ThreatLabz 2025 VPN Risk Report

The Zscaler ThreatLabz 2025 VPN Risk Report delivers an incisive look at the evolving risks associated with virtual private networks (VPNs) and underscores the urgent shift towards zero trust architectures as organizations strive to meet future-proofed security demands. Once heralded as the backbone of remote access, VPNs have increasingly become focal points for cyber threats, transitioning from essential tools to significant security risks for organizations worldwide. This report, drawing insights from over 600 IT and security professionals, reveals a critical pivot in the cybersecurity landscape: more than half of the organizations surveyed experienced attacks due to VPN vulnerabilities in the past year alone, highlighting the dire need for a new approach in today’s increasingly hybrid work environments.

In 2025, the dissatisfaction with traditional VPNs has catalyzed a shift, with enterprises overwhelmingly recognizing that patching these vulnerabilities is a race they can no longer win. This realization is driving the widespread adoption of zero trust models, which promise granular access control and significantly reduce security risks. Notably, 81% of organizations are now pivoting to implement zero trust strategies by 2026, with 65% planning to completely phase out VPNs within the same period. Moreover, operational frustrations such as slow connections, frequent disconnections, and complex authentication processes have only added to the urgency, propelling a surge in demand for zero trust solutions that ensure both seamless and secure access.