Client Overview
A small acquisitions company supporting Department of Defense contracts required a more secure approach to remote access while working toward Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) compliance. The organization operated with approximately 10 to 15 employees, maintained a single office location, and relied heavily on cloud-based services, with most staff working remotely.
The Challenge
The organization was using a traditional firewall-based VPN solution to provide remote access to company resources. While functional, the VPN presented several challenges:
- Broad network access for remote users.
- Limited visibility into user activity.
- Increased attack surface.
- Difficulty aligning remote access controls with CMMC requirements.
- Administrative overhead associated with managing VPN infrastructure.
The client needed a solution that would improve security, simplify remote access, and support compliance objectives without disrupting employee productivity.
Assessment and Planning
Intricate Security conducted a review of the client's environment, remote access requirements, and compliance objectives. The assessment focused on identifying:
- Applications and resources requiring remote access.
- User authentication requirements.
- Device security requirements.
- CMMC-related access control objectives.
- Opportunities to reduce exposure through Zero Trust principles.
The goal was to replace the traditional VPN with a more secure, identity-driven access model while improving visibility and control.
Solution: Cloudflare Zero Trust
Intricate Security implemented a comprehensive Cloudflare Zero Trust solution consisting of:
Cloudflare Access (ZTNA)
Traditional VPN access was replaced with Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), allowing users to securely access approved resources based on identity, device posture, and authentication policies.
Instead of granting access to an entire network segment, users were granted access only to the specific resources required for their role.
Cloudflare Tunnel
Cloudflare Tunnel was deployed to securely publish internal resources without exposing services directly to the internet.
This eliminated the need for inbound firewall rules and reduced the organization's external attack surface.
Cloudflare WARP
The WARP client was deployed to all company-managed endpoints, ensuring user traffic was securely routed through Cloudflare's Zero Trust platform regardless of user location.
This provided consistent security controls for both office and remote employees.
Cloudflare Gateway
Cloudflare Gateway was implemented to provide secure web filtering and visibility into internet activity.
During deployment, policies were fine-tuned to ensure legitimate business websites remained accessible while maintaining security controls.
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Cloudflare DLP was configured to help protect sensitive organizational data and provide additional safeguards aligned with compliance objectives.
Identity Integration
Microsoft Entra ID was integrated as the identity provider, enabling centralized authentication and policy enforcement.
Access decisions could now be tied directly to user identity and group membership.
Device Posture Validation
Access policies were configured to verify endpoint security requirements before granting access, including:
- Microsoft Defender operational and healthy
- Full disk encryption enabled
- Device joined to Microsoft Entra ID
Only compliant devices were permitted to access protected resources.
Protected Resources
The Cloudflare Zero Trust deployment secured:
- Microsoft 365 services
- Internal file shares
- Remote employee access to business resources
- Cloud-based applications
Implementation
The project was completed over approximately two weeks and included:
- Solution design and architecture review
- Microsoft Entra ID integration
- Cloudflare Tunnel deployment
- WARP client deployment
- Access policy creation
- Device posture validation configuration
- Testing and user acceptance
- Production rollout
The primary challenge encountered during deployment involved fine-tuning website access policies to balance security with business requirements.
Results
Following implementation, the organization achieved several key improvements:
| Objective | Result |
|---|---|
| VPN Replacement | Legacy VPN infrastructure eliminated |
| Attack Surface Reduction | Internal resources no longer directly exposed |
| Secure Remote Access | Zero Trust access implemented for all users |
| Device Security Validation | Enforced before access is granted |
| User Activity Visibility | Improved through Cloudflare Gateway |
| Compliance Alignment | Enhanced support for CMMC access control objectives |
| Administrative Overhead | Reduced through centralized policy management |
Business Impact
By replacing its traditional VPN with Cloudflare Zero Trust, the organization significantly improved its remote access security model while advancing its CMMC compliance efforts.
The deployment provided stronger identity-based access controls, continuous device validation, improved visibility into user activity, and reduced reliance on legacy network-centric security models.
The client now operates with a Zero Trust architecture that supports a remote workforce, reduces risk, and provides a scalable foundation for future compliance and security initiatives.
Technologies Used
- Cloudflare Zero Trust
- Cloudflare Access (ZTNA)
- Cloudflare Tunnel
- Cloudflare Gateway
- Cloudflare DLP
- Cloudflare WARP
- Microsoft Entra ID
- Microsoft Defender
- Microsoft 365
About Intricate Security
Intricate Security helps organizations strengthen their cybersecurity posture through services including penetration testing, security assessments, managed security operations, compliance consulting, vCISO services, and endpoint security implementations. Our team assists organizations in deploying and managing solutions such as ThreatLocker to reduce attack surfaces, enforce Zero Trust principles, and improve overall cyber resilience.Start writing here...