Southwark Council is set to bolster its cybersecurity infrastructure by replacing its legacy Virtual Private Network (VPN) with a Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution. The move, aimed at modernising the council's digital estate and mitigating cyber risks, was discussed at the Joint IT Committee (Brent, Lewisham and Southwark) meeting on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.
ZTNA is being positioned as a critical component in Southwark's cybersecurity strategy, replacing the existing F5 VPN, which has been flagged as inadequate and a cyber risk1. According to the Public Reports Pack, a proof-of-value exercise is currently underway, with a full rollout expected by December 2025. The council anticipates that ZTNA will offer a simplified architecture, improved user experience for connectivity, and stronger compliance and monitoring capabilities.
The council's decision to transition to ZTNA is driven by the need to enhance security and modernise its infrastructure. The current VPN solution has been deemed insufficient to meet the evolving cybersecurity challenges. ZTNA's continuous verification approach ensures that all users, whether inside or outside the network, are thoroughly authenticated before gaining access to resources, significantly reducing the risk of cyber threats. Southwark Council also expects that ZTNA will strengthen compliance and monitoring capabilities2. The implementation of ZTNA is expected to improve the user experience for connectivity for Southwark Council employees3, and offer a simplified architecture4.
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The meeting information states that the legacy F5 VPN
has been flagged as inadequate and a cyber risk.
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The report mentions that ZTNA offers
stronger compliance and monitoring capabilities.
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The report states that ZTNA offers
improved user experience for connectivity
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The report mentions that ZTNA offers
simplified architecture
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