What Is Zero Trust and Will It Change Security Forever?

Zero trust is a new security model initially developed in 2010 by John Kindervag of Forrester Research. The zero trust model, as its name suggests, assumes that any connection, endpoint, or user is a threat, and the network needs to defend against all threats, both internal and external.

While this may sound a bit paranoid, it is exactly what organizations need in a world where IT is highly distributed, with systems deployed in the cloud and at the edge, millions of IoT devices, and many employees working from home or via mobile devices. The old idea of the “network perimeter” is dying and is being replaced with the idea of the zero trust network.

In practice, here is how the zero-trust security model works in an organization’s network:

These best practices for security ensure that if any user or device accesses a network resource in an anomalous or unauthorized manner — they will be blocked, and security will be immediately notified. This process creates watertight protection against even the most sophisticated threats, even if they are already inside the network.

The demand for products supporting zero trust is continuously growing. The global zero trust market is likely to double in five years, projected to reach over $50 billion in 2026. The main factors driving this market are the frequency of targeted cyber attacks, new data protection regulations, and information security standards.

Many organizations are adopting a centralized approach to identity and access management (IAM), a key component of a zero-trust architecture. Companies are increasingly implementing IAM technologies and control mechanisms like multi-factor authentication (MFA) and single sign-on (SSO).

Another trend leading to the adoption of zero trust started with the pandemic—many organizations switched to zero trust network access (ZTNA) instead of relying on virtual private networks (VPNs).

Zero trust security can help organizations defend against sophisticated attackers and modernize their cybersecurity infrastructure. It also improves user access to cloud applications. Zero trust approaches incorporate advanced security technologies focusing on data protection, integrating with existing identity management and endpoint protection systems.

The modern network is a highly dynamic and complex environment with no defined perimeter to protect. Remote work and bring your own device (BYOD) paradigms allow employees and third parties to connect to the network sporadically to gain access to resources. The supply chain includes many partners and vendors that can integrate with the network to provide service.

A user can be a human employee or a partner API that connects as needed to the network, which can see numerous connections from diverse locations and devices worldwide. As a result, there is no defined perimeter, and it can be difficult to distinguish between legitimate connections and malicious intrusions.

Additional endpoint threats the modern network faces include accidental data leaks and unintentional download of malicious software (malware) by legitimate users, and data theft by insider threats or malicious intruders. Phishing schemes have become common as cybercriminals realize they can penetrate networks by manipulating employees of all ranks.

Unlike traditional security paradigms that defend the inside of a network against external threats, the zero-trust security model protects against both internal and external threats. By assuming what’s inside the network is untrustworthy, the model can apply protections that prevent cyber criminals from exploiting endpoints to breach the network.

The zero trust model treats all connections and devices are untrustworthy to block threats while allowing access. The architecture helps protect resources while adhering to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) zero trust tenets.