Zero Trust | June 15, 2023
By Keith Bromley : Sr. Manager, Product Marketing
In the ever-shifting landscape of cybersecurity, threats are constantly lurking in the dark corners of the digital realm.
Organizations need more than just a formidable firewall and a pair of crossed fingers.
Enter Zero Trust Architecture, the audacious sentinel that scoffs at conventional security paradigms, challenging the age-old adage of “trust but verify.”
With its unwavering skepticism and a firm belief in scrutinizing every entity that dares to venture into the kingdom of data, Zero Trust Architecture stands as the impregnable fortress of the future. In this article, we’ll do a deep dive into the approach while peering into the symbiotic relationship it shares with network security—a formidable duo that can combat the ever-evolving forces of digital malevolence.
Zero trust and network visibility are two crucial components of a robust cybersecurity strategy that work in tandem to enhance overall security posture. Zero trust is an approach that requires constant authentication and verification of users and devices, irrespective of their location or network connection. It operates on the principle of “never trust, always verify.”
On the other hand, network visibility involves monitoring and analyzing network traffic to gain insights into the behavior of users, applications, and devices within the network. Network visibility provides the necessary data and context to enforce zero-trust policies effectively when these two concepts are integrated.
Understanding Zero Trust
In a Zero Trust architecture, access controls are implemented at a granular level based on the principle of least privilege. Every user, device, and application is untrusted until proven otherwise.
Zero Trust involves a shift from perimeter-based security to identity-based security. The shift from perimeter-based security to identity-based security represents a fundamental change in how organizations approach cybersecurity. Perimeter-based security relied on the assumption that protecting the network’s boundaries with firewalls and other traditional defenses would be sufficient. However, with the rise of cloud computing, remote work, and mobile devices, the traditional network perimeter has become porous and less effective in defending against sophisticated cyber threats.
On the other hand, identity-based security focuses on authenticating and authorizing individual users and devices regardless of their location or network connection. It recognizes that identities are the new perimeter. This approach grants access based on the principle of least privilege, providing users with only the necessary access rights and permissions to perform their specific tasks.
Key components of a Zero Trust architecture include enhanced identity and access management (IAM), extensive use of multi-factor authentication (MFA), network micro-segmentation, network visibility and analytics, least privilege access, and security orchestration and automation. It should also include a visibility architecture that includes taps and packet brokers that aggregate and filter traffic so that security tools get the exact information they need when from any orchestrated or automated tasks.
Related Partner Content: What is a Zero Trust Architecture
Benefits of Zero Trust
Zero Trust and network visibility offer several benefits to organizations by enhancing security and improving overall network management. Zero Trust ensures that all users and devices are continuously authenticated and authorized, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and insider threats. Network visibility provides insights into network traffic, enabling the detection of anomalies and potential security breaches in real time. Together, they create a strong defense against cyber threats.
Zero Trust architecture paired with network visibility packets and packet brokers focuses on protecting sensitive data by enforcing strict access controls and monitoring data flows and usage to identify any potential vulnerabilities or data leakage points. This helps to significantly reduce the attack surface available by implementing micro-segmentation and granular access controls, thus limiting movement within the network. This prevents cybercriminals from moving laterally within the network to adjust or escalate access privileges.
This powerful duo can also help with regulatory compliance! Zero Trust and network visibility align with many regulatory requirements, such as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) guidelines and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Implementing these practices can help organizations meet compliance obligations and avoid penalties.
Related Content: Four Zero Trust Pitfalls to Look Out For
Implementing Network Visibility Solutions For Your Zero Trust Strategy
Network visibility plays a crucial role in successfully implementing a Zero Trust architecture by providing organizations with critical insights into their network environment. With Zero Trust, the focus shifts from assuming trust within the network perimeter to continuously verifying and authenticating every user, device, and application. Network visibility is a foundation for this approach by enabling real-time monitoring and analysis of network traffic, helping organizations detect anomalies, and supporting dynamic access control.
Organizations gain visibility into user activities, device behaviors, and application usage patterns by capturing and analyzing network traffic. This visibility enables security teams to identify suspicious activities, such as unauthorized access attempts or data exfiltration, and take immediate action to mitigate potential threats.
Network visibility is also crucial in incident response and forensic investigations within a Zero Trust architecture. In the event of a security incident, visibility into network traffic allows security teams to quickly identify the scope and impact of the incident, trace its origins, and take appropriate remediation steps. Detailed network logs and traffic patterns captured through visibility tools provide valuable data for forensic analysis, helping organizations understand the root cause of an incident and strengthen their security defenses to prevent future attacks.
Leveraging network visibility helps organizations to enhance their security posture, minimize risks, and maintain a robust and resilient Zero Trust environment, which we all know is the way of the future!
