Redefining Trust in the Digital Age: Nathan Howe on Simplicity, Innovation, and the Human Side of Cybersecurity

Singapore, October 14, 2025 — In an era where the digital and physical worlds have fused almost seamlessly, the notion of trust has become both a strategic asset and a fragile construct. For Nathan Howe, Senior Vice President of Innovation and Product Management at Zscaler, the answer to securing that trust lies not in complexity, but in clarity.

After two decades traversing vastly different industries, from Nestlé’s global food supply chain to Verizon’s telecommunications networks, and now Zscaler’s zero trust security infrastructure, Nathan has developed an unusually grounded view of innovation. His philosophy is simple: true technological progress doesn’t just mean building smarter systems; it means building systems that people can trust without needing to understand them.

“All the technology we use today is fundamentally about enabling people, things, and processes to talk to each other,” Nathan said. “When I think about innovation, I think about my parents picking up their phones. They don’t think about encryption; they just think about talking to their son. That’s what simplicity in technology means to me.”

This sentiment cuts through the clutter of today’s cybersecurity landscape. In a world flooded with technical jargon and high-stakes digital threats, Nathan insists that the next wave of cybersecurity transformation must be humanised. Technology should be invisible, not intimidating, and security should enable interaction rather than interrupt it.

From Complexity to Clarity: The Vision Behind Zscaler Cellular

Zscaler’s latest innovation, Zscaler Cellular, may appear at first glance to be just another step in secure connectivity. But its real significance lies in how it reframes mobility and security as inseparable.

For years, cybersecurity was treated as a “secondary layer”—a measure taken after functionality was built. This mindset, Nathan notes, was never born of negligence, but rather of evolution.

“When technologies were first built, no one thought about security,” he explained. “If you built a telephone line, the goal was to connect people, not to encrypt conversations. Security has always come later, almost as an insurance policy. But now it’s a front-page concern, because security directly affects how a business operates and how people trust it.”

Zscaler Cellular challenges that reactive model. It weaves security into the very DNA of connectivity, integrating zero trust principles directly into mobile and IoT ecosystems. That distinction matters because connectivity today extends far beyond laptops and smartphones. The same network infrastructure now powers smart factories, driverless vehicles, ATMs, vending machines, and entire city grids. The problem, Nathan warns, is that many of these connected devices communicate constantly—often without oversight.

“When we connected a vending machine to Zscaler Cellular, we realised that most of its traffic was going to a country it wasn’t supposed to,” he recalled. “It revealed something important: visibility.” Once you know what’s happening, you can secure it.” For Zscaler, this visibility serves as the gateway to control. It eliminates what Nathan calls “network guesswork”—the blind spots that have long plagued IT and security teams.

The End of Network Guesswork: A Cultural, Not Just Technical, Shift

Zscaler’s innovation is undeniably technical, but Nathan highlights that real change is cultural. For decades, businesses have accepted a degree of uncertainty in their network operations, assuming that some blind spots were inevitable.

“Networks were never designed to be secure; they were designed to communicate,” he explained. “What Zscaler does is shift the trust model. We stop trusting the network itself and start trusting identity, policy, and purpose. That’s the real elimination of guesswork.”

In his view, this shift mirrors a broader transformation in corporate thinking. As organisations adopt hybrid and remote work models, they can no longer rely on centralised “fortress” architectures. Instead, they must trust people and devices intelligently, wherever they are.

Nathan calls it the decentralisation of control. Security, in this new paradigm, becomes an enabler of freedom rather than a constraint. Employees can work securely from any corner of the globe, and connected devices can operate independently without becoming entry points for cyberattacks. “We’re moving from defending castles to securing ecosystems,” he said. “The modern business isn’t defined by walls; it’s defined by connections.”

When Innovation Feels Human

For someone leading innovation at a cutting-edge cybersecurity firm, Nathan’s worldview is refreshingly personal. His stories rarely begin with code; they begin with people. He frequently revisits a straightforward assessment: Would my parents comprehend this?

“My mum was visiting me in California and had trouble connecting her phone while roaming,” he said with a smile. “I gave her a Zscaler SIM meant for IoT devices, and it just worked. She didn’t know what zero trust was, and she didn’t need to. She just wanted her phone to work. But behind the scenes, she was protected under my policy.”

That moment, to him, represents what innovation should feel like: effortless, seamless, human. In the rush to innovate, many organisations overlook the end goal of technology: comfort. It’s the quiet assurance that systems are working as they should, even when users don’t notice them.

“Technology shouldn’t be confronting,” Nathan said. “If my parents can use it easily, then our customers can too. That’s how I know we’ve done our job.” This philosophy aligns perfectly with Zscaler’s mission: to simplify security so profoundly that it becomes invisible yet ever-present, a safety net woven into every digital interaction.

Zscaler: A Platform for Freedom and Autonomy

Beyond infrastructure, Nathan sees Zscaler as a force that is reshaping how work itself is experienced. “Zscaler isn’t just about protecting infrastructure,” he explained. “It’s about enabling autonomy. People should be able to work from anywhere, using any device, without being bound by legacy control models.”

The potential use cases for Zscaler Cellular span industries: from police body cameras that upload footage securely in real time to connected robots patrolling airports, IoT sensors monitoring energy grids, and even ankle trackers used in correctional systems. Each device becomes part of a zero trust framework, ensuring visibility, protection, and compliance.

“We already have thousands of SIMs active,” he said. “From automotive to logistics, from finance to energy, every connected device deserves the same level of trust and protection as any corporate user.” This vision brings home an important point: the future of cybersecurity is not about keeping people out; it’s about letting the right people and the right devices in.

The Intersection of Philosophy, Design, and Security

When Nathan speaks about security, he doesn’t sound like a traditional engineer. His references stretch beyond technology to include philosophy, behavioural science, and design thinking disciplines that help him view security as a lived experience rather than a static system.

“Traditional security was like a castle and moat,” he said. “Build high walls, keep everyone out. But the world doesn’t work like that anymore. Our users, our workloads, and our data—they’re everywhere. Security should be the enabler of that freedom.” The challenge, however, is not merely technical; it’s cognitive. Executives must learn to balance distributed connectivity with data integrity, especially in the age of AI.

“AI is only as smart as the data it’s trained on,” Nathan explained. “If your devices are outside your control, your data isn’t accurate—and without accurate data, you can’t make informed decisions. That’s where Zscaler’s model becomes essential: it provides both the freedom to innovate and the confidence to trust your data.” It’s a compelling argument, one that frames cybersecurity not as a defensive discipline but as a strategic enabler of intelligence, trust, and growth.

Integrity as the New Currency of Trust

When asked what success will look like in five years, Nathan doesn’t talk about revenue or market share. His measure of progress is far more intrinsic.

“I want our customers to have complete visibility and control of everything they own,” he said. “It’s not about having billions of connected devices—it’s about integrity. It’s about knowing their business is secure, consistent, and trustworthy.”

The word “integrity” surfaces often in Nathan’s vocabulary. To him, it represents the essence of modern digital transformation. As enterprises race to adopt AI, automation, and next-gen connectivity, it’s integrity that will separate sustainable innovation from reckless experimentation.

“Zscaler will only be successful if our customers are successful,” Nathan added. “Our goal is not just to sell technology but to enable stories of transformation—to show how trust, when built right, can become a business advantage.”

Stay Connected with Nathan

Discover more of Nathan Howe’s insights into the intersection of innovation, simplicity, and digital trust by connecting with him on LinkedIn.