Enterprise VPNs: Ivanti Pulse Connect vs. Twingate

A virtual private network (VPN) creates an encrypted connection between a user device like a desktop system, laptop or mobile phone and one or more servers. A VPN securely connects a user device to an organization’s internal network or the internet. 

Enterprises use VPNs to allow remote users secure access to internal data and applications or to create a single, shared network between several office branches. The primary goal is to prevent web traffic, especially traffic consisting of proprietary information, from being exposed on the internet and misused.

When remote employees access an internal enterprise network over the internet, their traffic could potentially be exposed to snooping. Encrypting that traffic with an enterprise VPN software helps keep it safer from miscreants. 

While VPNs are easier to manage and cheaper than legacy solutions like manually allowing enterprise network access to individual remote users or purchasing a secure leased line from an internet Service Provider (ISP), they do have certain limitations if not managed properly. These include:

• Increased security risks if a hacker gains access to a remote user’s VPN credentials.
• Latency penalties.
• Cloud-based business application incompatibility. 
• Mounting costs.
• Management time, especially if leveraging more than one VPN.  

Read on to learn all you need to know about Ivanti Pulse Connect and Twingate.

Also read: Best Business & Enterprise VPNs of 2021

Ivanti Pulse Connect Overview

Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure provides zero trust, uncompromising secure access to the cloud and the data center. 

The Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) VPN ensures endpoint compliance before permitting access to the cloud, protects data with the always-on VPN and lockdown mode, enhances workforce productivity, and reduces costs with reliable, secure enterprise network access.    

Ivanti Pulse Connect Features

• A single unified client for remote and on-site access reduces management complexity.
• Easy integration with next-generation firewalls (NGFWs), security information and event management (SIEM) software, enterprise mobility management/mobile device management (EMM/MDM) solutions, Identity Services and Directory Services. 
• Dynamic multi-factor authentication tools, including biometric authentication, Time-based One Time Password (TOTP), Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) 2.0, public key infrastructure (PKI), identity and access management (IAM) and digital certificates ensure outsiders cannot access the VPN. 
• The software ensures that all endpoint devices comply with data access and protection requirements for regulatory and industry compliance before granting access to a network.  
• Single sign-on (SSO) ensures secure, streamlined access to enterprise resources, be it on-premises or in the cloud.
• You can protect data-in-motion with always-on, per-application and on-demand VPN options. 
• With centralized management and visibility, you can track users, devices, access activity and security state and manage policies. 
• The solution offers clientless access to virtual desktop products and web-based applications.
• Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure is compatible with macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android environments. 
• You can take a free Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure health check to ensure your VPN set up is future-ready. 

Pricing: A free trial is available to test the solution and/or request a custom quote by contacting the Ivanti sales team. 

Twingate Overview

Twingate is a zero trust, secure and performant private data access solution for your distributed workforce. The solution is delivered as a cloud-based service and enables you to rapidly implement a software-defined parameter without changing network infrastructure and centrally manage access of users to internal applications, be it on-premises or in the cloud. 

Twingate Features

• The solution requires minimal maintenance and can scale from 10 to 10,000 users with ease.
• With the software, your enterprise network is invisible to the internet. This significantly reduces the possibility of exposure to opportunistic attackers. 
• Zero-trust access ensures that hackers do not obtain access to your entire enterprise network upon a single user being compromised.  
• The solution integrates with your identity providers and SSO and can be deployed in a matter of minutes, without infrastructure renaming or changes. 
• You can centrally manage access through a single administration console, the Twingate Controller. Extensive logging gives you application-level access visibility. You can easily provision and deprovision users. 
• Split tunneling and intelligent routing eliminates backhauling and reduces network burden – this results in fewer connection problems, lower latency, crisper video calls and quicker web browsing. Naturally, a frustration-free experience increases user productivity. 
• Once enabled, the solution is always on and does not require user interaction – it provides access to authorized resources with ease. A user can self-enroll with a few clicks.  
• Overall, the solution reduces risk and costs, increases agility and is future proof, as it is a modern architecture solution built for an increasingly global workforce.  
• Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS endpoint users can leverage the solution. 

Pricing: You can request a demo and/or contact the Twingate sales team for pricing details. 

Comparing Ivanti Pulse Connect and Twingate

Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure is a secure access SSL VPN that offers several features, like a single unified client, easy integration, dynamic and adaptive multi-factor authentication, stateful endpoint compliance, SSO, zero-trust connections, data center and multicloud, centralized visibility and management, clientless access and compliance.

Twingate enables you to take advantage of a modern, zero-trust and secure network access solution that offers speed and ease of deployment, scalability, support for all applications, administrative usability, client usability, and network invisibility.  

Go through the features of each enterprise VPN software in detail and purchase the solution that is most ideal for your organization.

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