Cloud-based security company Zscaler partnered with big-name software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) vendors including Riverbed, Viptela, Nuage, VeloCloud, Citrix, InfoVista, Silver Peak, and Talari Networks. The goal of the partnerships is to provide a security platform for enterprise customers with a large geographic footprint.

Zscaler said its network is well-suited for enterprises deploying SD-WAN technologies because it has more than 100 data centers around the world. That means it can provide security to companies with many locations, said Punit Minocha, VP of business and corporate development at Zscaler.

Zscaler already had deals with multiple enterprise customers before the SD-WAN market exploded. When those customers started adopting SD-WAN, it gave the security company the chance to route the customers' outbound traffic to its security platform using the SD-WAN overlay technologies. Zscaler essentially acts as a “scrubbing center so nothing good leaves and nothing bad comes back in when it goes to and from the Internet,” Minocha said.

To avoid latency issues, Minocha said that Zscaler built an advanced proxy which makes SSL encrypted traffic easier to inspect. The proxy is also able to scan for things like malware and data leakage before the traffic is routed to the public Internet.

Zscaler also has developed a partner ecosystem with other security companies that allows enterprises to deploy multiple solutions in tandem. Its security partners include IBM, CA Technologies, Splunk, McAfee, and Carbon Black. The goal is to give large enterprises multiple security options.

Founded in 2008, the San Jose, California-based company now has more than 800 employees and has raised about $135 million in funding.