A zero-trust network (ZTN) is a relatively new approach to cyber security that has grown in popularity over the last few years. ZTNs are a security architecture that assumes all devices and users are untrustworthy and only offers access to the data it absolutely needs. In other words, typical IT network security trusts everyone and everything on the network.  

For example, a company might have multiple security measures in place to protect against theft or other breaches. However, it does not assume that all its employees will only access data for authorized purposes and will never compromise its security. 

 Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) is based on the idea that an attacker can impersonate anyone or anything online. In the first half of 2021, there were 1,767 publicly announced breaches, exposing 18.8 billion data. As such, many organizations are dialing up their cyber security operations and now use ZTN as their default mode of operation. This article will teach you what a zero trust network is and how it can help your company become more secure. 

 

The Zero Trust Network Principles 

 As stated earlier, zero trust operates on the premise that nothing should be trusted, and everything should be confirmed. A zero trust network is designed with the following principles:   

  • Least-privilege access: Only grants people access to the needed information. This decreases malware’s ability to move from system to system and internal data leakage. 
  • Micro-Segmentation: Makes smaller networks with various access credentials. Even if one section is compromised, this prevents malware from spreading throughout the network. 
  • Data-Usage Control: Limits what people can do with data once they get it. For example, ZTN solutions can revoke authorization to copy data to a USB drive, email, or cloud app. 
  • Continuous Monitoring: Monitors how users and entities interact with data and other systems. This allows risk-adaptive security mechanisms. 

 

Five Benefits of ZTN 

Virtual private networks (VPNs) have been a long-time fan-favorite of cyber security operations. However, by 2023, 60% of companies will abandon remote access VPNs in favor of ZTNA. When looking at the benefits, it’s easy to understand why ZTNs are on the rise:  

  1. Promotes Automated Cyber Security

According to a recent poll, 53% of firms report a cyber security skills shortage. The more you can securely automate, the less IT staff you require. With zero trust, you can automate access requests because it is built on continuous monitoring and analytics. If the privileged access management system determines the request is standard, access is given automatically. IT only needs to approve access requests when an automatic mechanism flags them as questionable. This reduces human error and frees up more time for your current staff to work on other vital operations.  

  1. Gain Business Visibility

You’ll know exactly who (or what) is accessing your network, as well as the time, location, and apps involved in every access request. In addition, the security system tracks every activity and highlights strange behavior and SoD clashes.  


  1. Reduces Risk

Zero trust assumes all apps and services are malicious and prevents communication unless their identities are successfully validated. A zero trust strategy further decreases risk by removing over-provisioned software and services and continually validating every communicating asset’s “credentials.”  

  1. Encourages Compliance

Every access request analyzed and documented by zero trust ensures continual compliance. Audits are streamlined with continuous compliance since all access requests are documented. This reduces the work necessary to gather evidence, making management more efficient.  

  1. Prevents Data Breaches

Detecting and stopping malicious data activity is simple with the zero-trust approach since it focuses on workload. A zero trust strategy constantly validates, prohibiting unverified workloads from interacting anywhere on the system—between hosts, users, or apps and data. Updated applications and services are automatically untrusted until they are confirmed again by a set of rules and controls. Even when confirmed and authorized, communication is limited to those who need it.  

Also, limiting what users can access and for how long helps mitigate the effect of a breach since malware may rapidly identify and extract consumer data or intellectual property after breaching your firewall. If access is confined to a small dataset and is time-limited, malicious people are less likely to receive the data they want when they want it. 

 

Implementing Zero Trust Networks 

Beyond security, a well-implemented zero-trust model should help organizations run more efficiently and provide everyone with secure, granular access. However, implementing a zero-trust model in your business does not have to be difficult. Panoply IT Solutions can make it simple for businesses of any size to create a zero-trust infrastructure. 

 To safeguard your company with the latest cyber security solutions, contact Panoply IT Solutions today.