# ztna

Source: https://startwithidentity.com/glossary/ztna/
Last updated: 2026-08-29
License: content by Start with Identity. Cite the source URL.

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Zero Trust Network Access. The product category that replaces VPNs with identity-aware proxies. ZTNA grants access to specific applications based on identity and policy, never exposing the underlying network.

ZTNA replaces the VPN's "you are on the network" model with per-application authorization, which shrinks lateral movement dramatically because a compromised endpoint reaches only what its user is entitled to. The migration difficulty is rarely the technology and usually the inventory: knowing every application, who should reach it, and what depends on flat network access today.

See also: [what is zero trust](https://startwithidentity.com/guides/fundamentals/what-is-zero-trust/), [zero trust](https://startwithidentity.com/glossary/zero-trust/), [device posture](https://startwithidentity.com/glossary/device-posture/), [zero trust vendors](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/zero-trust/)