Gartner defines zero trust network access (ZTNA) as products and services that create an identity and context-based, logical-access boundary that encompasses an enterprise user and an internally hosted application or set of applications. The applications are hidden from discovery, and access is restricted via a trust broker to a collection of named entities, which limits lateral movement within a network.

ZTNA has evolved from being primarily a VPN replacement into a key component of a standardized zero trust architecture for remote and branch users. ZTNA has yet to gain a great deal of traction in large branch or campus environments due to the high per-user cost and existing investments in appliance-based solutions.