How much do you trust your employees?
When it comes to cybersecurity, you can’t trust even the most trustworthy employees. Why?
According to an IBM study, 95% of cybersecurity breaches are caused by human error. Ultimately, it’s not about mistrusting employees and colleagues but mistrusting what they receive or how they’re influenced by malicious content. Emails, pop-up ads, and compromised networks are just some ways attackers could access your confidential data without your employees knowing.
The answer? The Zero Trust security model.
What is the Zero Trust security model?
In the past, using anti-virus software worked like a charm, giving you all the peace of mind, you needed. And why not? Your data was safe from anyone outside the corporate network borders, right? Except, you blindly trusted your internal teams to keep your data safe.
The Zero Trust model is designed to grant user access on a need-to-know basis. In other words, regardless of where users are, you can control exactly who can access what internally and externally. This means your apps, services, systems, and data require constant authorisation and authentication before granting access.
Why the Zero Trust security model is important
Trust can't be part of the equation when it comes to sensitive company data and digital assets. One can argue that trust is subjective, whereas business protection should always remain objective. Zero Trust is about verifying identities, devices, and services and not trusting one person over another.
In the current remote working climate, firewalls, VPNs, and anti-virus software are as effective as multivitamins for pre-schoolers. Sure, they add some layers of protection, but they won’t completely prevent viruses from entering and attacking.
The Zero Trust model, however, lets you choose which users can connect to apps, data, and systems securely regardless of whether or not they work from the office. You’re effectively increasing your control over data and digital asset protection while your employees work from wherever they are.
How the Zero Trust model works
The Zero Trust security model consists of five primary principles:
- Never trust, always verify: Always authenticate and authorise users based on their identity, location, device, role, data classification, and software.
- Access control: Just-in-time, just-enough-access (JIT/JEA), and risk-based policies allow you to limit, modify, and add system access.
- Network segmentation: Minimise a potential threat’s reach with micro-segmentation, end-to-end encryption, and automated breach detection and response.
- Embrace new tools: Leverage modern technology to simplify, enhance, and automate the process.
- Monitor and maintain: It’s not a once-off solution and requires continuous monitoring and maintenance to ensure consistent protection across systems and networks.
The idea behind Zero Trust is to consider everything a threat and block access to business systems until the user is verified. It’s a “rather be safe than sorry” approach to network and data security that reduces human error while supporting employees in maintaining a secure business environment.
Benefits of the Zero Trust model
With the rapid adoption of cloud technology, networks are rife with cybercriminals lying in wait to infiltrate, steal, damage, and ransom sensitive business data. Zero Trust is the most effective cybersecurity strategy that reduces attacks and the severity and costs associated with a data breach.
Zero Trust benefits include:
- Increased sensitive data protection
- Minimised human error
- Better visibility and control over network traffic
- Improved compliance
- Reduced risk of breaches
- Lowered detection time
- Enhanced control of cloud systems
- Enables secure remote work
- Modernised security infrastructures
- Increased efficiency
Challenges and solutions of the Zero Trust model
1. It’s often a piece-by-piece process
Challenge: Rome wasn’t built overnight, nor is the Zero Trust model’s implementation. Apart from employee resistance, the model leaves security gaps when it’s piecemeal.
Solution: Work with all departments to unify security silos and develop a solid implementation strategy that addresses challenges.
2. Legacy technology clashes
Challenge: Certain Zero Trust tools and methods may not integrate easily with legacy technology.
Solution: Partner with a cybersecurity vendor specialising in Zero Trust integration to ensure your existing systems can accommodate the new model.
3. Ongoing admin and maintenance
Challenge: The Zero Trust model is quite complex, impacting resource availability in your IT department.
Solution: The right IT partner can handle the admin and maintenance for you, giving your IT department more time to focus on other tasks.
4. It can hinder productivity
Challenge: The more security and authentication measures you implement, the longer it takes to gain access.
Solution: Many IT partners use adaptive, password-less, or biometric access control models that allow quicker access to tools and data.
Security above all
No solution is without its growing pains, and the best way to address issues is to ensure you have the right technology, strategies, and IT support.
Want to implement the Zero Trust security model? Get in touch and speak to our security strategist.
