Zero Trust Security Model - How Does it Work?
Zero-trust security has been gaining much traction in cybersecurity for the last two decades.
what is zero trust security?
In short, zero trust security is a model that assumes no user, device, or network should be trusted entirely. Instead, all users and devices are treated as potential threats.
In other words, it's a model that similarly treats all users, such as employees, contractors, or customers.
It may sound like an invitation to disaster but stick with me. It is a very effective way to protect your organization from Zero Trust Security cyberattacks.
Who Presented Zero Trust Security Principles?
John Kindervag introduced the principle of Zero Trust in 2010 while working as a principal analyst at Forrester Research. Since then, the term has gained a lot of traction. And it is now being used by some of the biggest names in Zero Trust tech, including Google, Apple, and Microsoft.
So, why should you care about Zero Trust Security?Simply put, the traditional Zero Trust security model is no longer effective. Instead, the old model relies on perimeter-based defenses, such as firewalls and VPNs, to keep bad actors out.
However, this approach is no longer realistic in today's world because more and more Zero Trust businesses are moving to the cloud and adopting BYOD policies. As a result, the perimeter is no longer clearly defined, which makes it much harder to Zero Trust to protect against threats.
The Zero Trust Principles l addresses these shortcomings using techniques such as least privilege access control, micro-segmentation, and identity and access management (IAM). These Zero Trust techniques work together to create a much more effective security posture. It lets an organization defend its network against modern Zero Trust threats.
How Does Zero Trust Security Work?
A "perimeter" usually consists of firewalls and other security devices in a traditional cybersecurity setup. Once a user or device is inside this perimeter, it is considered Zero trust worthy.
However, with zero trust security, there is no perimeter. Instead, all users and devices are treated as untrustworthy, no matter where they are located. It may seem like a recipe for disaster, but it's a very effective way to protect your organization from zero trust cyberattacks.
Least privilege access control
This zero trust technique defines what level of access each user should have to different systems and data based on their job function. For example, an employee who only needs to read data should not have write access. You can minimize the zero trust impact of errors and malicious activity using the least privileged access control.
Micro-segmentation
This zero trust technique creates small groups (or micro-segments) within your network, so each group has its security perimeter. This zero trust approach makes it much harder for bad actors to move laterally through your network. They would need to breach multiple perimeters instead of just one.
Identity and access management (IAM)
IAM is a broad category that includes everything from Single Sign On (SSO) to multifactor authentication (MFA). The zero trust goal of IAM is to verify the identity of users before they are given access to systems or data. Using IAM techniques, you can make it much harder for unauthorized users to access your zero trust systems.
Benefits of Zero Trust Security
Here are two main benefits an organization gets from Zero Trust network:
- One of the advantages of zero trust security is that it can be very effective at preventing insider threats. Insider threats are when an employee or contractor tries to access sensitive data for malicious purposes. In this model, all users are treated as if they are potential threats, which means that they will be less likely to be able to access sensitive data without being detected.
- Another advantage of zero trust security is that it can help protect your organization from cyber attacks outside your perimeter. In the past, organizations only needed to worry about attacks outside their firewall. However, with the rise of mobile devices and cloud computing, organizations should know that attacks are coming from anywhere in the world.
With zero trust security, all traffic as it's not trustworthy, no matter where it is coming from in the network. This approach makes it much more challenging for attackers to exploit vulnerabilities in your system.
Final Thoughts - Zero Trust Security
Zero trust security is a model that doesn't trust any user, device, or network. Instead, all connected devices and users are potential threats. The model addresses traditional security solutions' shortcomings using techniques such as least privilege access control, micro-segmentation, and identity and access management (IAM). These techniques work together to create a much more effective security posture to defend against modern threats. Know more about Zero Trust Security.
