"Zero Trust is not a product or a service, it is a strategy to guarantee safety in the digital landscape."
In 2010, Avatar broke box office records, Apple introduced the ipad, and the world was first introduced to Zero Trust Architecture. The term was first coined by an analyst at Forrester Research and gained traction a few years later when Google announced that they had implemented Zero Trust security in their network.
Put in the simplest terms Zero Trust means to "never trust, always verify." This means in the world of enterprise cybersecurity one should always presume no connections to corporate networks and systems are to be trusted. Zero Trust calls for multiple verification points before accessing networks, systems and data. Additionally, Zero Trust requires all users, devices and systems to be authenticated before first connecting.
Zero Trust operates under the assumption that threats can exist both outside and inside the network and thus aims to minimize the potential damage by assuming a breach is always possible. By adopting Zero Trust principles, organizations aim to enhance their security posture by reducing the attack surface, preventing lateral movement of threats, and protecting critical assets more effectively in the evolving threat landscape.
Implementing Zero Trust Architecture
The ultimate end goal of Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) is to create a security framework that prioritizes security at every level of the network, from users and devices to applications and data, while assuming a proactive and cautious stance against potential threats. By creating a comprehensive approach that integrates various technologies, organizations can successfully achieve ZTA.
Step 1: Understand The Areas You Are Protecting
The digital entities within an organization are rarely static. Company networks are continually expanding, making them difficult to holistically define, control, or protect. When first approaching ZTA, a logical first step would be to take assessment of existing network infrastructure, applications, data, and security measures. Additionally, you should create an inventory of all assets, both physical and virtual, including devices, software, users, and data repositories. Having an in-depth and complete understanding of how your systems are working will better enable you to build protection and create access controls.
Step 2: Categorize or Prioritize Critical Assets & Data
When we create plans to safeguard our homes and families we do so by protecting our most important “assets'' first. Similarly, it is critical to understanding where your most sensitive data lives and the transactional flow of that data between users, systems, and applications. By determining the most critical assets and sensitive data will better inform your implementation strategy by ensuring your most important assets are receiving the highest level of protection.
Step 3: Perform a Gap Analysis Against a Zero Trust Best Practice or Standard
Utilizing a standard or best practice provides a model for organizations to strive towards when implementing ZTA. Organizations should assess themselves against the standard or best practice to identify what is currently implemented by the organization and identify the gaps that need to be addressed.
Step 4: Create an Initial Zero Trust Architecture Roadmap and Implement
Using the gaps identified from the previous step, your organization can develop a roadmap to implementing ZTA. Creating a comprehensive approach to ZTA will include a strategic mix of technologies such as: Identity and Access Management (IAM), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), Software-Defined Perimeters (SDP), Network Segmentation, and Continuous Monitoring solutions. Gather key stakeholders from various departments in your organization (IT, security, compliance, legal, etc.) to get them involved in the planning process and ensure buy-in when it comes time to implement. A strong ZTA framework should include but is not limited to:
- Implementing strong and continuous centralized authentication mechanisms
- Restricting access based on principle of least privilege
- Implementing an inventory management system that can reliably identify assets
- Ensuring technologies are in place to allow authentication mechanisms to determine if a device meets requirements to allow for continuous access.
- Segmenting networks into smaller, isolated segments to control and monitor more effectively.
- Development of practices to ensure the implementation and management of secure applications.
- Protecting data via data encryption
- Implementing a robust continuous monitoring system for real-time threat detection
Using the results from prioritization and categorization in step two will help your team better map out security controls based on risk and create plans with clear milestones and timelines.
Step 5: Establish Metrics and KPIs
What does a successful implementation look like to your organization? Measuring the effectiveness of ZTA implementation involves assessing various key performance indicators (KPIs), metrics, and qualitative factors to gauge the impact on security, compliance, and overall business operations. Here are a few examples of metrics to consider:
- The number and severity of security incidents, such as breaches, unauthorized access attempts, malware infections, etc.
- The speed and efficiency of threat detection and incident response under the ZTA framework.
- Time taken to detect and mitigate security threats, including how quickly the security team identifies and responds to potential breaches.
- Measure the alignment of ZTA controls with industry standards and regulatory frameworks, and track improvements in compliance levels.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of continuous monitoring tools in detecting and responding to real-time threats.
- Assess the impact of ZTA on business operations, considering any disruptions caused or improvements in productivity and efficiency.
- Evaluate the cost savings or cost-effectiveness achieved through reduced security incidents, improved risk mitigation, and streamlined operations.
Step 6: Continuous Improvement
After implementation the work is not over and as time passes, the threat landscape as well as your organization are continually evolving and changing. New infrastructure deployments will require a robust and comprehensive security practice to maintain a zero-trust environment. Organizations need to be constantly monitoring asset access, behaviors, and communication patterns. Leave nothing up to chance.
How Can DataLock Help?
Leveling up your security operations is a long journey, DataLock Consulting Group can help. Developing a comprehensive security program is crucial for organizations to protect their sensitive data, systems, and assets from cyber threats and ensure the overall security of their operations. From conducting a thorough risk assessment to identify potential vulnerabilities and threats, DataLock can help you establish a strong security framework. Contact us to learn how we can help protect your bottom line by implementing a security program tailored to your organization's risks and functionality.