What is Zero Trust and is it the Future of Cybersecurity?

[Guest Anthony Bartolo]

Zero Trust is a security concept that questions the traditional perimeter-based security architecture. Instead of trusting that all resources within an organization's firewall are secure, Zero Trust assumes that all access requests, regardless of origin or destination, should be considered as originating from an untrusted network.

 

 

 

Guiding principles for the Zero Trust security strategy are as follows:

 

 

• Verify explicitly: All available data points must be used to authenticate and approve users, devices, and requests.
  
• Use least privilege access: Users and devices are allowed the bare minimum of access required to execute their functions, and that access is reviewed and revoked when it is no longer required.
  
• Assume breach: Because the Zero Trust model assumes a breach will occur at some point, it is vital to reduce the attack surface area and limit the possible damage from a breach.
  

 

 

 

To establish a Zero Trust model, an organization must prioritize the security of thier digital estate's six core elements: identities, endpoints, applications, data, infrastructure, and networks. Multi-factor authentication, device health and compliance, in-app permissions and monitoring, data classification and encryption, infrastructure hardening and telemetry, and network segmentation can all help achieve this.

 

 

 

Zero Trust security elements diagram

 

 

Consider the following when safeguarding each of the six core pillars of the digital estate::

 

 

 

• Identity and access management (IAM) is the foundation of a Zero Trust model. Strong methods of authentication, like multi-factor authentication and risk-based adaptive access controls, are needed to make sure that users and devices trying to connect to the network are who they say they are.
  
  
• Securing endpoints such as laptops, smartphones, and IoT devices is also taken in consideration in Zero Trust model by monitoring and enforcing device health and compliance.
  
  
• Data protection can be accomplished by classifying, tagging, and encrypting data. By doing so, companies can ensure that sensitive data is safeguarded even if it leaves the organization's control.
  
  
• Application security is also critical under the Zero Trust approach. With the use of cloud-based applications and APIs on the rise, it is important for organizations to make sure that the applications and APIs they use are secure. This includes keeping an eye out for strange behavior, controlling what users do, and making sure that secure configuration options are set up correctly.
  
  
• Infrastructure security involves analyzing servers, virtual machines, containers, and microservices for version, configuration, and JIT access. Telemetry is also used to detect assaults and anomalies, as well as automatically preventing and flagging harmful conduct.
  
  
• Network security is the final piece of the Zero Trust puzzle. Organizations can limit the potential damage from a breach by segmenting the network and using micro-segmentation. This reduces the distribution of malware and other dangerous programs.
  

 

 

 

Implementing the Zero Trust model is not a one-time thing; it's a journey that never ends. To stay ahead of new threats, organizations must keep up with the latest security technologies and trends and always adapt and improve their security. Zero Trust should be seen as a security philosophy that is implemented end-to-end across an organization, with a focus on visibility, automation, and orchestration. With a Zero Trust model that is well-designed and put into place, organizations can feel better knowing that their assets are safe.

 

 

 

Check out our Zero Trust Deployment recommendations for further resources and information.

 

 

 

Zero Trust Raccoon thief stealing cloud data.

 

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