The VPN Era Is Ending
For years, virtual private networks (VPNs) have been the default method for connecting remote employees to corporate systems. In a world where people, data, and devices now span offices, homes, and cloud environments, the VPN has become more of a burden than a bridge.
When it comes to SMB (Server Message Block) file sharing, VPNs expose deep performance challenges. They rely on single-path, serialized data transfer, which struggles with latency and long-distance connections, resulting in slow file access, fragile tunnels, and packet loss. These limitations make VPNs unreliable for distributed teams and hybrid workflows that depend on real-time access to large files.
For a deeper dive into these challenges, see our SMB over VPN alternatives article that explores the latency, throughput, and reliability issues that arise when large file transfers depend on legacy VPN tunnels.
Hybrid work demands a new model: one that replaces VPN chokepoints with secure, resilient, and adaptive access built for today’s distributed environments.
A Brief History of VPNs
1990s: The Origins of VPNs: VPNs emerged as a breakthrough in secure networking. They allowed businesses to extend private networks over the public internet using encrypted tunnels, offering a cost-effective way for remote offices and employees to access internal systems.
2000s–2010s: The Rise of Remote Work: As global workforces expanded and mobile devices became standard, VPNs became the backbone of remote connectivity. But the more users and endpoints connected, the more fragile and bandwidth-constrained VPNs became. Each additional tunnel introduced latency, administrative overhead, and new points of failure.
2010s–2020s: The Cloud and Mobility Era: The shift to SaaS, multi-cloud architectures, and always-on collaboration transformed how organizations operate. VPNs were built for static, perimeter-based networks and struggled to adapt. They couldn’t deliver the performance or agility modern teams required, especially in remote access across continents and hybrid infrastructures.
Traditional VPN-based file sharing can’t keep up with today’s data demands: multi-terabyte projects stall under latency, packet loss, and single-path bottlenecks, making real-time collaboration nearly impossible.
To stay competitive, organizations need access frameworks that move beyond network dependencies by streaming data efficiently, caching intelligently, and adapting across any infrastructure. But performance alone isn’t enough. As data moves fluidly across users, clouds, and endpoints, traditional perimeter-based security can no longer keep it safe.
This evolution marks a broader shift to data-centric security, where access control and protection follow the data itself rather than the network.
From Network-Based to Data-Centric Security
The Zero Trust framework inverts the traditional security model. Instead of assuming trust within the network perimeter, Zero Trust assumes no trust at all. Every user, device, and connection is verified continuously, no matter where they’re located or how they connect.
While VPNs secure a tunnel between endpoints, Zero Trust access secures the data itself. Every file, folder, and synchronization request is evaluated for identity, policy compliance, and context before access is granted.
Virtual Private Networks (VPN) vs. Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) at a Glance
| Capability | Traditional VPN | Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) |
| Access Model | Network-based, perimeter-centric | Identity and context-based |
| Security Focus | Single perimeter defense | Continuous verification of every request |
| Scalability | Hardware-limited and complex | Cloud-native and distributed |
| Performance | Gateway-dependent routing | Direct, optimized routing between endpoints |
| Visibility | Limited network-level visibility | Granular, end-to-end visibility. |
This evolution represents a fundamental shift: from protecting networks to protecting data.
In this modern approach:
- Each access request is authenticated and authorized via multi-factor authentication (MFA) before it is granted.
- Encryption protects data in transit and at rest.
- Access control is context-aware, based on user identity, device posture, and location.
- Audit logs provide full visibility across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
The file has become the new perimeter. Securing it is where Zero Trust begins.
Why Secure File Access Is the First Step Toward Zero Trust
Files are central to every workflow: project plans, code repositories, creative assets, customer data, and more. For distributed teams, secure file access determines whether hybrid and remote work is productive or frustrating.
Implementing Zero Trust often begins here. By modernizing file access, IT teams can:
- Apply least-privilege access so employees see only what they need.
- Enforce consistent policies across all environments.
- Maintain comprehensive audit trails for compliance and accountability.
- Ensure resilient availability even when central servers experience issues.
- Optimized for remote users with seamless, secure access to data and apps, regardless of location.
A Zero Trust approach to file access strengthens security and user experience while preserving the speed and flexibility hybrid teams expect.
The Benefits of VPN-Less Access
Even as cloud adoption accelerates, many organizations continue to depend on on-premises systems to maintain the control, performance, and data sovereignty required in regulated or security-sensitive environments. The challenge is preserving these advantages while moving away from legacy VPNs that slow performance and complicate management.
Modern on-premises access models can achieve secure, high-speed connectivity without relying on centralized VPN tunnels. This allows IT teams to maintain local control while aligning with Zero Trust principles.
Technical Advantages
- Improved performance: Direct local access eliminates the latency and congestion that often occur when traffic is routed through a VPN concentrator.
- Reduced attack surface: Identity-based authentication and endpoint-level encryption protect data within the organization’s internal network.
- Automation and resilience: Access policies and security checks are automated, ensuring local access continues during network disruptions and outages.
- Simplified administration: IT teams can manage access policies directly within their own infrastructure without maintaining remote VPN appliances.
- Data sovereignty: Information remains entirely within the organization’s controlled environment, reducing exposure and supporting compliance requirements.
Business Advantages
- Compliance assurance: Keeping data on-premises helps meet strict industry and regional data residency regulations.
- Cost efficiency: Eliminating VPN licenses and maintenance reduces recurring expenses.
- Performance for local teams: Employees working on-site or within secure facilities benefit from faster, more consistent access to resources.
- Confidence in control: IT retains full oversight of data movement, access logs, and infrastructure management.
How Organizations Are Replacing VPNs
To deliver secure access without VPNs, teams can adopt several on-premises patterns. These approaches remove centralized tunnels and reduce administrative overhead.
Common on-premises VPN alternatives include:
- Identity-based access control: Authenticate users through verified identity, device posture, and policy rather than network location.
- Peer-to-peer synchronization: Connect endpoints directly for secure file sharing and replication without routing through a central VPN gateway.
- Distributed file systems: Maintain data consistency across multiple sites while ensuring access control and encryption at every endpoint.
- Software-defined perimeters: Use context-aware gateways that grant application-level access instead of broad network access.
These approaches allow teams to maintain secure connectivity while keeping sensitive data within their own infrastructure. They provide a practical path to Zero Trust across local and hybrid environments.
The Resilio Approach: Active Everywhere File Access
Resilio Active Everywhere transforms how hybrid teams share and access data. Instead of routing traffic through a centralized corporate network or VPN, Resilio creates a secure, distributed mesh of trusted endpoints that move data securely and efficiently across locations..
This architecture naturally supports Zero Trust principles for file access:
- Identity-gated, least-privilege access ensures every connection and data exchange is verified and authorized between trusted peers.
- End-to-end encryption protects data in transit and at rest, maintaining confidentiality across every environment.
- High-performance distributed synchronization delivers files up to 10× faster than traditional systems, regardless of location.
- Centralized visibility and management give IT full control and insight into every transfer.
With Active Everywhere, security and performance coexist by design. Data moves directly and securely between authorized peers, minimizing vulnerabilities and maintaining speed while under complete administrative control.
Replace the tunnel. Keep the trust. Accelerate the work.
Real-World Impact
With over 500 enterprise customers worldwide, organizations across industries are adopting Resilio Active Everywhere to strengthen their Zero Trust security posture and improve operational resilience. By modernizing file access and replacing VPN-based workflows, teams are realizing measurable improvements in speed, reliability, and data control.
Creative and Media Production
Studios and post-production teams move multi-terabyte creative assets between sites with low latency and complete data integrity. Projects replicate quickly, keeping content teams synchronized and client deliveries on schedule.
Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) Firms
Design and engineering teams collaborate on massive project files across offices without delays or version conflicts. Large BIM, CAD, and 3D models sync directly between locations, allowing global project teams to stay coordinated in real time.
Financial Services
Banks and trading firms maintain secure, high-speed data replication between regional offices and disaster recovery sites. Encryption and granular access controls protect sensitive financial data while ensuring continuous uptime and regulatory compliance.
Energy and Industrial Operations
Energy companies and field operations teams securely synchronize SCADA, geospatial, and sensor data across remote locations and control centers. Real-time access to operational data improves situational awareness and decision-making in distributed environments.
Public Sector and Research Institutions
Government agencies, laboratories, and universities transfer large datasets between departments or research facilities while preserving data sovereignty and compliance. Distributed synchronization enables continuous collaboration even under strict security requirements.
Across these industries, organizations are reducing latency, eliminating network bottlenecks, and reinforcing Zero Trust practices through resilient, distributed file access.
The Future of Secure Hybrid Work
The move from VPNs to Zero Trust represents a fundamental shift toward security models built for distributed teams. Employees now expect fast, consistent access to data wherever they work.
Resilio Active Everywhere helps organizations make that transition. It unites distributed performance with Zero Trust controls, providing a single platform for scalable, policy-driven access across the hybrid workforce.
Modern cybersecurity begins where data lives. With Resilio Active Everywhere, that data remains protected, synchronized, and accessible where teams work.
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