The first packet hits your edge network. You check the logs. The ingress resource is live. Zscaler is in the path, inspecting every request. Nothing gets in without passing policy. Nothing leaves without meeting compliance.
Ingress resources in Kubernetes define how external traffic reaches workloads. They control routing, TLS termination, and load balancing. When connected to Zscaler, they also become a security checkpoint. Each request is inspected, filtered, and logged according to Zero Trust rules. This integration turns your cluster's entry point into a hardened gateway.
Zscaler works at the network layer but enforces application-aware controls. Pairing it with ingress resources lets you define paths and rules for specific services while ensuring deep packet inspection. You can route traffic using ingress rules, apply authentication, and block threats before they touch the service.
The architecture is simple. Ingress controllers route requests to services. Zscaler sits between the client and the ingress controller. Traffic passes through Zscaler’s cloud security stack—SSL inspection, data loss prevention, threat detection—before Kubernetes processes it. The ingress rules direct clean, authorized traffic to pods. The result: predictable routing and a secure perimeter with minimal overhead.