What are the Benefits of Zero Trust Security?

The digital revolution has evolved the IT industry tremendously. Businesses of all shapes and sizes store their critical business data and information through cloud computing solutions and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and leverage the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data to boost productivity.

However, the problem with these traditional solutions is that they increase the complexity of your organisation’s network infrastructure and restrict scalability. Moreover, they offer excessive implicit Trust to all network users, increasing the risks of hacks, cyberattacks and internal data breaches.

This is where Zero Trust Security solutions come into play. In this article, we will see what Zero Trust Security is and its benefits for your enterprise network and security. Let's go!

What is Zero Trust Security?

The Zero Trust model is a security framework that works on the principle of “never trust, always verify”. The purpose of the Zero Trust model is to protect an organisation's assets, users and data.

In a Zero Trust security framework, all users, whether they are inside or outside the organisation's network, need to undergo security measures such as verification and authorisation before accessing resources. 

In this environment, all traffic, devices, users and so on are considered hostile until proven otherwise.

Why Does the Traditional Security Model Fall Short?

The traditional security framework assumes that anything on the network can be trusted. That is why it is also called “castle and moat security”, which assumes that good things should be kept within the network while bad things should be kept outside the network.

However, this perimeter-based security approach is no longer effective in today’s cloud, distributed and hybrid business environment. Here are some of the challenges that users face in the traditional security model:

Attack Surface

Traditional security models, such as VPN and firewalls, expose IP addresses to the public internet. These IPs exposed on the public internet are found not only by legitimate users but also by cyber attackers, which expands the attack surface.

Lateral Threat Movement

In traditional security models, all entities are connected to the network to provide them access. However, due to this, excessive permission and implicit trust are provided to the entities connected in the network. This enhances lateral movement, which increases the chances of breaches.

Data Loss

In the traditional security model, when the network is open to all, cyberattackers can exfiltrate sensitive data from the network. This is due to the fact that most organisations rely on appliance-based security, which fails to secure the network traffic.

Key Benefits of Zero Trust Security

The Zero Trust security model is a unique architecture that offers a distinct methodology and paradigm for cybersecurity. Here are some of the advantages of the Zero Trust security model.

Better Control

Zero Trust Security lets you control and manage who can access the network and what applications. 

For example, instead of providing implicit access to the entire network resources—you can limit this access and provide users access to only those applications they need to do their work. 

Besides, you can manage and control all these access policies from a single dashboard irrespective of the network, users and applications.

Improved Compliance

Another common Zero Trust benefit is that it offers improved compliance measures to the organisation. By implementing strict access controls, continuous monitoring and robust authentication mechanisms, Zero Trust helps ensure that sensitive data is only accessible to authorised users. 

Aligning with regulatory requirements, such as GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI-DSS, can make audits more straightforward and reduce the risk of non-compliance penalties.

Better Visibility

Zero Trust Application Access gives you better and granular visibility over users’ activities and network activity through the enterprise network. It helps identify threat vectors or internal breaches more quickly, making it easier to restrict their access or remove them from the network before they can cause further damage. 

This granular visibility allows you to limit and disable activity and access suspicious users using geographical and time-bound parameters.

Increased Efficiency

The Zero Trust security benefits also include increased efficiency. By automating access controls, streamlining identity management and reducing the need for manual security checks, organisations can improve productivity and lower administrative overhead. 

Additionally, the centralised visibility into user and device behaviour allows for faster incident response and better resource allocation.

Easy User Access

VPNs can result in configuration failures and security errors, which can lead to data breaches and online attacks, making it difficult for employees to access their network resources and applications. 

Zero Trust helps streamline user access to applications through automation, eliminating the need for administrative approval or manual intervention. However, it only requires manual intervention if the user request is flagged as high risk.

Use Cases of Zero Trust Benefits

Here are some of the real-world benefits of Zero Trust and how it is helping and shaping businesses. 

Remote Work Environment

One of the common use cases of implementing Zero Trust security models is for remote and hybrid work environments. 

The security model provides granular access control to the business, regardless of the user’s location, by verifying the device's health and the user’s identity. Only after verifying this does it offer the least privileged access to the users.

Multi-cloud Security

Another benefit of Zero Trust is that it provides strong protection in multi-cloud environments. In the zero trust security framework, access is only granted to verified resources, while access to unauthorised applications and cloud services is denied.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Zero trust security framework also offers protection during mergers and acquisitions. The zero-trust framework facilitates the safe consolidation and migration of systems by isolating data and resources when integrating networks during mergers and acquisitions. Doing this helps reduce the attack surface.

IoT Visibility

Many cyber attackers and hackers utilise IoT devices to send malware to vulnerable network systems. However, the zero-trust security framework treats each device as a malicious entity and continuously monitors its health, status and location. 

This protocol enables IoT devices to follow access controls and authentication protocols, allowing them to communicate with other network devices.

Best Practices to Implement Zero Trust Security

Due to the various advantages of Zero Trust security, businesses and organisations are shifting towards this security framework. Implementing a zero-trust security framework requires thoughtful planning and execution. Below are some of the best practices to implement zero-trust security.

Initiate with Clear Strategy

To implement the Zero Trust security framework, the first step is to identify your critical resources and assets and then define your security goals based on that. This will help establish a clear security strategy for the business.

Implement Identity and Access Management

After defining the security strategy, the next step is to implement robust authorisation and authentication mechanisms, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), to verify the device and user before granting access.

Apply Micro-segmentation

Another essential security measure is to implement micro-segmentation, in which the network is divided into smaller, isolated zones. This will help limit the impact of security breaches.

Monitor and Analyse Network Traffic

In addition to this, another security measure is to continuously monitor and analyse the network for suspicious activity and behaviour. By keeping an eye on potential threats, businesses can prevent the attacks.

Use Endpoint Security Solution

Another security measure is to utilise endpoint detection and response solutions or tools to safeguard the network against malware and other threats. It provides real-time threat detection, investigation capabilities and automated response actions.

Employ Least Privilege Access

By employing the least privileged access across the network, businesses can enhance security measures. Under this, users are given minimum and required access to resources and data.

Automate Security Tasks

Other best practices businesses need to adopt are automating security tasks such as threat detection, access control and more. By automating the task, businesses can enhance efficiency with fewer human errors.

Stay Vigilant About Threats

Organisations need to ensure they remain vigilant, monitoring the threat landscape and adjusting their Zero Trust model as new risks emerge. Enforcement of security policies, review of access controls and the ability to adapt to new threat intelligence are only the start.

Prioritise User Experience

While strengthening security is crucial, it is equally important to ensure that the user experience is not compromised. A well-implemented zero-trust model should enable seamless and secure access to resources without introducing unnecessary friction.

Conclusion

In this modern and digital landscape, where cyberattacks are increasingly common, having a robust security model is essential for businesses. The Zero Trust framework is ideal for businesses and organisations seeking a robust security ecosystem. 

The advantages of the Zero Trust security model are numerous, ranging from stopping lateral movements to blocking data loss and more. If you are considering implementing the zero-trust security framework, InstaSafe offers Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and Zero Trust Application Access (ZTAA). 

These offerings enable secure, identity-based access to applications and systems, ensuring that only verified users and devices can interact with critical resources—regardless of their location.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better: Zero Trust or VPN?

Zero Trust is generally more secure and flexible than traditional VPNs, as it verifies every user and device before granting access, regardless of location. Unlike VPNs, which grant broad network access once connected, Zero Trust enforces least-privilege access, reducing the risk of breaches.

Can I replace the traditional security model with a Zero Trust model?

Yes, you can replace the traditional security model with Zero Trust, but it should be done gradually. Transitioning cannot be taken lightly because it entails re-architecting access efforts, establishing identity and management and aligning monitoring to support security without affecting day-to-day operations.

Are there any challenges in the Zero Trust Security framework?

Yes, Zero Trust can be complex and difficult to implement, as it requires modifying existing infrastructure and ongoing monitoring. It also requires strong identity management and may encounter opposition from users, who view it as a denial of access.

Key Products

Zero Trust Application Access | Zero Trust Network Access | Multi Factor Authentication | IAM Identity And Access Management | Secure Enterprise Browser

Key Features

SSO Single Sign On | Endpoint Security | Contextual Based Access Controls | Always On VPN Connection |Clientless VPN | Device Binding | Device Posture Check | Domain Joining

Key Solutions

VPN Alternative Technology | Secure Remote Access Solutions | Cloud Application Security | DevOps Security | VoIP Security Solutions