Why Zscaler, Netskope, and Forcepoint Don’t Work Well in China
There are several challenges that make it difficult for products like Zscaler ZIA (Zero Trust Exchange), Netskope Secure Web Gateway (SWG), and Forcepoint SWG to work effectively in China. These challenges primarily stem from these vendors' cloud architecture and China's regulatory environment, technological infrastructure, and government restrictions.
1. The Great Firewall (Censorship and Internet Restrictions)
China's "Great Firewall" is one of the most prominent reasons why cloud-based security solutions like ZIA, Netskope, and Forcepoint SWG face difficulties in operating. The Chinese government heavily regulates and monitors internet traffic, blocking or slowing down many foreign services, especially those related to encrypted traffic or Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). Since many SWGs and cloud security solutions rely on global data centers and encrypted traffic for policy enforcement, the firewall can disrupt connectivity and performance.
2. Strict Data Sovereignty and Privacy Laws
China has stringent data sovereignty laws that require any data related to Chinese citizens or operations to be stored locally. Cloud services like ZIA and Netskope rely on a global infrastructure, which might violate these laws if data is processed or stored in foreign data centers. Consequently, this creates friction when trying to deploy such services in China, as the legal requirements necessitate local data storage and potentially local partnerships.
3. Performance and Latency Issues
Due to the Great Firewall and the overall internet infrastructure in China, network traffic is often subject to higher latency and packet loss when connecting to services hosted outside the country. Since cloud SWGs are performance-sensitive (due to scanning and filtering web traffic in real-time), this can degrade the end-user experience significantly. Companies often have to deploy local infrastructure (if allowed) or accept slower performance when serving users in China.
4. Limited Availability of Global Cloud Infrastructure
Cloud security vendors like Zscaler and Netskope have global data center networks that attempt to provide low-latency connections. However, due to restrictions in China, many of these providers do not have data centers or points of presence (PoPs) inside China. Even when they do, those data centers must comply with Chinese regulations, which can hinder functionality or make the deployment more complicated.
5. Challenges with Encryption and Secure Communication
SWGs often use encryption and SSL inspection to analyze traffic. However, encrypted traffic is subject to scrutiny by the Chinese government, and certain encryption protocols may be blocked or slowed down by the Great Firewall. This interferes with the core functionality of SWGs and makes it harder for them to provide seamless security without compromising performance or raising government concerns.
dope.security: An Alternative to Zscaler, Netskope, and Forcepoint
dope.security offers a solution that is particularly well-suited for companies looking to deploy a Secure Web Gateway (SWG) in China due to several key factors that address the unique challenges presented by the region.
1. On-Device Architecture
Unlike traditional SWGs that rely on backhauling traffic through cloud-based data centers, dope.security uses an on-device architecture. This approach inspects web traffic directly on the users device, without needing to pass through a centralized cloud infrastructure. In China, where performance and latency are often hindered by the “Great Firewall” or lack of local data centers, dope.security’s direct on device inspection minimizes latency and optimizes performance by avoiding unnecessary detours.
2. Improved Performance and Reduced Latency
The absence of cloud backhaul in dope.security’s solution significantly reduces latency, which is a major issue in China due to the country's internet controls. By processing traffic locally at the endpoint, dope.security avoids the need to connect to distant or blocked global PoPs, providing a smoother and more responsive user experience even when operating under Chinese network conditions.
3. Compliance with Local Regulations
dope.security’s architecture can help with data sovereignty compliance because data does not need to leave China to be inspected. Since data is processed locally on the device or in-country, it reduces the risk of violating Chinese data sovereignty laws, which require that personal data of Chinese citizens and other sensitive information remain within China’s borders. This is a significant advantage, as other SWGs that rely on global data center infrastructure often conflict with these regulations.
4. Flexibility and Scalability
Since dope.security is deployed directly on the endpoint, it offers greater flexibility for companies with distributed workforces in China. The solution scales more easily without the need to establish local data centers or PoPs, which can be expensive and time-consuming due to Chinese regulations. This makes it easier for businesses to quickly deploy SWG functionality across their teams without worrying about physical infrastructure limitations.
5. Bypassing Cloud Infrastructure Limitations
One of the biggest hurdles in deploying traditional SWGs in China is the lack of locally available cloud infrastructure. Companies often struggle with performance issues due to the distance between China and international cloud data centers. By leveraging its unique architecture, dope.security bypasses these limitations entirely, providing faster and more reliable web security without requiring proximity to a specific cloud region.
6. Simplicity in Deployment and Management
dope.security is designed to be easy to deploy and manage, which is especially important for businesses operating in complex regulatory environments like China. With no need for local cloud infrastructure or complicated integrations, companies can deploy and scale the solution quickly, ensuring secure internet access with minimal overhead. This simplicity in deployment makes it a practical choice for organizations that want to avoid the bureaucratic hurdles often involved in setting up operations in China.
