Zero Trust Model

Zero Trust has become a cybersecurity buzzword and is often propagated into an undefined concept that has no defined implementation strategy.

There are three principles that define a solid and implementable Zero Trust model*

Principle 1. All entities are untrusted by default. Access to an organization’s resources shouldn’t be based off implicit trust. Trust needs to be explicitly defined and continuously reviewed and informed by context around every access session. Every decision must be assessed based on transactional risk. Often these pieces of context can be posture of a device, type of workload, attributes around an identity, and more.

Principle 2. Least privilege access is enforced. Users, applications, and other computing infrastructure must utilize the bare minimum amount of access needed to perform their function. If highly privileged access needs to be utilized, it needs to be assigned for that transaction and reverted to minimal privileges once used.

Principle 3. Comprehensive security monitoring is implemented. Shine a spotlight into the dark crevices of your organization to illuminate threats and adversaries trying to hide. Understand how users operate and assets communicate. Pair this visibility with the tools, processes, and controls required to stop, remediate, and surgically remove or isolate detected threats.

These principles define Zero Trust as an information security model that denies access to applications and data by default. To control internal and external threats, access to networks and processes are controlled. Security governance policies define the controls and the risk-based verification processes for users and their associated roles and access.

The three core principles are followed for all roles, access, service accounts, and processes: All entities are untrusted by default; least privilege access is enforced; and comprehensive security monitoring is implemented.

Utilize security governance frameworks to implement the Zero Trust principles. Zero Trust requires more than the model itself; it requires a change in thinking. Standard frameworks, such as ISO27001 and NIST enable organizations to implement Zero Trust by defining controls within the frameworks, supporting the three principles at every turn. Controls that are defined in frameworks, assist organization with delivering the operational and technical implementation of the controls to enforce a Zero Trust model.

Delivering the principles in all aspects of your technology, people, and processes is the fundamental element in transforming organizations to a Zero Trust model. Zero Trust adoption requires that the control principles be implemented for all operational processes, both internal and beyond the edge, so that access security is consistently applied to your users and customers

Technology should be viewed as an enabler of the principles and must be aligned to enforce the principles, controls, and processes. Map out your processes and business use cases, then look for the technologies and technology partners that best enable the principles.

Zero Trust can be implemented with the right adoption mindset. Zero trust has many benefits including transparent security, providing a competitive edge, helping contain breaches more quickly, and setting user expectation for access thereby providing a less frustrating security provisioning model.

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*Zero Trust principles from Forrester, The Definition Of Modern Zero Trust