The Zero Trust principles are now the most important security model in many companies worldwide. They are based on the guiding principle: “Never trust, always verify.” This means that no access is granted simply on the basis of trust, but is always checked first.
Zero Trust: 5 principles for your corporate security
Zero Trust is based on five principles, all of which adhere to the guiding principle. With Zero Trust, everything is initially seen as a threat and therefore rejected. Trust is established through verification and access is permitted. This applies to all possible accesses.
The principles therefore focus on different resources within a company:
1. the Zero Trust Network
A network that is protected by Zero Trust is micro-segmented. The perimeters are defined around the individual parts of the network, thereby securing them. Each perimeter is a boundary at which a security check can take place. In this way, lateral movements within the network can be blocked and potential threats controlled.
2. zero trust workloads
Nowadays, workloads are mostly based on clouds and are therefore popular targets for hacker attacks. These workloads therefore have special requirements to ensure secure access. With Zero Trust, workloads are subject to specific monitoring that is tailored precisely to them.
3. zero trust data
Data security is one of the main objectives of security solutions under Zero Trust. The implementation consists of the identification of caches, the assignment of data flows and access requirements, which are implemented throughout the entire IT system. This includes workstations, mobile devices, servers and clouds.
4. the Zero Trust users
The main cause of data breaches and successful cyberattacks are users who forget, ignore or do not take security precautions seriously. As a result, passwords are no longer enough. This is why multi-factor authentication (MFA) is an important part of Zero Trust. In addition, access is protected by Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) – i.e. micro-segmentation within the network.
5. zero trust devices
All devices that are connected to the company network are initially classified as untrusted. This means that they are essentially a threat and are blocked by default. As part of Zero Trust, security checks and controls are used to determine whether a device is actually a threat and only then is access granted.
