Ericsson launches clientless ZTNA to boost BYOD security

Ericsson has expanded its NetCloud SASE portfolio with the addition of a clientless Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution targeted at enhancing the security of third-party and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) connections.

The new offering is designed to address a critical challenge faced by many organisations: the risk posed by third-party cyber incidents. According to research from KPMG, 73 per cent of organisations have experienced at least one major disruption related to third-party cyber incidents within the last three years.

Ericsson's clientless ZTNA aims to reduce these risks by embedding isolation technology directly within its solution. Unlike traditional clientless ZTNA approaches that rely solely on access controls, Ericsson's NetCloud SASE initiates application sessions within isolated cloud containers when accessed via unmanaged or BYOD devices. This "air gap" is intended to separate corporate systems from potentially insecure endpoints, mitigating the risk of malware propagation across the enterprise network.

Pankaj Malhotra, Head of WWAN & Security, Enterprise Wireless Solutions at Ericsson, underlined the growing relevance of the solution for organisations adopting 5G technologies. He said: "5G uniquely introduces a surge of IoT and OT assets, which are frequently monitored and maintained by third-party suppliers and contractors. Unlike legacy VPNs that provide broad network access and are difficult to implement, NetCloud ZTNA offers a straightforward, policy-based solution that ensures users have isolated access to resources based on the principle of least privilege."

The clientless ZTNA is positioned to offer lean IT teams the flexibility to manage both managed and unmanaged device environments, particularly in settings that prioritise wireless connectivity. Organisations can enable secure remote access for third parties or BYOD users without the need for traditional VPNs, client software installations, or browser extensions.

Key features of the expanded NetCloud SASE include clientless secure access, isolation of interactions between unmanaged users and corporate assets via cloud containers, and granular policy-based controls that enforce least-privilege access. These policies can be managed based on user role, device type, or other risk factors.

The solution also incorporates continuous risk assessment capabilities through real-time analytics and intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS). According to Ericsson, this enables instant revocation of access if user context or risk levels change, supporting a proactive security posture.

The architecture eliminates the need for static public IP addresses, masks internal IP locations, defaults to a "deny all" access state, and implements micro-segmentation to prevent lateral movement within the network. All functions are managed via NetCloud Manager, which consolidates the management of 5G wireless WAN, SD-WAN, and SASE security from a single platform.

The clientless ZTNA also integrates with existing enterprise Identity and Access Management (IAM) platforms, automating user authentication and authorisation while controlling identity sprawl.

John Grady, Principal Analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group, now part of Omdia, commented on the benefits of ZTNA over traditional VPN approaches. "VPNs fail to address modern secure access needs due to their complexity, management overhead, security vulnerabilities, and performance issues, making ZTNA a must. But ZTNA solutions that rely on agents make it difficult for overburdened IT teams to deploy to third-parties needing access to corporate resources. For organisations adopting a wireless-centric strategy, NetCloud SASE clientless ZTNA offers a unique, isolation-based approach which grants access to specified assets, while providing effective protection against malicious activity and the threat of malware."

The NetCloud SASE with clientless ZTNA is currently available as part of the NetCloud ZTNA licence. Ericsson has stated that this marks the first time an enterprise 5G router vendor has provided a completely integrated, clientless ZTNA solution under unified management.