Enhancing Security With Zero Trust Adoption

Malicious cyber activity is intensifying at an unprecedented rate. The infrastructure that offers the convenience of working from multiple workstations, mobile devices, and home computers is a double-edged sword, increasing the total attack surface and complexity of securing these environments.

Organizations can no longer rely on the strength of their network perimeter to secure sensitive environments — especially when 75% of organizations report that their employees have experienced phishing attempts. A zero-trust philosophy is required to secure modern architecture against emerging threats.

However, zero trust adoption isn’t an overnight task. It requires overcoming organizational barriers and gathering buy-in from key stakeholders to maximize its effectiveness. Here, we’ll explain what zero trust security means and how you can increase zero trust adoption rates at your organization.

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What is zero trust security?

Zero trust security is a network security philosophy and framework that assumes no trust within an organization’s network perimeter. It began as a response to traditional security models, which tend to trust users within the network once they are verified. Instead, Zero trust places “never trust, always verify” as its foundation, constantly monitoring and reauthenticating users as they work on sensitive networks.

Defining the zero trust model

While the specifics of zero trust architecture will change based on the organization's individual needs, NIST lays out a few essential components of any zero trust model. These include:

• Strict identity verification that grants access to resources only when authorized and on a per-session basis.
• Minimal privilege access, locking down resources and assets so employees only have access to what they need to do their jobs and nothing more.
• Comprehensive and continuous monitoring of user activity to protect against unauthorized access, lateral movement, and data breaches.

Differences between traditional security and zero trust

Traditional security frameworks assume trust for anyone currently within the network. This approach relies on firewalls to protect internal users from external threats, but it lacks visibility into user activity and offers limited control over how users access files and systems. The focus is to react to incidents but not necessarily prevent them from occurring in the first place.

However, with the increase in insider threats, phishing attempts, and malware attacks, firewalls aren’t enough to secure modern network architecture. A zero trust approach does not assume trust, even for users currently within the network. Instead, it constantly verifies user authenticity while limiting access to sensitive systems. Zero trust adoption is essential for organizations looking to modernize their infrastructure while combating advanced threats.

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Why zero trust is crucial for modern enterprises

Zero trust adoption is one of the most effective ways to stay ahead of malicious actors as their attacks evolve. Here’s how zero trust can mitigate some of the most common cyber threats:

• Expanded attack surface: Cloud computing has changed the way organizations operate, facilitating a digital transformation that allows employees to work and collaborate with anyone from anywhere. It has also greatly expanded the potential attack surface of an organization’s network infrastructure, making this surface more complex and difficult to define in the process. Zero trust offers an end-to-end solution that secures access by verifying authenticity across every device and access point. 
• Insider threats: A zero trust philosophy verifies all users and devices, regardless of location. This approach minimizes insider risks by only allowing authorized users with valid credentials to access sensitive resources while limiting lateral movement throughout the network. It also continuously monitors their activity, alerting security teams to suspicious activity in real time.
• Compliance: Strict access controls, least privilege access, and continuous monitoring are core parts of any practical zero trust approach, helping organizations meet stringent security and compliance requirements.

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Key components of zero trust architecture

Identity verification

Ensuring every user is authenticated and authorized before granting access to resources is a core tenant of the zero trust philosophy. Yet that doesn’t mean you can implicitly trust any user with the correct password. Even multi-factor authentication (MFA) isn’t always enough, as threat actors may access credentials through phishing attempts or physical device theft. Modern zero trust architecture relies on device telemetry to verify the health and security of each endpoint. It uses that telemetry with other verification systems to maintain a heightened security posture.

Device security

Modern employees can now access their work from anywhere, whether a workstation at the office, a laptop at home equipped with a VPN, or even cloud-based mobile apps. Security teams can use the zero trust framework to validate and secure any device that attempts to connect to the network, allowing organizations to prevent unauthorized devices from accessing sensitive information.

Network segmentation

Previous security frameworks gave users full access to the network environment once they were authenticated. With zero trust, organizations seek to restrict access to essential systems based on need-to-know principles. By dividing the organization’s network into smaller, isolated segments, IT teams can limit the lateral movement of threats and mitigate security risks should an intrusion occur. 

Continuous monitoring

In a zero trust framework, just because a user is verified doesn’t mean that they’re trustworthy. Constant monitoring of network traffic and analysis of user behavior gives security teams the data they need to detect and respond to anomalies or suspicious activity as they happen. 

Data protection and encryption 

Securing data is a two-pronged effort. First, data loss prevention (DLP) technologies aid in monitoring, detecting, and preventing the unauthorized transfer or disclosure of sensitive information. This is paired with data encryption at rest and in transit, preventing unauthorized parties from accessing or intercepting sensitive information. 

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Steps to implement zero trust security in your organization

1, Assess current security posture

You won’t know what to fix until you analyze your security posture. Begin by thoroughly auditing all existing security measures, network infrastructure, and access controls. This process will help you identify security vulnerabilities and flag areas for improvement. It will also tell you what you’re doing right so you can strengthen these areas further.

2. Define security policies

Establishing clear security policies and guidelines based on zero-trust principles provides a baseline for all members of your organization to follow. During this process, you should also determine who needs access to what resources and under what conditions to define concrete security roles.

3. Implement identity and access management (IAM)

With security policies in place, you can then deploy robust IAM solutions to ensure strong authentication and authorization mechanisms. You should also implement MFA solutions during this step for added security. Remember, MFA is not a replacement for true zero trust adoption but rather a supplement to a robust and holistic approach.

4. Secure devices and endpoints 

Now, it’s time to enforce strict security controls on all devices accessing the network, from on-site workstations and work-from-home laptops to any mobile devices intended to interact with your secured network. Implementing endpoint security solutions will allow you to monitor use and protect against malware and other threats.

5. Regularly update and patch systems

Keeping your systems up to date ensures you won’t be caught flat-footed when malicious actors discover new security vulnerabilities. Ensure all systems and software currently in use are regularly updated and patched. Automated patch management processes will help you stay on top of these updates and maintain a higher level of security.

6. Review and improve

Malicious actors continuously update their attacks, and your processes should do the same to defend against them. Conduct regular security review sessions to assess the effectiveness of zero trust adoption in your organization. Then, make the necessary adjustments based on evolving threats and organizational needs.

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Common challenges in zero trust adoption

Technical complexity

Zero trust adoption may require significant changes to an organization's existing infrastructure to be most effective. This process can be complex and resource-intensive as you integrate new security tools throughout your organization. After an assessment, you may discover that your infrastructure requires an overhaul to make it more secure.

Integrating with existing systems

Many organizations rely on legacy systems and applications that are incompatible with modern zero trust principles. Ensuring these older systems comply with zero trust requirements may be difficult, requiring significant refactoring or replacement efforts.

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Modernize IT security with a consolidated approach

To make zero trust adoption as successful as possible, you must leave your legacy, perimeter-based tools behind. It’s time to consider consolidating your stand-alone tools into a single, unified platform. This will help protect an increasingly fragmented infrastructure in an evolving threat landscape. Download our free e-book and learn more about how a consolidated approach to security can reduce infrastructure complexity while boosting zero trust adoption rates.