2023-06-01 17:29:09
Traditionally, strategies cybersecurity they focused on creating a formidable perimeter around the network, much like building a fortress to protect against intruders. This process is often referred to as the “castle and moat” strategy. The assumption here is that the threats are external, while everything or everyone within the network is considered safe and trustworthy.
As time went by, the flaws in this approach became increasingly apparent. The establishment of remote work, mobile devices, cloud-based services, and BYOD policies have caused the edges of the “network perimeter” to become blurred and, in some cases, disappear entirely. In addition, we have seen cases where the threat arose from within the network. Relying on a perimeter-based defense strategy in this context is akin to locking doors and windows when the burglar is already inside the house.
The advent of zero trust
Zero Trust is a security concept centered on the belief that organizations should not automatically trust anything, inside or outside their perimeters. Instead, they must verify anything and everything that tries to connect to their systems before granting access. In other words, trust nothing, verify everything, hence the name Zero Trust.
A change of mind
The rise of Zero Trust marks a paradigm shift from ‘trust but verify’ to ‘never trust, always verify’. It fundamentally changes the way we approach security by removing the assumption of trust. And this is not limited to potential threats from outside the network. Zero Trust mandates that even requests originating from within the network must be verified before access is granted. This philosophy offers a solution to the limitations of the perimeter-based security model and ensures a more secure environment, adaptable to today’s ever-changing digital landscape.
The zero trust mechanism
At the heart of Zero Trust is the Principle of Least Privilege (POLP). It is suggested that an individual (user or system) should have only the basic permissions necessary to perform its functions, nothing more and nothing less. Limiting excessive access rights means POLP reduces the attack surface and minimizes the risk of insider threats.
In a Zero Trust architecture, each access request is strongly authenticated, strictly authorized based on POLP, and end-to-end encrypted. This process is applied each time the resource is accessed, creating a more dynamic and robust security protocol.
ZTNA’s role
In the Zero Trust model, ZTNA or Zero Trust Network Access plays a fundamental role. According to experts at Hillstone Networks, it replaces traditional VPN access and provides granular, context-based access control to network resources. ZTNA adoption enables organizations to enforce Zero Trust principles, ensuring that all users and devices are authenticated and authorized before gaining access to network resources.
Why Zero Trust?
You may be wondering, why is the Zero Trust model so essential in today’s world? Here are some reasons:
• Fits into modern network architecture: With the increasing use of cloud-based services, remote work, and BYOD policies, the conventional network perimeter no longer exists. Zero Trust offers a flexible and adaptable solution to meet these modern network requirements.
• Mitigates Insider Threats – Traditional security models were less equipped to handle threats originating from within the network. Assuming everything is untrusted until verified means Zero Trust significantly reduces the risk of insider threats.
• Reduces the attack surface: The principle of least privilege, which is the cornerstone of Zero Trust, restricts access rights to the minimum necessary, thereby reducing potential points of attack.
• Strengthens regulatory compliance – Implementing granular control and broad visibility over access enables Zero Trust to help organizations meet stringent regulatory requirements around privacy and data protection.
To conclude, the emergence of Zero Trust signifies the beginning of a new era in network security. With it, we’re reinventing network security – one ‘untrusted’ request at a time.
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