What Is Zero Trust Network Architecture?

With key shifts such as the expansion of hybrid workforces and migration to the cloud, digital transformation is accelerating. In response to the industry’s evolving needs, information security teams have begun adopting holistic approaches to online security. The new standard has now become treating all users and user transactions as suspicious until they are validated.

“In order to proactively mitigate cyber security risks,” Tosin Ajayi, manager of information and digital solutions operations and Eli Lilly and Company. “Due to remote work, ransomware, and social engineering, most organizations are adopting the Zero Trust model.”

Zero Trust Network Architecture (ZTNA), or Zero Trust (ZT), is a new cybersecurity approach. In layman’s terms, it refers to the interconnection of the entire infrastructure from an enterprise, rather than dividing it into separate sectors. Adapting to modern digital threats by applying heightened levels of security regardless of the user, the device, the source of connection, or the nature of the transaction.

Zero Trust is a set of concepts and ideas that treat every network interaction as a potential threat. Utilizing automated tools to analyze user behavior and other data in real-time and proactively orient network defenses. It’s not easy to implement Zero Trust principles, but you shouldn’t have trouble getting started. There should already be security tools in place that can adapt to a Zero Trust Network Architecture.

Zero Trust must adhere to all Zero Trust Principles:

• Authentication should be as strong as possible for users to establish their identity.
• Identify, monitor, and manage devices and other endpoints on a network, ensuring their integrity constantly.
• Use a minimal amount of user interfaces, control and manage access to networks and data flows.
• Observe real-time events and proactively examine all transactions to prevent data loss by analyzing user requests and other data.
• Keep resources accessible in a secure manner.

By taking a holistic, infrastructure-wide approach to Zero Trust, organizations enjoy more consistent, improved security and simplified security operations that effectively lower costs.

“There are clear benefits of Zero Trust,” Tosin Ajayi said. “(The) visibility into network traffic, reduction of cyber security breaches and time to detect breaches, helps with cyber security breach containment using micro segmentation, makes audits easier, and increases the protection of sensitive information.”

Although vendors have made great strides in building upon Zero Trust principles, there is no single end-to-end, comprehensive Zero Trust Network solution. AOTMP® recognizes that enterprises should realize it is not necessary to rip and replace existing cybersecurity. Rather, we recommend taking an incremental approach in deploying ZTA tools on top of existing infrastructure and determining if these solutions work for your organization or if the existing infrastructure only requires modifying to the Zero Trust standards.