Protecting your Microsoft 365 data and internet traffic gets harder when your team works from home, co-working spaces, public venues, and client sites with no central office to anchor a firewall to.
Microsoft Global Secure Access, or GSA, is Microsoft’s cloud-delivered security service for protecting Microsoft 365 data, internet traffic, and access to private business applications when users work from anywhere.
This guide explains what GSA is, what it protects, who it suits, and how it compares to a VPN.
For businesses working toward Australian security benchmarks like the Essential Eight, GSA connects directly to the identity and access control principles outlined in Achieving Essential Eight Compliance: A Roadmap for Australian Small and Mid-Sized Businesses.
What Is Microsoft Global Secure Access?
Microsoft Global Secure Access is Microsoft’s Security Service Edge solution within the Entra platform, bringing together Microsoft Entra Internet Access and Microsoft Entra Private Access.
Instead of being limited to a secured office network perimeter, GSA applies security policies based on who is connecting, what device they are using, and what they are trying to reach. Microsoft publishes the full technical overview in its GSA documentation.
The Two Main Parts of Global Secure Access (GSA)
Global Secure Access (GSA) has two key functions that help keep your organisation secure:
- Microsoft Entra Internet Access protects employees when they browse the internet or use cloud-based applications such as Microsoft 365. It helps block unsafe websites, monitor online activity, and ensure users meet security requirements before accessing business services.
- Microsoft Entra Private Access provides secure access to internal business applications and systems from anywhere, without the need for a traditional VPN. It creates a secure connection through Microsoft's network, helping protect company resources while making access easier for users.
In simple terms: one part protects your internet and cloud activity, while the other protects access to your organisation’s private applications and systems.
What GSA Adds Beyond a Traditional Firewall
Traditional firewalls protect a physical office perimeter. They sit between your internal network and the internet, inspecting traffic as it passes through. If your business has no fixed office, or your team connects from home, co-working spaces, and client sites, a traditional office firewall may no longer cover the way your people actually work.
GSA can provide firewall-like protection for cloud-first teams, but it is better described as a cloud-delivered access and security layer. It applies identity-aware policies to traffic routed through the service, regardless of where the user sits.
Identity-Based Access Instead of Location-Based
The approach checks who the user is, what device they are using, and whether the connection carries any identified risk before allowing access to anything. This is zero trust network access in practice, where no connection is trusted simply because it originates from a known network.
The ACSC Essential Eight includes controls such as multi-factor authentication, restricting administrative privileges, and application control. GSA does not deliver Essential Eight compliance on its own, but it can support the identity and access-control side of a broader security program.
Who GSA Suits (and Who It Does Not)
Businesses with a physical office and on-premises servers protected by enterprise firewalls from vendors like Palo Alto or Fortinet may still find those solutions the better fit. GSA suits businesses that are fully cloud-based, distributed across locations, and running Microsoft 365 as their core platform.
For organisations that have already made that shift to cloud infrastructure, the security model needs to follow the users rather than guard an empty building. The Benefits of Using the Cloud for Your Workplace covers the operational reasons behind that transition.
Key Features That Protect Your Business Data
With the concept clear, here is what GSA does day to day for a business running Microsoft 365 security across a distributed team.
- Secure Internet Access: Helps filter and monitor outbound web traffic routed through the service, applying Conditional Access policies before users reach internet destinations.
- Private Access: Can replace traditional VPN access for many internal apps and private resources, using per-application access rather than broad network access. Connections are brokered through Microsoft’s network with no open firewall ports needed. Microsoft provides detail on the per-app controls available through Entra Private Access.
- Microsoft 365 traffic protection: Can route Microsoft 365 traffic, including Teams, SharePoint, and Exchange, through Global Secure Access so policies and visibility can be applied consistently.
- Zero trust enforcement: Every connection is verified by identity, device health, and risk level. Access is granted per session and can be revoked if conditions change mid-connection.
These features work together so your team can connect securely from anywhere, without the complexity of managing VPN servers or maintaining physical firewall hardware.
Businesses already using Microsoft 365 can build on that platform investment by pairing stronger access controls with productivity tools like Microsoft Copilot for Business: A Practical Guide to Boosting Productivity in Outlook & Teams.
Is GSA Right for Your Business?
GSA is designed for businesses that:
- Have no fixed office or operate across multiple locations
- Run Microsoft 365 as their core platform
- Rely on remote or hybrid teams
- Want to move away from VPN-based remote access security
Professional services businesses that handle sensitive client data and need compliance-grade access controls are a strong fit. Firms in legal, accounting, and consulting often need the kind of per-application controls described in Law Firm IT Support Check-Up: Essential Tech for Compliance and Client Security.
GSA is not the right fit for every business. If your team works primarily from a single office with significant on-premises infrastructure already protected by enterprise firewalls, your existing perimeter security model may still be the better option.
The honest answer is that GSA suits cloud-first businesses. Not every organisation is there yet, and that is a valid position to be in.
How Deployus Implements and Manages GSA
For cloud-first businesses ready to move beyond VPN and perimeter-based security, GSA provides a practical path to protecting data, users, and internet traffic from a single cloud-based platform. The implementation needs to fit your current Microsoft 365 environment, licensing, and the way your team works day to day.
Deployus helps businesses assess whether GSA fits their environment, plan the implementation, and manage it as part of ongoing security support. As a practical IT partner experienced in Microsoft 365 security, Deployus can review your current setup and recommend the right approach.
Interested in finding out whether Microsoft Global Secure Access is right for your environment? Speak to one of Deployus’ Solutions Advisors for practical guidance on your Microsoft 365 security, internet traffic protection, and remote access needs.
You can also learn more about our IT Security Services and Breach Protection, or start with a short planning conversation to clarify what protection you need now.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Microsoft Global Secure Access and how does it work?
GSA is Microsoft’s cloud-based security service within Entra. It verifies identity, device health, and risk before allowing connections to the internet or private applications, replacing the traditional perimeter model with identity-based controls.
Does Global Secure Access replace a VPN?
It can replace traditional VPN access for many private applications and internal resource scenarios, but the right approach depends on your environment. The Private Access component removes the need for traditional VPN infrastructure. Connections are brokered through Microsoft’s network without open firewall ports, offering per-app access controls instead of full network access.
What zero trust network access features does GSA include?
GSA includes Conditional Access enforcement on every connection, continuous access evaluation, device compliance checks, and risk-based blocking. It uses the same Conditional Access policy engine that already protects your Microsoft 365 sign-ins.
Is Microsoft Global Secure Access included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium?
Partly. Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes Microsoft Entra ID P1, which covers the Microsoft traffic profile. Broader Microsoft Entra Internet Access and Microsoft Entra Private Access may require additional standalone or Entra Suite licensing, so current licensing should be checked before implementation.
How does GSA improve remote access security for distributed teams?
Every remote connection is verified before access is granted, regardless of location. Traffic routes through Microsoft’s secure backbone, removing reliance on a physical office network or VPN concentrator.