A zero-trust architecture enables organizations to secure access to data, devices, and apps across multiple networks. Instead of assuming that everything on the web is trusted, zero trust approaches verify users’ identity and permission before giving them access to data or services.
A successful zero trust model uses granular context and identity awareness to validate user access, devices, locations, and application-access parameters throughout every session. It ensures that only the access policies needed to complete a task are authorized.
Verify explicitly & continuously
Zero trust security lays out principles that remove inherent trust and ensure safety using continuous verification. The approach can help you close security gaps, minimize the risk of lateral movement and improve cybersecurity initiatives across your hybrid workforce.
To build a zero trust strategy, you must understand your business, digital transformation maturity, and current security strategy. Once you know these, you can decide how to implement a zero trust architecture that meets your needs and fits your budget.
Unlike traditional security, zero trust is a strategic framework, not just a single product or technology. Because it encompasses the entire IT environment, zero trust requires an approach that combines new tools and modern architecture.
A successful approach to zero trust also includes a vital monitoring component that can log activity and analyze it for unusual behavior or threats. It is essential to identify breaches early so you can take steps to mitigate them before they cause damage to your organization.
Another critical element of zero trust is multi-factor authentication (MFA). MFA requires users to provide two evidence for access: a password and a code sent to a mobile device. It helps prevent phishing attacks and other types of account compromise. Additionally, it ensures that only authorized users have access to resources.
Assume breach
Zero trust architecture is an IT security approach that relies on strong authentication and authorization. It also incorporates analytics, filtering, and logging to watch for signs of compromise continuously.
Instead of relying on traditional IT network security, which relies on the castle-and-moat concept, a zero trust approach acknowledges that threats are inside and outside your networks. As a result, it limits access to only what is needed and prevents users from moving laterally between apps and services.
In addition, a zero trust approach limits the blast radius of an attacker, making it difficult for them to gain access to sensitive data. It also helps you demonstrate compliance with privacy standards and regulations (e.g., PCI DSS and NIST 800-207) and makes it easier to prove your data security practices during audits.
As a part of the zero trust model, a policy engine and administrator must be in place to decide how to grant access. These policies can be applied to all resources, including apps and services.
As a core component of zero trust, policy decisions must be made explicitly and continually based on all available data points. It includes user identity, location, device health, service or workload, data classification, and anomalies. The policies can be adapted to ensure that the best access to resources is granted for each individual and situation.
Minimize blast radius
A zero trust architecture protects what’s important to your organization, especially in the modern cloud-first, remote-working world. It goes far beyond the traditional perimeter model, where all resources and users are vetted at login.
Using technology and principles, zero trust delivers security that aligns with the modern way of working by protecting the workflow and keeping cyberattacks from getting in the way. This approach can also minimize the blast radius of an attack.
Micro-segmentation limits the “blast radius” by dividing a network into different segments and requiring other access credentials for each component. It prevents attackers from launching rampant attacks on each element, even if one part is breached.
Continuous verification allows you to authenticate and authorize access based on various data points, including user identity, location, device, data source, service, or workload. It ensures you know every access request, minimizing the blast radius of a potential attack and reducing the time and resources required to respond to a breach.
Detect threats by monitoring network traffic to identify suspicious activity and apply security analytics to identify anomalous behaviors. It will allow you to take corrective action when a threat is detected. Then you can optimize your zero trust policy based on the risk of that behavior and the level of risk it represents.
Use least privileged access
Zero trust and least privileged access are potent ways to minimize your network’s attack surface when used together. This practice helps streamline security audits, meet compliance regulations, and reduce the risk of credential theft and data breaches.
Least privileged access involves limiting the number of identities with access to networks, applications, data, programs, and processes to only those needing it for job functions. It is similar to the difference between having a key that works on every door and a key that only opens certain rooms.
With the right security tools, you can implement the least privileged access at scale and protect all your critical assets. It also ensures that all access requests are inspected and re-authenticated before “trust” is granted. An attacker who gains entry via compromised devices, malware, or other vulnerabilities cannot steal your data.
To implement least-privileged access, you need to understand the role of identity and how it relates to the modern zero trust architecture. A sound identity management system allows for dynamic, risk-aware PAM.
It can identify when a user is accessing data that shouldn’t be accessible and automatically modify their permissions based on device health. It can even prevent privilege creep by utilizing temporary access credentials.
To implement least privileged access, you need a granular policy that includes the full context of a user’s connection request and device, including their location and the content they are attempting to access. Protecting your network, application, and data is essential against attacks that leverage a compromised device, malware, or other vulnerability.
