5 Signs the Zero Trust Methodology is for You
“Zero trust” is the hottest buzz word in informationsecurity today. The model maximizes security and minimizes risk by not trustingany user or device inside or outside the network. It limits user access to onlywhat’s needed to complete their tasks. This severely hinders the ability formalicious agents to breach any applications or data and, if they do, containsany potential breach. Read more about what Zero Trust is in our previous blog post.
This all sounds promising, but does your organization reallyneed to implement a zero trust securitymodel? Here are five signs that your business or organization wouldbenefit from zero trust security architecture:
1. You don’t have an identity access management system inplace yet.
Identity security has become the bedrock of modern security,ensuring that only authorized users and devices have access to the applicationsand data they need. If you don’t already have an identity access managementsystem, deploying such a system without using a zero trust framework would belike installing keycard locks on each door in an office or facility, but givingeveryone a master keycard.
With an IAM system in place, zero trust can easily becomeyour default security stance, so users can only open doors to resources thatthey should have access to while monitoring who exactly is coming and going.
2. Your organization has identity access management, butno security perimeter.
So you have a keycard system inside your office, but do youhave a security system to enter the building in the first place? If you alreadyhave identity access management solution in place for on-premises but nosecurity perimeter, building on that foundation to expand your boundary canincrease your protection while providing more secure and flexible remote accessthan a virtual private network (VPN).
3. You have network users that exist outside yourorganization — contractors, vendors, and suppliers.
If you hire vendors to undertake projects for yourorganization, they may need access to your network or cloud and the ability tocollaborate with your internal team. With a zero trust framework in place, youcan provide that access for the exact time frame needed for the project andwith an automated offboarding process in place so that access is revoked whenno longer needed. You can ensure that vendors, contractors, suppliers andothers are granted access only as needed to complete the project.
4. You need employees to be able to work remotely withtheir own devices.
The days of bringing home a company-issued laptop or gettinga company-owned phone have faded as employees increasingly use their personaldevices to get work done. A zero trust security framework can ensure thatdevices that access resources within your network or cloud are identified andvalidated each time they connect, and automatically flag when a change isdetected — logging in from a new geolocation or accessing a new resource, forexample — would then require multifactor identification.
5. Your organization uses applications asSoftware-as-a-Service (SaaS) or Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS).
Using Salesforce for customer service management, AdobeCreative Cloud for design and editing, Dropbox for file sharing, or ADP forpayroll? These powerful collaborative tools also mean that any of your dataassociated with those applications is outside your internal corporate network.A zero trust framework can ensure that only authorized users can access thoseapplications and any of the proprietary data and information stored within issecured.
Conclusion
These are just a few examples of why zero trust may bethe right fit for your organization. The next, best step is to get a zero trustsecurity assessment from qualified experts who can pinpoint gaps in securityand determine the best way to keep your network secure, while keeping yourorganization running efficiently.
