Zero Trust: Components, Advantages & Capabilities to Expect

Trust is a tricky concept, especially in the complex world of cybersecurity. Who can you trust and who has malicious intentions? It may seem like a cut-and-dry answer, but in terms of the cyber world, nothing is ever completely straightforward. The primary question for all managed service providers revolves around the concept of trust. Is an individual who is trying to access a network, data, file or device who they say they are? How can you ever really be sure? Zero Trust is one approach to security that asks these questions and demands identification before granting access. Let’s examine the concept of Zero Trust further, including how Sophos’s Zero Trust Network Access works and why it is the perfect complement to your Sophos Firewall, Endpoint, XDR, and MDR solutions.

What Is Zero Trust?

In a nutshell, Zero Trust is a security model that requires everyone and every device to prove their identity before accessing a private network, regardless of whether they are inside or outside of it. The concept is to “never trust, always verify” to safeguard all networks, devices and data. The problem with traditional security measures, prior to Zero Trust, was that they functioned like a perimeter-based defense, akin to a castle-and-moat model. In this situation, it is hard to access the castle from the outside due to the high walls and dangers of the moat, but once you are inside, you have access to everything. Zero Trust changes all that by requiring identity verification from everyone trying to gain access to resources on the network, both inside and outside the network. This added layer of security has been shown to prevent data breaches that can cost a single organization up to $3 million, according to the 2020 Data Breach Report. And while no single piece of technology guarantees Zero Trust, many organizations are implementing multiple components, such as Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), to enhance their overall security.

What Are the Primary Principles of Zero Trust?

The primary principle of Zero Trust is what makes it work. The simplest way to explain it is that networks never implicitly trust any participant. Each participant must verify their identity. Here are the components that enable this to work.

Continuous Monitoring

Zero Trust works by constantly monitoring access and being vigilant of potential unverified users gaining access to areas of the network they should not. Zero Trust verifies user identity and privileges even when they have ‘timed out,’ forcing those users and devices to be reidentified continually.

Least Privilege

Yet another concept associated with Zero Trust is that of “least privilege.” This idea means that users only gain as much access as they need. Think of it as a “need-to-know basis” similar to military operations. This limits exposure to potentially sensitive parts of the network.

Strict Access Control

In terms of devices, access control should also be a part of the Zero Trust model, which requires strict controls on device access. This ensures that every device is authorized and has not been compromised.

Microsegmentation

This part of Zero Trust breaks up security into smaller zones, which allows for separation for users to access some zones and not others. Again, the concept of least privilege is at work.

No Lateral Movement

The concept of lateral movement is that once a hacker gains access to a network, they may have the freedom to access other areas of the network via lateral movement. Having NO lateral movement contains attackers and limits their movement throughout the network.

Multi-Factor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication is another key component of Zero Trust, where each user must have two methods of logging in, either with a numerical code or a biomarker (face, fingerprint etc.).

Encryption

Zero Trust can also involve encrypting data both in transit and at rest to protect sensitive information.

How Can Zero Trust Benefit Your Business?

Embracing Zero Trust security brings with it a variety of benefits, including:

Enhanced Security - Security is strengthened by treating each user as untrusted, as well as by compartmentalizing segments of data to prevent a hacker from accessing the entire network if they gain unauthorized access.
Data Control - By using strict access controls and instituting least privilege, Zero Trust strengthens an organization's control of sensitive data.
Reduces the Possibility of Insider Threats - By using continuous monitoring, even users who are within the system risk being identified and can be stopped quickly.
Improved Compliance - For industries that require compliance and government regulation, such as the healthcare field, Zero Trust is yet another layer of security that can ensure compliance.
Enhance Remote Work Security - ZTNA solutions are a much easier solution for managing remote access for staff working from home. They make deployment and enrollment easier and more flexible.

What Capabilities Should Be Considered When Choosing Zero Trust?

When choosing Zero Trust Network Access, such as those provided by Sophos, you will want to ensure that there are some capabilities that you can use. For instance, when looking for a ZTNA solution, you will like that solution to be able to integrate with your other cybersecurity solutions, such as your firewall and endpoints. Your organization should also ensure that the solution you are considering offers both an excellent end-user experience and makes administration and management easy. As a longtime primary vendor of Sophos solutions, we recommend that you talk to our team about your organization's security questions and issues. We will gladly help you evaluate and examine vulnerabilities and how Zero Trust Services could help safeguard your organization. Contact us at 978.219.9752, fill out our contact form or drop by and see us at our office on Pulaski Street in Peabody, MA.