Zero Trust is not merely a product or a technology; it is a paradigm shift in cybersecurity. The fundamental principle of Zero Trust is "never trust, always verify." This approach assumes that threats can emerge from both inside and outside an organization’s network, and therefore, access should be granted only after strict authentication and validation.
The Zero Trust Model Emphasizes:
· Strong Identity Verification: Ensuring that users and devices are rigorously authenticated before accessing resources.
· Least Privilege Access: Limiting access rights to only what is necessary for users to perform their tasks.
· Micro-Segmentation: Dividing the network into smaller zones to minimize lateral movement in the event of a breach.
· Continuous Monitoring: Constantly evaluating and reassessing access permissions and behavior in real time.
The five steps to Zero Trust, as outlined by John Kindervag, are:
1. Define the Protect Surface: Identify the resources you want to protect and categorize them as Protect Surfaces.
2. Map Transaction Flows: Understand how users, applications, data, and systems interact to map transaction flows.
3. Architect a Framework: Create a framework to secure your Protect Surfaces.
4. Implement Architecture and Create Policies: Deploy your architecture and develop policies to enforce containment and micro-segmentation.
5. Monitor and Log Activities: Continuously monitor and log all activities to ensure compliance with security policies.
These steps help organizations create a secure environment by eliminating trust and verifying access to sensitive data.
