Sold by: Zscaler, Inc.
Deployed on AWS
ZPA Connectors provide the secure authenticated interface between a customer's servers and the Zscaler Private Access cloud.
App Connectors can be deployed in several forms. Zscaler distributes a standard virtual machine (VM) image for deployment in enterprise data centers, local private cloud environments such as VMware, or public cloud environments such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) EC2. Additionally, Zscaler provides packages that can be installed on supported Linux distributions.
Connectors can be co-located with your enterprise applications, or they can be deployed in any location that has connectivity to the applications. Typically, they are deployed on network segments that can access secured applications and the ZPA cloud simultaneously, such as in a DMZ. Connectors only connect outbound; they do not need any inbound open ports to operate correctly.
4.4
Overview
The Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) service enables organizations to provide access to internal applications and services while ensuring the security of their networks. ZPA is an easier to deploy, more cost-effective, and more secure alternative to VPNs. Unlike VPNs, which require users to connect to your network to access your enterprise applications, ZPA allows you to give users policy-based secure access only to the internal apps they need to get their work done. With ZPA, application access does not require network access.
While ZPA is for connecting users to an enterprise's internal applications, Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA) is for connecting users to public applications on the internet. To learn more about ZIA architecture, see About the ZIA Cloud Architecture.
Additionally, ZPA decouples applications from the physical network so you can provide seamless connectivity to private internal applications and assets whether they are in the cloud, the data center, or both. It also adjusts dynamically to network changes, so you can move your resources without impacting user access.
You can configure settings and policies on a central ZPA Admin Portal, which also feature dashboards where you can see your users and the apps they access, and monitor the health of your servers and resources. You can configure ZPA to automatically discover servers and applications when users request them, or you can configure them manually as well. You then define policies that specify which apps users or groups can use, and ZPA allows them to connect to those apps only. ZPA renders your applications invisible to all but the authorized users and unroutable to anyone.
Like all Zscaler offerings the ZPA service is based on Zscaler's global cloud platform. So, there is no requirement for additional hardware or upgrades to existing hardware.
Highlights
- Zscaler Client Connector: Installed on your users' devices, the Zscaler Client Connector connects to the ZPA cloud to enable granular, policy-based access to your organization's internal resource.
- App Connectors: Lightweight virtual machines (VM) that are installed in the data centers that host your servers and applications. They connect to ZPA Public Service Edges or ZPA Private Service Edges only to provide users access to applications in your data center, and do not accept inbound connections.
- Global Zscaler Cloud: Stitches all components together. The Central Authority (CA) provides a central location for software updates as well as policy and configuration settings. The ZPA Public Service Edges or ZPA Private Service Edges enforce user policies and provides secure transport to the App Connectors.
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64-bit (x86) Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
Latest version
Operating system
Rhel 9
Deployed on AWS
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Delivery details
64-bit (x86) Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
An AMI is a virtual image that provides the information required to launch an instance. Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) instances are virtual servers on which you can run your applications and workloads, offering varying combinations of CPU, memory, storage, and networking resources. You can launch as many instances from as many different AMIs as you need.
Version release notes
For Release notes please access this link: https://help.zscaler.com/zpa/documentation-knowledgebase/release-notes/zpa-app-connector-release-notes
Additional details
Usage instructions
In order to acquire a license key for this product, please contact us via our web form here: https://www.zscaler.com/company/contact .
Once complete, you may access the User Interface of the Zscaler Cloud Portal by accessing this link here: https://admin.zscaler.net/ . If not completed prior, you will be promoted to create an Admin account for your Zscaler Cloud Portal.
Utilizing the login you created, you may now utilize the Zscaler Cloud Portal to access your Zscaler management console where you will be able to manage and deploy new products on AWS, or other locations.
For ZPA Connector AWS Deployment see the below:
Update the Security Group associated to the App Connector to temporarily allow inbound access on port 22, then complete the following steps to connect to the instance.
SSH access is required in order to configure the provisioning key for the App Connector. See instructions: https://help.zscaler.com/zpa/connector-deployment-guide-amazon-web-services#security
Log in to the App Connector console using your AWS Private Key (i.e., a .pem file).
SSH access is enabled by default on AWS App Connectors, so there is no need to enable the service manually.
Using a standard SSH client, enter the following command to connect to the AWS instance: ssh -i <AWS Private Key> admin@<App Connector Public Hostname or IP Address>
For example, the private key for the AWS instance is AWS.pem and the App Connector IP address is 35.160.130.25: ssh -i AWS.pem admin@35.160.130.25
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Zscaler global support is available around the clock, with dedicated customer support engineers providing personalized assistance to ensure that customers are getting the most value from our products. Our support engineers have significant experience in networking and security, working closely with operations, sales, and engineering teams to ensure rapid response and resolution.
AWS infrastructure support
AWS Support is a one-on-one, fast-response support channel that is staffed 24x7x365 with experienced and technical support engineers. The service helps customers of all sizes and technical abilities to successfully utilize the products and features provided by Amazon Web Services.
Similar products
Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) Network Connectors provide a secure authenticated interface between remote network segments and the ZPA cloud, and help enable end-to-end secure remote access. Network Connectors are part of the VPN (for Legacy Apps) solution and build the inside-out tunnel to VPN Service Edges and ZPA Public Brokers. You can deploy Network Connectors in two forms:
A standard virtual machine (VM) image for deployment in datacenter and campus remote sites.
AMI images for Amazon Web Services (AWS) EC2 and VM images for Microsoft Azure.
Additionally, Zscaler provides packages that you can install on RHEL (9.x) Linux distributions. Network Connectors allow seamless connectivity to specific network segments and can be deployed in any location that has connectivity to the ZPA cloud. Like App Connectors, Network Connectors connect outbound only and do not require inbound open ports for operation.
Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) applies the principles of least privilege to give users secure connectivity to private applications while eliminating unauthorized access and lateral movement. ZPA can be deployed in hours to replace legacy VPN and remote access tools with a holistic zero trust platform.
Enabled by the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange (ZTE), Zscaler Cloud Connector is a virtual machine (VM) that simplifies traffic forwarding to Zscaler services. It extends the capabilities of Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA) and Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) to cloud-native workloads, which allows enterprises to secure cloud workload communications over any network.
The ZTE enables workloads to communicate with each other and have a granular security policy applied. The communication may be from private workloads (i.e., IaaS, physical data center) to public workloads (i.e., SaaS/internet), or between private workloads (i.e., IaaS to IaaS, IaaS to physical data center).
The ZPA Private Service Edges are brokers that are a single-tenant instance that provide the functionality of a ZPA Public Service Edge in an organization's environment. Your organization hosts them either within your site or on a cloud service, but Zscaler manages them. On the other hand, ZPA Public Service Edges are deployed in Zscaler data centers around the world.
As with a ZPA Public Service Edge, a ZPA Private Service Edge manages the connections between Zscaler Client Connector and App Connectors. It registers with the ZPA Cloud. This allows a ZPA Private Service Edge to download the relevant policies and configurations so it can enforce all ZPA policies. It also caches path selection decisions.
ZPA Private Service Edges can be deployed in several forms. Zscaler distributes images for deployment in enterprise data centers and local private cloud environments such as VMware.
Customer reviews
David K.
Configurable, Bandwidth-Light Private Access with Seamless Captive Portal Handling
Reviewed on Nov 03, 2026
Review provided by G2
What do you like best about the product?
Zscaler Private Access is a highly configurable method for providing tunnels without having to access a corporate network. It provides a transparent VPN functionality without soaking up too much bandwidth. The client automatically recognizes captive portals and allows access to authenticate to local networks without impairing tunnel construction. There are some websites that detect network changes and require the client to be suspended to work properly, but user profiles can be configured to allow this.
What do you dislike about the product?
Zscaler generally runs in the background and is relatively invisible, until you reach a website that is sensitive to the network change or VPN state and refuses to allow you to authenticate. On enterprise deployments, the client has to be authenticated by each user (it doesn't accept single-sign-on credentials) which creates another speed bump each time a user needs some external resource. It's decent when most of the traffic is within the corporate network, but some functional groups (like research or communications) which have a lot of traffic outside the corporate network will have considerable frustration. Some of these issues can be addressed through configuration and implementation of policy.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Zscaler provides a uniform, robust level of protection to prevent unwanted exposure of sensitive data, even if distributed users are logging in from otherwise insecure or open networks. It provides a relatively unitrusive client that cannot be masked by the end users, ensuring compliance with institutional policies. From the corporate network side, it allows secure communication while the workforce becomes ever more mobile.
Financial Services
A Cleaner, More Secure Zero Trust Alternative to Traditional VPNs
Reviewed on Nov 03, 2026
Review provided by G2
What do you like best about the product?
A big upside of Zscaler Private Access was moving away from the traditional VPN model (Fortinet) and giving people access only to the specific applications they actually needed, rather than effectively putting them on the corporate network. It gave us a much more Zero Trust-style approach, reducing the attack surface and lateral movement risk, while also making remote access more seamless for users. With identity and device posture driving access, it was ultimately a cleaner and more secure way of supporting our hybrid workforce post COVID
What do you dislike about the product?
The main drawbacks I remember with ZPA were around complexity and troubleshooting. It was a strong security model, but getting application segmentation and policies right took effort, particularly for legacy apps that expected traditional network connectivity. When something stopped working, troubleshooting could also be less straightforward because you had the Zscaler client, identity, device posture, policy and application connectors all potentially in the path. There was also the dependency on the Zscaler platform/client and licensing cost, so we were effectively trading simpler VPN-style connectivity for a more secure model that required stronger operational maturity to manage well.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
From a business perspective, ZPA solved the challenge of giving us a more mobile/hybrid workforce secure access to internal applications without relying on traditional VPN connectivity. It reduced the need to extend the corporate network out to every remote device, gave us more granular control over who could access what, and supported a more Zero Trust approach. Ultimately, it was about improving remote access, reducing security exposure and making access less dependent on whether someone was physically on the corporate network.
Adrian D.
Secure, Scalable Zero Trust Access with ZPA
Reviewed on Nov 03, 2026
Review provided by G2
What do you like best about the product?
ZPA enables secure, seamless Zero Trust access to private applications, reducing VPN reliance while strengthening security and business agility daily.
What do you dislike about the product?
ZPA provides strong security value, but deployment, policy configuration, and troubleshooting often demand substantial expertise and ongoing administrative effort.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
ZPA replaces the dependency on traditional VPNs by providing secure Zero Trust access to private applications. This helps reduce network exposure, strengthens access controls, and allows employees to work securely from virtually anywhere.
Farwa A.
Easy-to-Use, Secure Access with Occasional Unexpected Logoffs
Reviewed on Nov 03, 2026
Review provided by G2
What do you like best about the product?
I like that Zscaler Private Access is easy to use and so secure. It keeps the login secure, and the initial setup was quite easy.
What do you dislike about the product?
Sometimes Zscaler Private Access logs me off or turns off without informing me. I believe a better connection could resolve it.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I use Zscaler Private Access to keep my company login secure.
Information Technology and Services
Quick Setup and Granular Access, with Occasional Network Slowdowns
Reviewed on Nov 03, 2026
Review provided by G2
What do you like best about the product?
I like that Zscaler Private Access lets me monitor user network traffic, identify malicious URLs and activity, and review packet inspections. I can restrict users to specific environments, which helps limit lateral movement, and use micro-level segmentation based on user identity and risk. I also value the add-ons for discovering shadow applications, the integration with AD, and how easy it is to create multiple policies. It’s an all-in-one tool, and the initial setup was pretty quick—it took less than a day.
What do you dislike about the product?
In certain cases, the network gets too slow or drops. I also find the internal access to other servers through the Zscaler proxies challenging, though I know it’s necessary. It would be great if Zscaler added the latest agentic direction on shadow applications.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I use Zscaler Private Access to monitor user network traffic, identify malicious URLs or activity, and review packet inspections.