Zero Trust Security Model

 

Zero Trust Security Model

 

Image Credits: Master Concept

Zero Trust is an IT security model which requires strict identity verification for every device and person trying to access resources on a particular private network. The main technology associated with Zero Trust architecture is ZTNA, but Zero Trust architecture has its own incorporated principles and technologies. Moreover, the difference between traditional IT network security and Zero Trust architecture is that traditional IT network security trusts anyone or anything inside the network but Zero Trust architecture trusts no one and nothing, even if it is inside the network.

 

Main principles behind the Zero Trust architecture:

continuous monitoring and validation: since the main concept behind Zero Trust architecture is believing there are attackers both inside and outside the network, it does not allow automatic verification, instead the logins and connections time out periodically once established, forcing the users and machines to be re-verified continuously.

 

Least privilege: least privilege access is another main principle behind the Zero Trust architecture. This means giving the users access to data only as much as they need to know so that users do not have access to the parts of the network to which they do not have to have access. Implementing this allows us to manage user permissions well. However, VPNs are not very much suited for the least-privilege approach to authorization, since using VPNs allows to access the connected network. 

 

Device access control: not only users, but Zero Trust architecture requires strict control on devices as well, which monitors how many different devices are trying to access the network, and assesses those devices to ensure that all of them are authorized devices.

 

Micro-segmentation: it is a practice of breaking up the network into small parts to maintain individual access for each of those parts. So, the benefit here is, if some attacker gets into a part of the network, he will not be able to access the other parts of the network without having their separate authorization, so that even though an attack is taken place, the attacker won’t have access to the whole network at once.

 

Multi-factor authentication (MFA): This is a principle where it requires more than one piece of evidence to authenticate a user, so just entering a password will not be enough to gain access.

 

Implementation of Zero Trust security: 

Next-generation firewall: This would help to have network protection by decrypting the traffic and the implementation of micro-segmentation.

 

Data loss prevention (DLP): it ensures that the users do not send sensitive or critical information outside the corporate network.

 

Continuous monitoring: to always verify, we need to keep an attentive watch over what users and devices are doing with the system and data. 

 

Understand access needs: identify and grant access to the users with compliance to least privilege access granting, where users get access to only what they are supposed to have and nothing more.