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Zero Trust is one of the buzzwords in cybersecurity right now. And that’s for a good reason! No matter where a device or user is on the network, Zero Trust implementation entails a policy of never trusting and constantly confirming the validity and rights of those entities. Following the identification of your most sensitive assets, you must map out the network traffic patterns to these areas before designing your Zero Trust solution.
Let’s take a more in-depth look at Zero Trust now.
What exactly is Zero Trust?
As mentioned above, Zero Trust is predicated on the idea that every user should be treated with suspicion, including those who are already inside the network perimeter. To put it another way, typical IT network security relies on the network’s users to be trustworthy. In a zero-trust architecture, nothing or nobody is trusted.
The average global cost of a data breach has reportedly risen to almost $4 million, according to IBM’s 2021 research. Data breaches are prevented by this additional layer of protection. Given that number, it shouldn’t be shocking that many businesses are now willing to implement a Zero Trust security strategy.
Steps for Zero Trust implementation
There is no one-size-fits-all method for implementing any security practice but we can draw some general steps. The steps are as follows:
Determine the data you should protect
The vital information, applications, assets, and services that are most important for your business to safeguard should be included in your Zero Trust implementation. Once defined, you can position your controls as near as you can to the determined data to build a microperimeter with clear, concise, and limited policy declarations.
Identify the users and devices that need access
Knowing which users and devices require access to your digital resources is one of the first steps. You must do more than just obtain a list of workers, though. The users who will need access to data can be third-parties, service accounts, serverless functions and so on.
In addition to users, all devices that connect to your network are tracked by Zero Trust. Device identification and cataloging have become more difficult as Internet of Things (IoT) devices have become increasingly prevalent. You should consider all kinds of devices. That can include smartphones, laptops, desktop computers, tablets, routers and so on.
Don’t neglect monitoring
You should start a period of monitoring as soon as you are certain that everything for the initial batch of transferred processes functions as expected. You should monitor how the communication is done in the company, if there are any lags that could affect productivity, and to see if any user or device has access to a data or 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 portion of the migration is complete. However, a similar approach should be followed for each phase of the rollout, including implementation, review, monitoring, and setting baselines. Remember that cybersecurity is not a destination but a journey, and always be on the lookout for any developments.
Benefits of Zero Trust implementation
Enables modern work practices
Many businesses had to deal with the difficulties of remote working as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. And remote work is definitely here to stay even after the pandemic completely dies down.
Organizations must guarantee that their data and equipment stay safe in addition to making sure that employees have the tools they need to execute their jobs while working remotely. While minimizing the network overhead of extending your business network into your employees’ homes, Zero Trust solutions enable robust authentication and permission.
Better user experience
Some Zero Trust security measures can greatly enhance the user experience. Enabling Single Sign-On (SSO) for all of your company services is the most apparent example of this. Instead of signing in each time they want to utilize a new application, employees just need to input their credentials once. This is far more practical and secure. It also improves productivity!
Increased visibility of resource access
Verification should start with visibility. If something is not visible on the network, it cannot be verified. You must identify and categorize all network resources in accordance with the Zero Trust security methodology for Zero Trust implementation. This helps businesses better identify who uses what resources for what purposes and what security precautions need to be taken.
Constant monitoring
In order to implement a Zero Trust security approach, a solution for continuous monitoring and logging of asset conditions and user activities must be deployed. As a result, organizations are better equipped to identify possible dangers and quickly react to them.
Less need for a full-on IT staff
Technology advances, and so do hackers’ techniques. Fighting them is difficult. As a result, Cybersecurity Ventures forecasts that the cost of cybercrime would increase, reaching $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. Hiring cybersecurity experts is one possibility, but this is a costly course of action.
A Zero Trust architecture built on the cloud eliminates the requirement for a professional IT staff. Your Zero Trust network will be handled and managed by your cloud service provider. This means you will be cutting costs in your cybersecurity management.
Final words
Traditional “trust but verify” network cybersecurity tactics are no longer sufficient to thwart attacks and safeguard data and systems as cyberattacks against companies grow and adapt. Security teams should be aware that if they blindly trust endpoints, devices, and users on their network, malevolent actors, unauthorized users, compromised accounts, and negligent insiders might jeopardize the entire company.
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all strategy that organizations can use to combat cyberthreats. Each company must identify its security weaknesses and take appropriate action. Ideally, you should start by implementing the Zero Trust security before adding additional security measures to your organization’s network.
Zero Trust enables businesses to improve access control, stop breaches, safeguard their assets, and lessen the risk of harm. But without a well-thought-out architecture and strategy, all of this might end up being a waste of time and money. Make sure you know your company well and work with a professional team if you need help.