Zero Security Model

Pre-requisites: Cyber Security

In this Era of Cyber security, no user or devices outside or inside the organization network should be automatically trusted, regardless of their location or level of access, this new Information security concept is known as zero trust security. Zero trust security closely monitors users’ behavior and activities to spot and fix any potential security threats and dynamically allocate access to each request. Additionally, before granting access to any resource or application, it mandates that all users and devices be validated and approved.

Zero Trust Model’s Fundamental Principles

The philosophy behind the zero-trust security model is “never trust, always verify”, Every access request is fully authenticated, authorized, and encrypted before granting access. This strategy aids in the prevention of data breaches and cyberattacks by limiting the potential damage that can be caused by a compromised user or device. According to NIST, 800-207 these essential assumptions of the Zero Trust model should be taken under consideration: 

• Continuous inspection and monitoring:  Always verify access to all resources. 
• Always provide a “blast radius” limit: Minimize the damage in the event of an insider or external breach.
• Automate the gathering and reaction of context: For the most accurate results, take into account behavioral data and obtain context from the complete IT stack (identity, endpoint, workload, etc.).

Three Elements of the Zero Trust Model 

• Verify Every User: We have to continuously verify every request that we get from an unknown or known user within the network, businesses that rely solely on one authentication technique, such as single sign-on, frequently run into problems. To avoid this, Single Sign-On must be balanced with other technology, such as multi-factor authentications (MFA).
• Validate Every Device: To ensure real safety, devices must also have adaptive MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)) for multiple-layered protection.
• Intelligently Limit Access: Understanding who utilizes an organization’s resources is the final component of Zero Trust i.e. Who is utilizing how many resources and on which device, this ensures that a user is functional, has access to the accounts they require, and that devices are configured with the correct clients from day one. If they switch their positions, then their login credentials will be immediately withdrawn, and the session will be ended supporting no further access to the network.

Implementation of Zero-Trust Security

The implementation of a zero-trust security model includes various strategies and techniques. The following are some essential actions to implement zero trust security:

• Identify and classify your assets: Start by identifying your organization’s critical assets, such, as sensitive data, apps, and systems, and then eventually sort them into categories based on their sensitivity level and the potential security breaches pose to them.
• Map your network: Map a detailed diagram of your network’s components, including all users, devices, and apps, so that you can easily determine the path of evaluation of each access point and its connections.
• Segment your network: By dividing the network into smaller pieces, only allowing quizzed users and devices to access one area, and isolating the other areas for more security during a data breach you can shut down that isolated network. Departments, functions, or user roles are just a few of the various criteria you can use to segment your network.
• Configure access controls: which limit who can access your network and its resources. Only authorized users and devices should be able to do this, to limit user access based on job function, strong authentication approaches like role-based access control (RBAC) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) can be utilized.
• Monitor user and device behavior: Always keep an eye out for shady activities and potential security issues. This can be accomplished via technologies like security analytics, intrusion detection systems (IDS), and security information and event management (SIEM).
• Always improve and adapt through a feedback system: The zero-trust security model is a process that requires constant development and adaptation rather than being a one-time undertaking. To remain ahead of new threats, you should often examine and update your security policies, processes, and technology.

Advantages of Zero Trust Security

According to studies, firms utilize 40 % less technology because of integrated systems and 50% fewer breaches as a consequence of zero trust techniques. According to the Forrester survey, businesses who used Zero Trust reported having twice as much confidence in their ability to promote novel business strategies and client experiences.