Security online seems to be less important to people than it should. Even though security should be the priority, people tend to neglect it. They often believe that there are no reasons for them to be hacked. That may be true in most cases but it still doesn’t mean that they won’t get hacked. The truth is that it doesn’t really matter who you are and what you do to hackers out there. Because of that, you should take your online privacy and security more seriously, if you already don’t.
What is zero trust
Zero trust is a security network that has existed for a decade, but it’s just now getting the recognition it deserves. This type of network is adapted to today’s world of digital business and it has proven to be very useful. The reason zero trust is so popular and useful is that its security framework is more advanced than some other systems. For instance, the problem might occur when the line between trusted and untrusted employees isn’t as clear as it should be. Namely, mobile workers could access the network from different locations or corporate assets might reside in multi-cloud environments.
With zero trust, that problem is solved. With zero trust, strict identity verification is necessary for any person or device that tries to access the private network. It doesn’t matter whether the person or device is within or outside the perimeter. The main problem with the perimeter lies in the approach to security. One of its flaws is that it doesn’t address handling potential insider attacks. For instance, if credentials are stolen, once the other security networks fail to address the attacker, the attacker is able to access the network. Zero trust, on the other hand, does a great job when it comes to accounting for contractors, third parties, or supply-chain partners.
Another reason zero trust is so good is that it really doesn’t trust anyone. In this system, there is no trusted by default people or devices. The system believes that the attackers might be outside as well as within the network. Due to this principle, no people or machines are trusted. Since everyone has to be verified the possibility of any problem occurring is decreased. The control and management policies should only grant employees access to the resources they need to do their job and nothing else. Companies are finally starting to realize how important security is and zero trust is there to prove that.
It’s surprising how long it took zero trust to gain popularity considering all its benefits. The main problem was that people were uninformed about zero trust. Another problem was that technology wasn’t really able to support such an advanced system. Today’s technology is able to follow these complex systems and make them approachable.
How to get started
Remember that the primary reason you are doing this is security. Before you take the plunge and switch the entire company on this system, consider getting good, free VPN set-ups, which you can find here. They protect your data through extra encryption, lowering the chances of getting hacked and attacked. In fact, you can use them for some time, and then switch over to Zero trust once you are ready.
As with anything else, it’s advisable to start small with a zero-trust security model too. One of the first steps that should be made is taking care of vendors and third parties. There should be a way to isolate vendors and third parties from the rest of the network. Zero trust is crucial for situations with supply chain partners, especially when new mobile applications show up. It’s also very important for cloud migrations or control accessing for software developers.
In a company where the IT infrastructure is cloud-based, working out the access control must be the first step. Companies need more effective ways to give access to improve the quality of their work. Zero trust enables companies to grant employees cloud access to specific staging instances. With zero trust, every new employee, once it gets a laptop, is authorized by an admin. The access to the network is only possible through a central gateway that follows already mentioned access-management policies.
Types of zero trust
There are two types of zero trust – network-centric and identity-centric groups. The network-centric group is focused on network segmentation while the focus of the identity-centric group is network access control and identity management. Different businesses might need a different type of system and it’s up to the entrepreneur to decide what they need.
The network-centric route is great for multi-cloud infrastructure. What this system allows is to granularly enforce the daily work. The work is improved in such a way that employees know what their exact roles are and which assets and applications they need to do their job. Another benefit is that employee behaviour can be monitored on the network. Starting small is the key to success in anything. Zero trust isn’t just an advance in technology; it’s a great business strategy.
Identity-centric zero trust also has its advantages. The approach of this type is centred on access control. This type of zero trust system is useful for companies with a mobile workforce of maintenance personnel and meter technicians in multiple locations with multiple devices. Surfaces such as these need to be properly protected. The policies that regulate employee access to the network are crucial when it comes to remote access tools. Another important thing is to make the whole infrastructure seamless to the employees. This can be done if the products are paired in the right way.
The transition to zero trust may not always be smooth. The whole system is supposed to bring the level of security and effectiveness to another level. It is capable to dynamically respond to the ever-changing environment and help the business. The main thing is that the transitioning, however complicated it gets, is worth it. Once the transitioning is over, the entrepreneur is able to enjoy all the success without having to worry about potential problems.
Conclusion
Zero trust is a process, it’s not a state. It is able to improve the business and there is no one way to achieve that. The purpose of zero trust is to give the entrepreneur maximum control and maximum visibility. As long as it does that, it’s making business conditions more than desirable.