Zero Trust Security
What is Zero Trust Security, and why is it important?
In simple terms, Zero Trust is a security philosophy that believes in "never trust, always verify." Instead of assuming everything inside your organization's network is safe, Zero Trust assumes that threats can come from anywhere, be it inside or outside the organization. Traditional security models work under the belief that everything within the company's network is trusted. However, in our increasingly mobile digital world, where people are able to work from anywhere, this model isn't as effective. This is where Zero Trust steps in, providing a more comprehensive approach to security.
However, it's important to understand that Zero Trust is a journey, and it is unlikely to ever achieve “100% zero trust” within any organization. While it might not be possible for all businesses to implement every component of Zero Trust, progressing in this direction and incorporating as many elements as possible is crucial.
While traditional models often focus on building a strong perimeter, Zero Trust considers that threats can be internal as well. It requires continuous verification, making sure that every user, device, and application is validated before granting access. Thinking of security in this mindset also helps isolate the damage an attacker can inflict if they can compromise a specific system by making it more difficult to pivot from one system to others.
Implementing Zero Trust: Recommended Components
At 2Fifteen Tech, we work off the Zero Trust Roadmap, which is a sample architecture provided by Cloudflare in a vendor-agnostic fashion, available here - https://zerotrustroadmap.org/
Here are some bullet points on how 2Fifteen Tech recommends implementing Zero Trust within an organization, based on the Zero Trust Roadmap:
Users
Establish a Corporate Identity: Secure your domain name, and ensure strong authentication and identity for everyone within your business.
Enforce MFA for All Applications: Multi-factor authentication is crucial. It should be phishing-resistant, leveraging security keys, device checks, and biometric confirmations.
Endpoints and Devices
Implement MDM/UEM: Manage corporate devices to verify their authenticity during access.
Endpoint Protection: Protect against malicious behavior on endpoints, such as laptops and mobile devices.
Inventory Devices and Services: Know every device, API, and service within your corporation.
Internet Traffic
DNS Filtering: Block DNS requests to known threats and suspicious domains.
SSL/TLS Inspection: Inspect encrypted data on the network and enforce security policies.
Networks
Segmentation: Limit network access only to what's necessary for specific users.
Close Inbound Ports: Avoid exposing any ports to the public internet.
Applications
Phishing Protection: Monitor inbound emails and filter out any phishing attempts.
Inventory Corporate Applications: Be aware of all applications used within your organization.
Zero Trust for Applications: Enforce Zero Trust policies for all types of applications.
Protect Against Layer 7 Attacks: Make sure application uptime and protect against cyberattacks.
Enforce HTTPS and dnssec: Secure your web assets and applications.
Data Loss Prevention and Logging
Log and Review: Monitor traffic on sensitive applications.
Define Sensitive Data: Know which data is sensitive and where it resides.
Data Loss Prevention: Prevent sensitive data like PII or credit card numbers from unauthorized access or leaks.
Review and Mitigate: Establish a SOC to review logs, update policies, and handle threats.
Stay Updated: Keep an eye on known threat actors and potential risks.
Ongoing Deployment
DevOps Approach: Ensure continuous policy enforcement.
Implement Auto-scaling: Make sure resources can adapt to the demands of your system.
Wrapping Up
Zero Trust isn't just a passing tech fad; it represents a vital cybersecurity strategy aimed at enhancing security without sacrificing the user-friendliness of technology. 2Fifteen Tech can help guide you on your Zero Trust journey.
If you have any questions or want to know how we can help implement Zero Trust within your organization, please reach out!
