“VPNs are no longer secure”—this has become a growing concern as cyberattacks targeting VPN vulnerabilities continue to surge. So, how can organizations overcome the limitations of VPNs, and what security measures should they adopt moving forward?
On May 16, 2025, Zscaler, in collaboration with Cybersecurity Insiders, released the 2025 Zscaler ThreatLabz VPN Risk Report, shedding light on critical VPN weaknesses and outlining recommended alternatives.
How VPN Vulnerabilities Are Putting Businesses at Risk
The report surveyed 632 IT and security professionals worldwide, revealing alarming statistics:
- 92% of organizations are concerned about ransomware attacks exploiting VPN vulnerabilities
- 93% recognize the risk of VPN access becoming an external backdoor for attackers
- 56% cite maintaining security and compliance as the biggest challenge with VPN usage
A notable example occurred in February 2024, when a major Japanese financial institution suffered a significant data breach, leaking roughly 20,000 customer records due to an unpatched VPN vulnerability. Similar incidents have highlighted VPNs as frequent entry points for cyberattacks.
VPN Risks Are Growing — AI-Powered Attacks on the Rise
According to Zscaler’s ThreatLabz research, reported VPN-related vulnerabilities (CVEs) increased by 82.5% between 2020 and 2025. A large portion of these flaws enable Remote Code Execution (RCE), giving attackers the ability to run malicious code within corporate environments.
What’s more concerning, cybercriminals are now leveraging generative AI to rapidly identify and exploit VPN vulnerabilities, making attacks more sophisticated and faster than ever.
The Shift Toward Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA)
Given the growing limitations of traditional VPN-based security models, Zscaler strongly recommends that businesses adopt Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) as a next-generation defense framework.
Zero Trust Principles:
- Never trust, always verify — strict access controls for every user and device
- Principle of least privilege — granting only the minimum required access
- Prevention of lateral movement to limit the spread of internal threats
- Enhanced data protection
- Streamlined, efficient security operations
By adopting Zero Trust, companies can eliminate reliance on single-access pathways like VPNs and build a more resilient, flexible security infrastructure.
80% of Companies Plan to Adopt Zero Trust Within a Year
The report reveals a clear trend:
- 65% of organizations are planning a phased transition away from VPNs
- 81% intend to implement Zero Trust security within the next 12 months
Leading enterprises are already accelerating their move toward Zero Trust, reducing their dependence on vulnerable VPN infrastructure.
Conclusion: A New Era Where VPN Alone Is Not Enough
Recent studies and real-world incidents demonstrate that perimeter-based defenses reliant solely on VPNs are insufficient against today’s increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
Zscaler recommends the following actions:
✔ Move beyond VPN dependency by building layered, defense-in-depth security
✔ Rapidly implement Zero Trust Architecture across your organization
✔ Enhance threat visibility and adopt real-time risk monitoring
A modern cybersecurity strategy demands flexible, robust access management based on true Zero Trust principles.
Recognizing the limitations of VPNs and transitioning to a Zero Trust framework is now the most effective way to safeguard organizations from evolving cyber risks.
