Zero Trust is one of the buzzwords in cybersecurity right now. And that’s for a good reason! Regardless of where a device or user is on the network, the Zero Trust implementation includes a policy of never being untrusted and always verifying the legitimacy and rights of those entities. After identifying your most sensitive assets, you need to map network traffic patterns to those areas before designing your Zero Trust solution.
Let’s take a deeper look at Zero Trust now.
What exactly is Zero Trust?
As stated above, Zero Trust is based on the idea that all users should be treated with suspicion, including those already within the network perimeter . To put it another way, the security of a typical IT network depends on the users of the network being trustworthy. In a zero-trust architecture, no one or no one is trusted.
The average global cost of a data breach has reportedly risen to nearly $4 million, according to Research 2021 at IBM. Data breaches are prevented with this additional level of protection. Given that number, it should come as no surprise that many businesses are now willing to implement a Zero Trust security strategy.
Steps to implement Trust Zero
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to implementing any security practice but we can draw some general guidelines. The steps are as follows:
Determine the data you should protect
The critical information, applications, assets, and services most important to protecting your business should be included in your Zero Trust implementation. Once defined, you can set your controls as close as possible to the determined data to build a microperimeter with clear, concise and limited policy assertions.
Identify the users and devices that need access
One of the first steps is to know which users and devices need access to your digital resources. You need to do more than just get a list of employees, though. The users who need access to data can be third parties, service accounts, serverless operations and so on.
In addition to users, Zero Trust monitors all devices that connect to your network. Device identification and cataloging has become more difficult as Internet of Things (IoT) devices have become more common. You should consider all types of devices. That can include smartphones, laptops, desktops, tablets, routers and so on.
Don’t forget to keep track
You should start a test period as soon as you are sure that everything for the first batch of transfer processes is working as expected. You should monitor how the communication is carried out in the company, if there are any delays that could affect productivity, and see if any user or device has access to data or a service they should have access to.
Expand!
You now have baselines and logs, which should give you confidence in your processes and monitoring now that the first part of the migration is complete. However, a similar approach should be followed for all stages of rollout, including implementation, review, monitoring and baseline setting. Remember that cybersecurity is not a destination but a journey, and always monitor for any developments.
Benefits of implementing Zero Trust
Enabling today’s work practices
Many businesses have had to deal with remote working problems due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And remote work is definitely here to stay even after the pandemic dies down completely.
Organizations must ensure that their data and equipment remain safe as well as ensure that employees have the tools they need to perform their jobs while working remotely. While reducing the network overhead from extending your business network to your employees’ homes, Zero Trust Solutions enable strong authentication and authorization.
Better user experience
Certain Zero Trust security measures can greatly enhance the user experience. Enabling Single Sign-On (SSO) for all your company services is the most obvious example of this. Instead of signing in every time they want to use a new application, employees only need to enter their credentials once. This is much more practical and safer. It also improves productivity!
Greater resource availability visibility
Your determination should begin with visibility. If something is not visible on the network, it cannot be verified. You must identify and classify all network resources according to the Zero Trust security method for Zero Trust implementation. This helps businesses to better identify who uses what resources for what purposes and what security measures need to be taken.
Regular inspection
To implement a Zero Trust security approach, a solution for continuous monitoring and logging of asset location and user activity is required. As a result, organizations are better equipped to identify and respond to risks quickly.
Less need for full-time IT staff
Technology improves, and so do hackers’ techniques. It is difficult to fight them. As a result, Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that the cost of cybercrime would increase, reaching $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. Hiring cybersecurity experts is one option, but this is a costly course.
Zero Trust architecture built on the cloud eliminates the requirement for professional IT staff. Your Zero Trust network is handled and managed by your cloud service provider. This means that you will cut costs in your cybersecurity management.
Final words
Traditional “trust but verify” network cybersecurity tactics are no longer sufficient to prevent attacks and protect data and systems as cyber attacks against companies evolve and change. Security teams should be aware that if they blindly trust endpoints, devices, and users on their network, rogue actors, unauthorized users, compromised accounts, and third parties may -inside the negligence of putting the whole company at risk.
There is no one-size-fits-all strategy that organizations can use to combat cyber threats. Every company must identify its security weaknesses and take appropriate measures. Ideally, you should start by implementing Zero Trust security before adding additional security measures to your organization’s network.
Zero Trust enables businesses to improve access control, stop breaches, protect their assets, and reduce the risk of harm. But without a well-thought-out architecture and strategy, all this could be a waste of time and money. Make sure you know your company well and work with a professional team if you need help.