Zscaler competitors . It offers in-depth oversight and governance of an organization's cloud applications and services. It plays a pivotal role in safeguarding sensitive data, scrutinizing cloud usage, and enforcing security protocols across all cloud ecosystems in the organization.

This solution furnishes extensive insights into cloud utilization across your entire organization, empowering you to spot potential security vulnerabilities and take pre-emptive actions to avert data breaches or unauthorized data access. Thus, offering advanced threat protection in your organization.

With CloudSOC CASB, you benefit from real-time alerts and notifications, facilitating prompt responses to security incidents and thwarting data breaches proactively.

Pros

• These tools deliver robust reporting capabilities, providing you with invaluable insights into your cloud applications, and making security management more efficient and effective.

• They empower you to establish security policies tailored to users, groups, and devices, ensuring that you can create and enforce security measures that precisely align with your organization's unique security needs.

Cons

• The pricing structure is intricate, as it fluctuates based on the number of users, cloud applications, and required support levels. This complexity can make it challenging to accurately estimate the budget needed to acquire the solution.

• At times, it may lack comprehensive on-demand scanning, leading to inefficiencies in securing your organization's entire IT infrastructure, which can pose potential security risks.

Customer Rating

•  G2: 4.2/5

About the author

Sreenidhe S.P

Sreenidhe is a SaaS management expert and has a keen interest in ITAM and SAM practices. She is adept when it comes to SaaS Vendor Management and SaaS Spend management. Her knowledge of SaaS and SaaS management is self-thought and is based on a lot of reading. Before joining Zluri, Sreenidhe was working as a full-time journalist. She is also equally passionate about fashion and aspires to own a boutique someday.