The concept of zero trust is not new. In fact, the primary characteristics have been cybersecurity best practices for decades. And more importantly, zero trust is not a product or something you can buy, but rather a strategy, policy, and workflow for implementing access from assets to data that encapsulates the best security traits possible.

The concept of zero trust has surged in popularity due to the evolving threat landscape that targets vulnerabilities, exploits, misconfigurations, and identity security. It has become mainstream since traditional security measures prove inadequate, and a better method was needed to mitigate the risks every organization faces today.

Zero trust isn’t merely a buzzword; it’s a fundamental shift in how we approach cybersecurity for the long haul. This blog aims to clarify what zero trust is by defining its core components: Zero Trust (ZT), Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA). In addition, it will delve into the nuances of each concept, highlighting their differences and significance in securing modern networks regardless of whether they are used on-premises or for remote access.

What is zero trust?

At its core, zero trust is a security model that operates on the principle of “Never trust, always verify” and provides a measure of confidence in doing so. Unlike traditional security paradigms that rely on network and perimeter-based defenses and access control lists (ACLs), zero trust postulates that threats can exist both outside and inside the network perimeter, and nothing is safe without verification. Simply stated, it treats every access attempt as potentially malicious until proven otherwise, regardless of the user’s location, asset, or workflow.

Zero trust advocates for granular access controls and strict enforcement of least privilege principles to minimize the attack surface and mitigate risks while continuously monitoring all aspects for anomalous communications and user behavior. The primary goal, bluntly stated, is that, if any security incident does occur after all of these principles are applied, it can be contained, managed, and will prevent a beachhead or lateral movement.

A Zero Trust Architecture encompasses the framework, principles, and technologies that enable organizations to implement the zero trust model effectively. It essentially applies products, solutions, policies, and workflows in a cohesive architecture to attain the goals of zero trust. Therefore, in today’s world, a single product from a single vendor does not represent zero trust, but rather just one component of the ultimate goal. Zero trust architectures extend beyond traditional security controls to embody a holistic security strategy that encompasses users, devices, applications, and data. Key components of any zero-trust architecture include:

1. Micro-segmentation: Dividing the network, access, data, and running processes into smaller segments and enforcing strict, localized access controls (privileges, permissions, entitlements, and rights) between them to contain breaches and limit lateral movement by attackers.
2. Identity and Access Management (IAM): Implementing robust authentication mechanisms, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), and centralized identity governance and privileged management to provide a high level of continuous confidence in a users’ identities.
3. Continuous Monitoring: Leveraging real-time analytics and behavioral analysis to detect anomalies, suspicious activities, and potential threats across the network from inappropriate behavior.
4. Encryption: Encrypting data both at rest and in transit to ensure confidentiality and integrity, especially in multi-cloud, hybrid environments, or during remote access when traditional network security controls cannot be adequately enforced.
5. Policy Orchestration: Automating the enforcement of security policies based on dynamic factors, such as user roles, device posture, and contextual information, across all layers of an entire workflow.

Zero Trust Network Access is commonly referred to as “perimeter-less security” and is a specific implementation of the zero-trust model focused on securing remote access to an organization’s assets. Zero trust network access has the dubious honor of being branded a product, but as previously discussed, is another component of a true zero trust environment governing network access.

These solutions leverage identity-centric access controls and least privilege principles to authenticate users and grant them access to specific applications or services, regardless of their location or network environment. They alone contain only a partial list of all the traits needed to be a complete zero trust ecosystem, despite vendors marketing them as such. As a reference for their capabilities, traditional Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) typically provide blanket access to the entire network, while zero trust network access solutions offer more granular control, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and lateral movement by threat actors.

At the network layer, they cannot monitor session-based user behavior, continuously monitor identity confidence, nor prevent lateral movement downstream. Therefore, solutions marketed today are only part of the problem.

While zero trust network access represents just one potential implementation of zero trust and zero trust architectures, security professionals should be aware that other implementations could include zero trust application access, zero trust session management, etc. Each one follows a percentage of the required guidelines to be labeled zero trust and solves a unique use case for access and authentication-based technologies.

While zero trust, zero trust architectures, and zero trust network access share the overarching goal of enhancing cybersecurity posture, they differ in scope, emphasis, and implementation:

1. Scope:

• Zero Trust is a security model based on the principle of “never trust, always verify,” applicable to all aspects of cybersecurity.

• Zero Trust Architectures provide a comprehensive framework encompassing network segmentation, identity management, encryption, and policy orchestration to operationalize the zero trust model.

• Zero Trust Network Access is just one of many potential zero trust implementations that focuses on securing remote access to corporate resources, emphasizing identity-centric access controls and least privilege principles. The concept is one of the first zero trust architectures to be partially commercialized in products.

2. Emphasis:

• Zero Trust centers on redefining the traditional perimeter-based security model, emphasizing continuous verification, and enforcing strict access controls regardless of where assets and data, and sources and destinations reside.

• Zero Trust Architectures emphasizes the design and implementing of a holistic security framework that aligns with zero trust principles, encompassing network, identity, data, and application security.

• Zero Trust Network Access is the first major practical implementation that emphasizes the need to secure remote access to organizational resources for all identities, along with the principle of “verify first, access later,” irrespective of the user’s location or trusted device.

3. Implementation:

• Zero Trust can be implemented through a combination of policy changes, technology deployments, and workflow changes within an organization.

• Zero Trust Architectures can be implemented through a structured approach involving network, data, and application segmentation; identity management; encryption; continuous monitoring; and continuous policy enforcement controls.

• Zero Trust Network Access can be implemented through specialized solutions that authenticate users, authorize access based on identity and context, and enforce least privilege principles for remote access. And as a reminder, this is only a partial list of true characteristics to achieve zero trust end to end for any given workflow.

Operationalizing Zero Trust, ZTA, & ZTNA

Zero trust represents a paradigm shift in cybersecurity, advocating for a proactive, identity-centric approach to security through new access controls and continuous monitoring of access and identity behavior. Zero trust Architectures provide the framework and principles necessary to operationalize zero trust effectively through any workflow from remote access to cloud access and beyond. Essentially any access workflow can be envisioned in a zero-trust paradigm.

And finally, while zero trust network access offers a specialized solution for securing remote access in an increasingly decentralized environment by using strict point-to-point encrypted access. By understanding the nuances and differences between zero trust, zero trust architectures, and zero trust network access, organizations can embark on the journey towards a more resilient and adaptive security posture in the face of evolving cyber threats.

Source: BeyondTrust