Leostream launches cloud remote access alternative to VPN

Leostream has launched Leostream Cloud, a cloud-based service available now.

The service is designed to let organisations give remote users access to specific workstations and systems without placing them on the wider corporate network through a virtual private network.

It uses identity-based authentication and policy controls to connect users only to the resources they are authorised to use, including physical workstations, cloud-hosted systems and other protected environments.

Users sign in through a central access interface and see only the systems they have permission to access. This is intended to replace or avoid VPN deployments where workers need only a defined set of tools or machines rather than broader network access.

Access model

According to Leostream, Leostream Cloud supports vendor privileged access management, giving contractors and other third parties access to approved systems without exposing the surrounding network. The service applies identity and access policies at the point of connection and limits users to the specific resources assigned to them.

It also uses an agent based on outbound connectivity, which Leostream said can help organisations provide access to protected resources without directly exposing services such as RDP or SSH to the internet. IT teams can manage access policies and resource assignments centrally, while keeping logs and optional session recordings.

Leostream is positioning the launch as an alternative for organisations seeking more targeted remote access controls across mixed IT estates. The service can be used across physical workstations, data centres, branch locations, project sites and cloud environments.

Supported connection protocols include RDP, VNC, SSH, HTML5, Amazon DCV, Jump Desktop and Sunshine/Moonlight. Leostream said this allows organisations to support different user groups and workloads through a single access platform rather than separate tools for each environment.

The company cited use cases including engineers connecting to CAD workstations, creative staff accessing cloud GPU resources, researchers using Linux systems, and contractors connecting to specific approved resources.

VPN alternative

The launch comes as organisations reassess how they provide remote access to internal systems, particularly where users do not need broad access across a company network. In those situations, products based on resource-level access controls have emerged as an alternative to VPN-based models.

Leostream said the service forms part of a Zero Trust Network Architecture by applying identity and policy controls at the point of access. It described the product as a way to securely connect authenticated users to individual workstations and protected resources without extending unnecessary access to the wider environment.

The offering could also appeal to organisations considering alternatives to HP Anyware because it supports multiple connection protocols and different kinds of physical, virtual and cloud-hosted resources.

Karen Gondoly, Chief Executive Officer of Leostream, said the product is intended to narrow the scope of remote access granted to users.

"Remote access has traditionally been associated with providing users a path into the corporate network, often through a VPN, but in many cases that is more access than they actually need," said Karen Gondoly, Chief Executive Officer of Leostream.

"With Leostream Cloud, we're applying the same principles of choice and controlled access that have always been central to Leostream, but now delivered through the cloud. Organisations can provide secure remote access without requiring users to first connect to the corporate network through a VPN. Instead, they can authenticate the user, authorize the specific resource and limit everything else, giving users a simple way to connect while giving IT greater control over what they can access," Gondoly said.

A separate validation comment on the VPAM workflow came from Open Source Education Centre, identified as OSEC.

"Organisations need a practical way to give vendors and other external users access to the systems required to do their jobs without unnecessarily opening up the broader environment," said Piotr Baranowski, Owner, Instructor and CTO of Open Source Education Centre (OSEC).

"In validating the VPAM workflow in Leostream Cloud, we saw how identity and access policies can be used to connect an authorized user directly to an approved resource. It's a straightforward approach to a remote access challenge that many organizations are trying to solve," Baranowski said.