What is Zero Trust Security and Why Is It Important

In recent years, cybersecurity has become a major concern for both individuals and businesses. The traditional security perimeters that are used to protect sensitive data are no longer sufficient due to the advent of cloud computing and remote work, as well as the loss of trust in them. Many organizations have turned to zero trust security as a way to protect their assets and networks.

Okta’s research has shown that more than twice as many companies have started Zero Trust initiatives, going from 24% in 2021 up to 55% by 2022. Only 16% of organizations had implemented Zero Trust security in 2019, a number that has risen to 97% by 2022.

What is zero trust security and why do you care?

This article will discuss the benefits of zero trust security for individuals and companies. Understanding zero trust security is essential in today’s digital landscape, whether you are a cybersecurity professional or just interested in protecting your data.

Also read: 15 Types of Software Become a Cybersecurity Threat

What is zero trust security?

Businesses have used a castle-and-moat approach to cybersecurity for decades. This means that anyone outside the company network is considered suspicious, while those within are trusted. As attackers can breach the perimeter, they are able to move horizontally throughout the network. This implicit trust has resulted in many costly data breaches.

The zero trust model differs in that it authenticates and authorizes continuously across the network, and not only at the perimeter. This prevents unnecessary lateral movement among apps, services, or systems. It also takes into consideration insider threats as well as the possibility that attackers could compromise legitimate accounts. Hackers have fewer opportunities to steal sensitive data if they are unable to gain access to it.

Zero Trust is a framework that secures infrastructure and data in the digital age. It is a unique solution that addresses the ransomware threats, hybrid cloud environments, remote workers, and ransomware threats businesses face today.

Zero Trust security framework requires that all users within and outside an organization’s network must be authenticated, authorized, and continuously validated to ensure security configuration and position to gain access to data and applications. Zero Trust security framework is different from traditional security models. Zero Trust assumes that there is no network edge. Networks can be local, cloud-based, or hybrid. Resources are scattered all over the world and employees operate from anywhere.

Also read: How to Build a Cybersecurity Strategy for Online Business

Why should organizations implement a zero-trust model?

To remain competitive, Security teams must establish a Zero Trust network architecture in order to protect enterprise data regardless of device and user location. While ensuring smooth and rapid application performance

Zero Trust architecture has many benefits. It offers a seamless user experience, reduced attack surface, better cybersecurity, and simplified infrastructure requirements. These are the components of Zero Trust architecture.

• Increased security: All network traffic, devices, users, and other information is treated as untrusted in a zero trust model. Every access request must be thoroughly reviewed and verified before it is granted. This helps to reduce cyber-attacks and data breaches.
• Protection against insider threats: A zero-trust model can reduce the risk of insider threats, which is one of its key benefits. Traditional security models allow users to gain access to the network but they are often denied access to any data or applications. In a zero trust model, however, access to resources is constantly verified and users only have access to what they need to do their job.
• Improved compliance: Using a zero trust model to manage access can help organizations comply with regulatory compliance requirements. It provides granular access control and ensures that access requests are authenticated thoroughly.
• Flexibility: Organizations can shift to a cloud-based infrastructure with zero trust. This gives employees more freedom to work wherever they are, on any device. This can reduce the complexity of traditional network security architectures.

There are other reasons to adopt a zero-trust strategy:

• The increased movement of users and devices, apps, data, and data beyond the enterprise perimeter,
• The increasing risk of digital transformation,
• The ineffectiveness and complexity of the “trust and verify” approach to advanced threats and complex problems, and
• The risk posed by traditional perimeters.