Portnox expands ZTNA with passwordless access for RDP, SSH, and enterprise consoles

Portnox has unveiled a major expansion of its zero trust network access (ZTNA) solution, extending credential-free access beyond web and on-premises applications to include enterprise console-based applications.

Organizations can eliminate passwords and credentials from administrative access via Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), Secure Shell (SSH), Virtual Network Computing (VNC), and Teletype Network (Telnet). This removes the attack vector responsible for 80% of data breaches while maintaining the frictionless user experience that has defined Portnox ZTNA.

As enterprises accelerate digital transformation to support hybrid work, cloud migration, and AI adoption, every new initiative expands the attack surface faster than security teams can adapt. The problem with traditional approaches is that they attempt to secure vulnerable architectures instead of redesigning them for modern risk. Legacy VPNs grant broad network access. Credential vaults just manage passwords. Neither addresses the root cause.

Portnox takes a fundamentally different approach: eliminate passwords and credentials entirely. According to a recent Forrester Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) study, organizations implementing Portnox Cloud achieve a 287% ROI, a 75% reduction in breach risk, and 90% faster deployment of new sites, with payback in under six months.

“When we launched Portnox ZTNA in July 2025, we proved that you don’t have to sacrifice speed or simplicity to achieve zero trust,” said Denny LeCompte, CEO of Portnox. “Our expansion into console-based applications shows what happens when you substantially reduce the attack surface. Portnox customers are removing passwords and replacing VPNs while improving the user experience across their application suite. That’s the promise of true zero trust: better security, increased productivity, and ease of use.”

Building on Portnox’s NAC and universal access control foundation, Portnox ZTNA now extends comprehensive zero trust protection across the entire enterprise technology stack:

• Stop risky devices at the console – Passwordless, certificate-based authentication for RDP, SSH, VNC, and Telnet connections – Continuous device posture monitoring and risk-adaptive policies – Automated remediation of non-compliant endpoints before access is granted – Zero network impact deployment—no firewall changes, VPN clients, or agent installations required
• Secure, frictionless access for users – Unified view of all authorized resources across applications and infrastructure – Single sign-on experience for enterprise applications (web, SaaS, on-premises, console-based) – Role-based and location-based access controls with real-time policy enforcement – Simplified endpoint management and automated security workflows
• Continuous zero trust verification – Identity verification through integration with enterprise IdPs (Okta, Azure AD, Google Workspace) – Device posture checks against organizational security policies – Network and location context evaluation for every access request – Risk scoring for adaptive security – Automatic access revocation when device posture or risk conditions change

With 93% of CISOs planning to replace VPNs by 2027, these advancements position Portnox as the modern alternative—delivering enterprise-grade security, measurable business outcomes, and operational simplicity that legacy VPNs and first-generation ZTNA solutions cannot match.