Traditional perimeter-based security is dead. The "castle and moat" approach no longer works in a world of cloud computing and remote work. Enter Zero Trust.
What is Zero Trust?
Zero Trust is a security model based on the principle of "Never Trust, Always Verify". It requires strict identity verification for every person and device trying to access resources on a private network, regardless of whether they are sitting within or outside of the network perimeter.
The Three Core Principles
- Verify Explicitly: Always authenticate and authorize based on all available data points (identity, location, device health, anomalies).
- Use Least Privileged Access: Limit user access with Just-In-Time and Just-Enough-Access (JIT/JEA) policies.
- Assume Breach: Minimize blast radius and segment access. Verify end-to-end encryption and use analytics to get visibility.
Why it matters
Zero Trust reduces the attack surface and prevents lateral movement. If an attacker compromises one device, they can't easily move to others.