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Organizations building out zero trust network access face a real fork in the road when they're already deep in the Microsoft ecosystem: extend zero trust on top of Entra ID, or bring in a purpose-built ZTNA and SSE platform like OpenVPN CloudConnexa. Both paths get you to "never trust, always verify." They get there very differently, and the differences show up the moment you start configuring policy.
CloudConnexa is a cloud-delivered network security platform that unifies ZTNA, secure internet access, SaaS protection, and site-to-site connectivity in one service. Microsoft's answer, delivered through Global Secure Access, is an identity-centric SSE built directly on Entra ID and Conditional Access, sold across Entra Private Access, Entra Internet Access, and the broader Entra Suite. This guide compares both platforms on architecture, administration, zero trust and identity, access use cases, networking, secure internet access, and observability, so you can see where each is strongest and where the trade-offs actually land.
Facts and product names below reflect each vendor's publicly available documentation as of mid-2026. Both platforms ship changes quickly — confirm current capabilities and licensing directly with each vendor before making a purchasing decision.
Two platforms, two starting points
The core difference between CloudConnexa and Microsoft Entra isn't a feature checklist — it's what each platform is anchored to. CloudConnexa is built around OpenVPN's Wide-area Private Cloud (WPC) model: an overlay private network spanning CloudConnexa's own Points of Presence, reached through software Connectors that need no inbound firewall ports. Microsoft's Global Secure Access, by contrast, is an identity-centric security service edge (SSE) built on the Entra ID platform, using Conditional Access as its policy engine and delivered from Microsoft's global edge network. One is a network you route through; the other is an identity layer you police traffic against. That distinction resurfaces in almost every section below.
CloudConnexa overview
OpenVPN CloudConnexa is a cloud-delivered network security platform that unifies ZTNA (private application access), secure internet access (content filtering, IDS/IPS), SaaS protection, and site-to-site connectivity into a single service. It's built around the WPC model — an overlay private network spanning CloudConnexa's Points of Presence — through which customers connect their networks via software Connectors that require no inbound ports, and their devices via the OpenVPN Connect client, while OpenVPN operates the control and data planes. CloudConnexa uses OpenVPN Data Channel Offload (DCO) for high performance and applies zero-trust controls based on identity, device, and location context. Client and device connections use the OpenVPN protocol, and IPsec is supported for site-to-site (Network Connector) connections. Its built-in Cyber Shield delivers content filtering and IDS/IPS, and the service is SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO/IEC 27001 certified.
Microsoft Entra (Global Secure Access) overview
Microsoft's Entra access suite is a cloud-delivered SSE/ZTNA offering called Global Secure Access, comprising Entra Private Access (ZTNA for private applications) and Entra Internet Access (a secure web gateway for internet and SaaS traffic), together with a Microsoft 365 traffic profile. It's delivered from Microsoft's global network — 70 regions and 190+ edge locations, Anycast-routed — and built on the Entra ID identity platform, with Conditional Access as its policy engine. Devices connect through the Global Secure Access client (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android; there is no Linux client); branches connect through IPsec remote-network tunnels; and Private Access private apps are reached through outbound-only connectors hosted on Windows Server. Entra Internet Access adds web content filtering, TLS inspection, threat-intelligence filtering, and universal tenant restrictions, while deeper CASB and DLP are delivered by the separate Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps and Microsoft Purview products. Access, MFA, device compliance, and risk are governed centrally through Conditional Access and Continuous Access Evaluation. The most complete feature set ships in the Entra Suite bundle; Private Access, Internet Access, risk-based controls (Entra ID P2), CASB, and advanced DLP all carry their own licensing.
When to Choose CloudConnexa vs. Microsoft Entra
Choose CloudConnexa if:- You want a single service that bundles ZTNA, secure internet access (content filtering and IDS/IPS), and site-to-site connectivity over the OpenVPN or IPsec protocols.
- You need broad client and router compatibility, including a Linux client and OpenVPN-compatible routers.
- You need multiple isolated overlay networks in one account, and you'd rather have IDS/IPS and content filtering included than licensed as separate add-ons.
Choose Microsoft Entra if:
- Your organization is already standardized on Entra ID and Microsoft 365, and you want Conditional Access as a single identity-centric policy engine across private apps, internet, and SaaS.
- You're prepared to license Private Access, Internet Access, and — for full CASB and DLP — the separate Defender for Cloud Apps and Purview products.
- You can work within the current client constraints: no Linux client, an IPv4-only client tunnel, secure DNS (DoH/DoT) that must be disabled for FQDN-based private access, and a hard requirement that Private Access traffic goes through the client.
Architectural trade-offs
The two differ in what they are anchored to: CloudConnexa is an OpenVPN/IPsec network overlay routed through vendor-operated regional gateways, while Global Secure Access is an identity-centric SSE built on Entra ID, using Conditional Access as its policy engine and a proprietary client transport. The points below weigh that difference and test where common claims hold.
Where the Entra architecture can help
- Access decisions reuse the same Conditional Access, MFA, risk, and device-compliance signals that already govern Microsoft 365, so policy stays consistent for Entra-centric organizations.
- Traffic is delivered from a large global network — 70 regions, 190+ edge locations — with Anycast routing.
- The Microsoft 365 traffic profile optimizes and secures M365 traffic and adds universal tenant restrictions to limit data movement to unauthorized tenants.
- Continuous Access Evaluation can revoke access in near real time when risk or policy changes.
- The client uses a lightweight filter driver rather than a VPN adapter, so it can coexist with other VPN/SSE clients.
Trade-offs and claim vs. reality
- It's single-tenant: there's no concept of multiple isolated overlay networks within one account, so OT/IoT/IT isolation is done with connector groups and Conditional Access inside one tenant, or by using separate tenants. (CloudConnexa supports multiple WPCs natively.)
- "Zero trust for any app" carries client caveats — Private Access requires the Global Secure Access client, can't run over the IPsec remote-network path, has no Linux client, tunnels IPv4 only, and doesn't support QUIC for Internet Access.
- A stable public egress IP for SaaS IP allow-listing isn't a turnkey Microsoft-assigned IP; it requires hosting a connector (source IP anchoring) so the SaaS app sees your controlled egress. Source IP restoration is a different feature that only enriches sign-in logs.
- Full CASB and advanced DLP are separate products (Defender for Cloud Apps, Microsoft Purview) with their own licensing, not part of Global Secure Access itself. (Cyber Shield's content filtering and IDS/IPS ship natively in CloudConnexa.)
- The client-to-edge transport is proprietary and not publicly specified (neither WireGuard nor OpenVPN), and secure DNS (DoH/DoT) must be disabled for FQDN-based private access — an operational constraint worth planning around.
Feature comparison
Architecture & Deployment Model |
||
|
Capability |
CloudConnexa |
Microsoft Entra (Global Secure Access) |
|---|---|---|
|
Cloud-hosted control + data plane |
Yes — WPC overlay |
Yes — Global Secure Access [1] on Microsoft's global network |
|
Multiple isolated overlay networks |
Yes — multiple isolated WPCs per account (segment OT, IoT, and IT networks) |
No — single Entra tenant; segmentation via connector groups and Conditional Access [5] |
|
Edge / regions |
~36 Regions worldwide; full-mesh core |
70 regions and 190+ edge locations (Anycast) |
|
Device connection |
OpenVPN Connect client (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, ChromeOS; Linux via openvpn3) |
Global Secure Access client [2] (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android; no Linux client) |
|
Network / site connectivity |
Network and Host Connectors (IPsec or OpenVPN) |
IPsec remote networks (Microsoft + Internet profiles only); Private Access [3] connectors (outbound, Windows Server) |
|
Agentless / clientless options |
Requires client |
Web-app publishing via application proxy; Private Access [3] requires the client |
|
Multi-cloud reach |
AWS, Azure, GCP Connectors; plus VPS and routers |
Multicloud connectors (preview); Microsoft-centric |
Administration & Management |
||
|
Capability |
CloudConnexa |
Microsoft Entra (Global Secure Access) |
|---|---|---|
|
Web admin console |
Yes — Administration Portal; Owner/Admin/Member roles |
Yes — Global Secure Access area in the Entra admin center |
|
Public API |
Yes — REST API with OAuth 2.0 |
Yes — Microsoft Graph networkAccess APIs (largely beta) |
|
Infrastructure-as-code |
Yes — official Terraform provider |
PowerShell; no first-party Global Secure Access Terraform provider documented (community Graph-based) |
|
Provisioning |
Manual, API, IdP mapping, SCIM 2.0 |
Entra ID provisioning and SCIM (platform capability) |
|
Policy engine / RBAC |
Access Groups; Owner/Admin/Member roles |
Universal Conditional Access [5] as the policy engine; Entra RBAC |
Zero Trust & Identity |
||
|
Capability |
CloudConnexa |
Microsoft Entra (Global Secure Access) |
|---|---|---|
|
Access model |
Zero Trust Application Broker in CloudConnexa continuously verifies identity, location context, and device posture, then assigns a synthetic intermediate IP scoped to a single authorized app. The device never receives a route to the private network, making lateral movement structurally impossible. Access Groups control access to destination applications and IP services based on source identity. They include network-to-application and network-to-network access control. |
Identity-centric; Conditional Access [5] per app; Private Access [3] per-app segments |
|
User authentication |
Local username/password, LDAP, SAML 2.0, Certificate |
Entra ID — SAML, OIDC, WS-Fed; cloud and federated accounts; B2B / guest |
|
Simultaneous IdP + local auth |
Yes — SAML and local accounts usable at the same time (not available in all plans) |
Yes — federated and cloud (local Entra) accounts coexist natively |
|
Multiple group membership per user |
Yes — one Primary plus up to 20 Secondary user groups (additive) |
Yes — Entra group membership used for assignment and policy scoping |
|
MFA |
Built-in 2FA; passkey / passwordless. Delegated to IdP when SAML is used. |
Entra MFA enforced via Conditional Access [5] |
|
Device posture / compliance |
Yes — OS, antivirus, disk encryption, certificate |
Via Conditional Access [5] + Intune compliance; token protection; Continuous Access Evaluation [6] |
|
Location / geo context |
Yes — allow/block by IP range or country |
Named locations, source IP, and Compliant Network check [7] (IP-location fully evaluated for Microsoft resources) |
|
SCIM provisioning |
Yes — SCIM 2.0 (not available in all plans) |
Yes — Entra ID SCIM provisioning |
|
Service / non-human identity |
Host Connectors; REST API (OAuth client credentials), Certificate identity. |
Service principals, managed identities, Workload Identities (not available in all plans) |
|
Device / supply-chain trust |
Device Identity Verification & Enforcement (locks profile to device) |
Conditional Access [5] compliant/Entra-joined devices; per-device certificate |
Access Use Cases |
||
|
Capability |
CloudConnexa |
Microsoft Entra (Global Secure Access) |
|---|---|---|
|
Remote access |
Yes — core use case |
Yes — Private Access [3] Quick Access [10] and per-app TCP/UDP (client required) (not available in all plans) |
|
Site-to-site |
Yes — via Network Connectors (IPsec or OpenVPN) |
IPsec remote networks; no site-to-site between remote networks (uses Azure Virtual WAN) |
|
Internet gateway / secure egress |
Yes — any Network as Internet Gateway; smart geo routing |
Entra Internet Access [4] secure web gateway (not available in all plans) |
|
Application-level ZTNA |
Yes — per-application Access Groups |
Yes — Private Access [3] per-app (client required) (not available in all plans) |
|
SaaS access security (tenant restrictions) |
Not offered (SaaS access can be restricted to an Internet Gateway egress IP) |
Yes — Universal Tenant Restrictions [8]; adaptive access to M365 and SaaS |
|
SaaS login-IP allow-listing (static egress IP) |
Yes — route SaaS traffic via an Internet Gateway with a known public IP |
Via Source IP anchoring [9] — requires a customer-hosted connector; not a Microsoft-assigned dedicated egress IP |
|
Clientless end-user access |
Not offered (client-based) |
Web apps via application proxy; non-web and Private Access [3] require the client |
|
Split tunneling |
Yes — Split Tunnel On/Off and Restricted Internet |
Yes — per-profile selective tunneling |
Networking |
||
|
Capability |
CloudConnexa |
Microsoft Entra (Global Secure Access) |
|---|---|---|
|
Client/device protocol |
OpenVPN only; OpenVPN Data Channel Offload (DCO) for throughput |
Proprietary TLS-based client transport (not publicly specified; neither WireGuard nor OpenVPN) |
|
WireGuard |
No — not supported for any connection type |
No — not supported |
|
Site / connector protocols |
OpenVPN (clients & networks); IPsec (site-to-site networks only) |
IPsec/IKEv2 remote networks; outbound TLS tunnels from Private Access [3] connectors |
|
DNS |
Yes — DNS Proxy, custom records/zones, private DNS servers |
Local NRPT rules for private DNS; secure DNS (DoH/DoT) must be disabled for FQDN acquisition |
|
IPv6 |
Yes — dual-stack supported |
Client tunnels IPv4 only; IPv6 traffic goes direct |
|
QUIC handling |
Not applicable to the OpenVPN tunnel |
QUIC unsupported for Internet Access [4] (admins disable QUIC to force TCP) |
|
Overlapping-IP / domain routing |
Yes — domain-based routing handles overlapping IPs |
No |
Secure Internet Access |
||
|
Capability |
CloudConnexa |
Microsoft Entra (Global Secure Access) |
|---|---|---|
|
Secure web gateway (SWG) |
DNS Proxy + Cyber Shield Traffic Filtering (built in) |
Yes — Entra Internet Access [4] (not available in all plans) |
|
Content / URL / category filtering |
Yes — Domain Filtering, 43 categories; included |
Yes — web category, FQDN, and full-URL filtering (not available in all plans) |
|
TLS / SSL inspection |
No |
Yes — TLS inspection at the edge (customer CA) (not available in all plans) |
|
IDS / IPS |
Yes — Cyber Shield Traffic Filtering (monitor/block) |
Threat-intelligence filtering; no discrete signature IDS/IPS documented |
|
Malware / threat protection |
Yes — domain-based malware, ransomware, C2, phishing, more |
Threat intel and file inspection (with TLS inspection); prompt-injection / Shadow-AI insights (not available in all plans) |
|
DLP |
Not offered |
Basic network-layer file filtering native; deeper DLP via Microsoft Purview (separate Microsoft product) |
|
CASB / SaaS security |
Not offered (SaaS access can be restricted to an Internet Gateway egress IP) |
Universal Tenant Restrictions [8] native; full CASB via Defender for Cloud Apps [11] (separate Microsoft product) |
|
Cloud firewall (FWaaS) |
Access Groups + WPC firewall function |
No branded FWaaS (identity-aware SWG); Azure Firewall is a separate product |
Observability & Operations |
||
|
Capability |
CloudConnexa |
Microsoft Entra (Global Secure Access) |
|---|---|---|
|
Audit / activity logging |
Yes — Audit Log of config changes |
Yes — audit and sign-in logs |
|
Access / traffic visibility |
Yes — Access Visibility and DNS Log |
Yes — network traffic logs and the Global Secure Access dashboard |
|
SIEM / log export |
Yes — JSON streaming to AWS S3; Splunk, Datadog |
Log Analytics and Microsoft Sentinel (content hub package) |
|
Enriched logs |
DNS, IDS/IPS, and web-filtering logs |
Enriched Microsoft 365 logs (Entra ID P1/P2) |
|
Alerts / dashboards |
Yes — Cyber Shield, Status dashboards; email alerts |
Traffic dashboards; alerting via Sentinel |
Reference: Microsoft Entra named features
Microsoft markets several capabilities under proprietary names. The numbers below are referenced in the comparison tables above (e.g. "Private Access [3]"). Each entry summarizes the function and the closest equivalent in CloudConnexa.
|
Feature |
What it does |
CloudConnexa equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Global Secure Access |
Microsoft's cloud SSE service and the umbrella for Private Access, Internet Access, and the Microsoft 365 traffic profile. |
The CloudConnexa service (the WPC) as a whole. |
| Global Secure Access client |
The endpoint agent (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android) that forwards traffic to the edge via a lightweight filter driver. |
The OpenVPN Connect client. |
| Entra Private Access |
ZTNA for private apps (Quick Access plus per-app TCP/UDP) reached via outbound connectors; requires the client. |
Application access via Access Groups and Network / Host Connectors. |
| Entra Internet Access |
The secure web gateway for internet and SaaS traffic (filtering, TLS inspection, threat intelligence). |
Internet Gateway plus Cyber Shield (content filtering and IDS/IPS). |
| Conditional Access |
Entra ID's policy engine that gates access on user, device, location, and risk. |
Access Groups plus device posture, MFA, and location-context policies. |
| Continuous Access Evaluation |
Near-real-time token revocation when risk or policy changes. |
Near-real-time access policy changes enforced. |
| Compliant Network check |
A Conditional Access condition verifying that traffic transited the tenant's Global Secure Access (binds to tenant ID). |
Location-context policies. |
| Universal Tenant Restrictions |
Blocks sign-ins and data movement to unauthorized tenants or personal accounts. |
Not offered (SaaS access can be restricted to an Internet Gateway egress IP). |
| Source IP anchoring |
Routes an app's traffic through a customer-hosted connector so the destination sees a controlled egress IP. |
Route SaaS traffic via an Internet Gateway with a known public IP. |
|
Quick Access |
A Private Access grouping of IP ranges/FQDNs used as a broad VPN-style replacement. |
Network access via Network Connectors and Access Groups. |
|
Defender for Cloud Apps |
Microsoft's separately-licensed CASB for SaaS discovery, posture, and session control. |
Not offered. |
Which platform fits your organization?
If you want one platform that bundles ZTNA, secure internet access, and site-to-site connectivity, with broad client support and multiple isolated networks in a single account, CloudConnexa is built for that out of the box. If you're already standardized on Entra ID and Microsoft 365 and want a single identity-centric policy engine across private apps, internet, and SaaS — and you're comfortable licensing CASB and DLP separately — Microsoft Entra's Global Secure Access is the more native fit. Many organizations end up running both: Entra ID as the identity source of truth, CloudConnexa as the ZTNA and secure-internet-access layer on top of it.
Want to see CloudConnexa on your own network? Get started free or book a demo.
Related reading
- Strengthening Zero Trust with OpenVPN and Microsoft Entra ID
- What to Know Before Choosing a ZTNA Approach or Provider
- See all OpenVPN alternatives comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Does Microsoft Global Secure Access support Linux devices?
No. The Global Secure Access client is available for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, with no Linux build. If Linux endpoint support is a requirement, CloudConnexa's OpenVPN Connect client covers Linux alongside the other major platforms.
Can CloudConnexa and Microsoft Entra ID be used together?
Yes. CloudConnexa supports SAML SSO with Entra ID as an identity provider, so teams can keep Entra ID as their identity source of truth while using CloudConnexa for ZTNA, secure internet access, and site-to-site connectivity. See How to configure SAML authentication with Microsoft Entra ID in CloudConnexa and Strengthening Zero Trust with OpenVPN and Microsoft Entra ID for a walkthrough.
Which platform includes content filtering and IDS/IPS by default?
CloudConnexa includes both natively through Cyber Shield. Microsoft Entra Internet Access adds web content filtering, TLS inspection, and threat-intelligence filtering, but full CASB and advanced DLP require separately licensed Defender for Cloud Apps and Purview.
Can I run multiple isolated networks in one account?
With CloudConnexa, yes — multiple WPCs let you keep isolated overlay networks (for example, separate OT/IoT and corporate IT environments) in a single account. Microsoft's Global Secure Access is single-tenant, so equivalent isolation is done with connector groups and Conditional Access policy inside one tenant, or by using separate Entra tenants.