In the previous year, the pandemic highlighted the importance of information security personnel. As companies and organizations worldwide adopted a remote work-at-home approach, implementing security measures to protect the companies and their employees has become an increasing priority. This has also resulted in many businesses embracing a Zero Trust security approach, which was initially neglected, or for many non-existent. While the traditional security procedure assumes that the internal traffic is untouchable, the reality differs as 30% of data breaches today are caused due to internal threats or neglectful users, according to Verizon’s 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report.
While organizations are dedicated to applying the Zero Trust method to some critical departments of their business, like legal or finance, this approach seemed complicated and unnecessary prior to the pandemic. However, when the world was forced to move into a new remote, digital work environment, it became evident that the traditional network security model was no longer adequate.
Back in 2009, the Zero Trust security framework was introduced as a contemporary way of addressing network security. With the basic belief that companies should not just allow any endpoint inside or outside its perimeters. Security teams must limit access to the network, meaning anything or anyone that could not be verified, should not be trusted, and not be allowed in.
Improve Data Protection
Data breaches are catastrophic for any business and attacks are on the rise. Cybercriminals continue to have success in placing various forms of malware onto their victim’s computers, increasing the likelihood of data compromise. The consequences of these breaches are dire and may result in, damaged reputation, loss of personal and financial information, stolen identities, and the cost of legal fees and damages.
The constant verification and authentication of the Zero Trust approach make it difficult for attackers to penetrate a network. This approach limits what users can access and the methods of authentication to access data to minimize the impact of a potential breach. If access is limited to only a restricted number of people or data, for a specified time, the cybercriminal will have a reduced chance of extracting the data they are targeting.
Visibility Across the Company
Since Zero Trust assumes a no trust posture with users and devices, as an organization you determine what activity and resources may be accessed. Ideally, all computing sources and data are protected. Once a business has implemented a monitoring system to cover all activity and resources, they will be able to identify who or what accesses the network and resources. Businesses will have a record of the time, location, and applications in every access request. The security system will flag any unusual activities and separation of duties (SoD) conflicts, keeping track of all the activity that takes place.
Merge Security and Compliance
At most organizations, IT personnel have their own custom-made set of priorities across operations, security, networks, and storage. With the built-in transparency and visibility of the Zero Trust network, when security breaches or network failures occur, they can work efficiently to rectify any issues.
Furthermore, with the Zero Trust security approach, compliance teams will have a high-level view of the security of the network, thus making security and compliance a more unified function within a company.
IT Management is Made Easier
Since Zero Trust relies on continuous tracking and analytics, companies can use automation to gauge access requests. If the privileged access management (PAM) system evaluates the request to be genuine, access is automatically given. The IT team would not be involved within the approval procedures; they would work in an admin capacity to only verify PAM system flags and any requests that appear dubious.
The more businesses can intelligently automate would result in less demand of manpower needed in an IT team.
The ways Zero Trust can benefit an organization go far beyond security, boosting productivity, improving visibility, and making smart use of IT resources. Zero Trust aids in building strength and durability across organizations.
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