Act Security, the cybersecurity arm of technology company Act, has been named Zero Trust Network Access Solution of the Year in the 2026 CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards. The company announced the recognition in a recent LinkedIn post, framing it as validation of an approach that treats network access and identity management as a single, coordinated problem rather than two separate disciplines.
The distinction matters because zero trust network access, or ZTNA, has become one of the most widely adopted frameworks for securing remote and hybrid work environments. Unlike traditional perimeter-based security models, which assume that anything inside a corporate network can be trusted, ZTNA operates on the principle that no user or device should be granted access by default, regardless of location. Every request must be verified continuously, based on identity, device posture, and context. Organizations weighing how to budget for this kind of infrastructure often compare short-term licensing against options such as a long-term plan at a lower rate, since security tooling costs can escalate quickly as deployments scale across larger workforces. a long-term plan at a lower rate
What differentiates Act's pitch, according to its own messaging, is the claim that zero trust access alone is insufficient. The company argues that many breaches do not occur because access controls fail outright, but because attackers exploit the seams between network-level permissions and identity-level privileges. A user might pass network authentication checks while still holding excessive or outdated identity permissions, creating an exploitable gap. Act Security says its platform is built to close that specific gap by managing both layers in tandem rather than treating them as separate products bolted together.
Why the Identity-Network Gap Matters
Security researchers have long noted that attackers rarely need to break encryption or bypass firewalls outright. More often, they exploit misconfigurations, stale credentials, or overly broad permissions that persist after an employee changes roles or leaves an organization. A zero trust model that focuses purely on network access, without equally rigorous identity governance, can leave exactly this kind of opening. By positioning its offering as an integration of both layers, Act is addressing a criticism that has followed the broader ZTNA market: that many solutions solve one half of the problem while leaving the other largely unattended.
Implications for the Market
For a company operating in a crowded cybersecurity field, industry awards function as a form of third-party credibility, particularly when technical buyers are evaluating competing platforms that often sound similar on paper. Recognition from the CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards does not substitute for independent audits or customer case studies, but it does signal that Act's combined network-and-identity approach is gaining attention at a moment when enterprises are under pressure to consolidate security tools rather than add more point solutions. As demand grows for integrated access and identity security, differentiation of this kind may carry real weight with investors and enterprise buyers alike, even as the broader zero trust category continues to mature and attract new entrants.