Businesses are still adapting to what seems to be the new normal post-pandemic. There are more organizations relying on the cloud for securing valuable assets than ever before, but they’re still relying on traditional security strategies that solely depend on  perimeter defense. Traditional security strategies, such as VPNs and firewalls secure what is inside the gated ecosystem but fail to recognize malicious behavior once access to the network has been obtained. Luckily, the zero-trust model provides the utmost in security and protection against prevalent cyber-attacks. In this blog we will define the Zero-Trust model for what it truly is, how it operates, and its benefits.

Zero-Trust Defined:

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) defines Zero-Trust as a “collection of concepts and ideas designed to minimize uncertainty in enforcing accurate, least privilege per-requested access decisions in information systems and services in the face of a network viewed as compromised” They also define Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) as “an enterprise’s cybersecurity plan that uses zero trust concepts and encompasses component relationships, workflow planning, and access policies. Therefore, a Zero-Trust enterprise is the network infrastructure (physical and virtual) and operational policies that are in place for an enterprise as a product of a ZTA plan”. In Simpler terms, the Zero-Trust model suggests that no single user should be trusted by default in the event that they become compromised. Instead, every user must be verified before access is granted to any resource. Every request from each user, inside and outside of the business’s perimeter, must be authenticated, authorized, and encrypted in real-time. By implementing the ZTA, businesses can mitigate their risk of being breached substantially.

How Does it Work:

First, a Zero-Trust model is designed to not trust any user until identity authentication is confirmed to establish trust and provide the user access. Zero Trust frameworks should be a compilation of advanced technologies, such as risk-based MFA, identity protection, endpoint security, paired with a cloud-based Security Operations Center (SOC) and Security Incident Event Management (SIEM) system. Combining these technologies verifies a user or system’s identity, by detecting anomalous behaviors in both humans and devices, in real-time.

Overall, Zero Trust introduces a new interpretation of perimeter: instead of perimeter being defined as the location of a user or device, it can be defined as identity authentication and access. The Zero-Trust Network Access provides IT and security teams with centralized control and better flexibility to ensure IT environments are secured.

Why ZTA is Important:

Zero Trust Architecture protects an organization in ways that others can. ZTA prevents malware from entering the network, protects remote workers and ensures productivity, simplifies the ongoing management of SOCs with enhanced automation, and increases visibility into escalations to improve the efficiency in responding and remediating threats.

How to Plan for Zero Trust:

It’s important to note that Zero Trust isn’t the implementation of a single product or policy, but it is a mindset taken by the entire organization. If your organization lacks the resources to develop its own ZTA in house, consider partnering with an organization that specializes in it. The security tools below are what organizations should be looking for when buying Zero-Trust:

• Network security
• Endpoint security
• Data security
• Workforce & Workload security
• Visibility & Real-time Analytics
• Automation and Orchestration

About AgileBlue

AgileBlue is a SOC|XDR platform that’s proven to detect threats faster and more accurately across your entire digital infrastructure. Detect, protect, and respond to threats and malicious activity with AgileBlue’s full complement of prevention, 24/7 monitoring and management, incident response and analysis services to secure your cloud or on-premises environments.

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