Zero Trust Access
Application-level, identity-aware access to private resources — no VPN required. Authenticate once, access precisely what you're authorised for, from anywhere.
Overview
Zero Trust Access replaces the traditional VPN model with a modern, application-level access framework. Instead of granting broad network access after a single login, every request is continuously verified against the user's identity, device posture, and group membership — before access is granted to a specific application or resource.
This approach significantly reduces the attack surface of your infrastructure while improving the day-to-day experience for administrators, developers, and end users alike.
Why Zero Trust vs. Traditional VPN
Granular Access Control
Least-privilege enforcement at the level of individual users, devices, and applications. Traditional VPNs grant broad network access — once connected, users may reach far more than intended.
Reduced Attack Surface
Private applications are never directly exposed to the Internet — no open inbound ports, no publicly reachable gateway to target. VPN appliances, by contrast, are internet-facing and frequently exploited.
Seamless User Experience
Browser-based access for supported use cases requires no client software or shared credentials. Users authenticate with their existing identity provider and are taken directly to the resource they need.
Full Audit Visibility
Every access event is logged per user and per application — who accessed what, when, and from which device. Traditional VPNs typically only record connection start/end, with no application-level insight.
Cloud-Native Scalability
Onboarding new users or applications requires no hardware changes or network reconfiguration. The service scales automatically, making it fit for distributed and hybrid teams of any size.
Continuous Verification
Authentication and device posture are validated on every request. Compromised credentials alone are not sufficient to gain access — reducing the risk of lateral movement inside the network.
Supported Use Cases
| # | Use Case | Access Method | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SSH to infrastructure | Agent-based | Secure SSH access to cloud VMs for server administrators. |
| 2 | OpenStack Dashboard & APIs | Agent-based | Access to cloud management portals and APIs for IaaS operators. |
| 3 | Internal web applications | Browser (clientless) | Privately hosted web services not exposed to the Internet, accessible to authorised users without a client agent. |
| 4 | Kubernetes control plane | Agent-based | Secure kubectl and API access to managed Kubernetes clusters. |
| 5 | Browser-rendered SSH | Browser (clientless) | SSH sessions rendered directly in the browser — no client installation needed. |
| 6 | RDP to Windows machines | Agent-based | Secure Remote Desktop access to Windows-based infrastructure. |
Identity & Access Configuration
Zero Trust Access integrates with your existing identity provider. Supported options include:
- Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD)
- Google Workspace
- SAML 2.0 compatible providers
- OIDC compatible providers
Group membership defined in your identity provider is used to control which users can access which applications — no manual access lists to maintain.
Deployment Models
UNICC-Managed Zero Trust
Organisations that do not have an existing enterprise Zero Trust agreement can leverage the UNICC-managed service. The platform is fully operated by UNICC, including provisioning, policy management, and onboarding.
Customers provide:
- Their preferred identity provider configuration.
- The list of users and applications to onboard.
Billing is per user per month — see Service Plans for details.
Consulting & Advisory
Organisations that already operate their own enterprise Zero Trust platform can engage UNICC for consulting services: policy design, tunnel configuration, identity provider integration, and best-practice guidance.