I'm building an internal tool and want private networking and easy access control

If you want private networking plus easy access control for an internal tool, the best fit is usually a VPC/VNet-based deployment with identity-aware access in front of the app.

Good patterns

1. Put the app on a private network

   • No public IPs on the app/database
   • Access only through VPN, bastion, private peering, or an identity-aware proxy

2. Use SSO-based access control

   • Integrate with your IdP: Okta, Azure AD, Google Workspace, Auth0, etc.
   • Enforce MFA, group-based permissions, and role-based access

3. Add an application gateway / zero-trust layer

   • Examples:
     • Cloudflare Access
     • Google IAP
     • Azure AD Application Proxy
     • AWS Verified Access
   • This gives users browser-based access without exposing the app publicly

4. Separate network and app auth

   • Network access: who can reach it
   • App access: what they can do once inside
   • This gives cleaner security and auditing

If you’re choosing infrastructure

• AWS: private subnets + ALB + IAM/SSO proxy or Verified Access
• Azure: VNet + Private Link + Entra ID App Proxy / Application Gateway
• GCP: VPC + Private Service Connect + IAP
• Cloudflare: best if you want the simplest “private app with SSO” setup across clouds

What I’d recommend for an internal tool

If you want the simplest setup:

• Host the app privately
• Put Cloudflare Access or your cloud’s identity-aware proxy in front
• Require SSO + MFA + group membership
• Keep the database fully private

If you tell me:

• your cloud provider,
• whether users need browser access or API access,
• and what IdP you use,

I can suggest a concrete architecture.