From 2018 to 2023, the rate of organizations around the world using zero-trust architecture jumped from 16% to 61%¹. Why the huge increase?
This security approach, based on continuous verification, provides comprehensive protection that specifically aligns with today’s workplace and cybersecurity trends, making it popular among companies looking to prepare for future developments in the business world. Let’s take a closer look at how zero-trust security works and what it means for your business.
How It Works
Many cybersecurity approaches focus on creating an impenetrable perimeter (like a high-security fence) around your systems to prevent unauthorized parties from entering. However, few of them confirm the validity of entities that are already inside the organization, and few of them re-check a user’s credentials when they request access to another resource (like a database or file).
Zero-trust architecture operates under the principle of trusting no one, just as the name suggests. It requires continuous verification of a user’s validity in order to stay inside a system and use different resources.
Think of a high-level corporation where you’re required to show your ID to enter the parking lot. Once you’re inside the complex, you have to use your key card to enter different buildings and scan it again to enter different rooms. Some areas of the campus (such as the CEO’s office or the vault) will be unavailable to you entirely.
In other words, simply getting into the parking lot isn’t enough for you to be able to infiltrate the entire company because you are continually being required to confirm your identity. Zero-trust works in the same way. Here’s how this looks in practice:
- Frequent, but reasonable, session timeouts that require users to re-enter login information
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all employee accounts
- Access controls based on the principle of least privilege—employees should have access to systems and data they need to get their job done and nothing more
- Division of the network into smaller portions that are accessed and protected separately, a.k.a. microsegmentation
Zero-trust architecture became more important and commonly used with the rise in remote work, when employees began accessing company networks and resources from different devices, locations, and Wi-Fi networks, increasing the risk of unauthorized access and making it more difficult to control a single “border” around systems.
Why Zero-Trust Architecture?
Zero-trust security is designed to prepare your business for the future by taking your security to the next level and addressing current work and cybersecurity trends.
Defend Against Sophisticated Cyber Attacks
Cyber attacks are becoming progressively more complex, with techniques like social engineering, ransomware, and AI-powered attacks being used to exploit every aspect of your systems.
By requiring verification for all requests, even those that come from deep within the organization or are seemingly benign, zero-trust limits the efficacy and repercussions of these breaches.
Prepare for Trends in Cloud Usage and Remote Work
Some are predicting that the remote workforce will reach over 36 million people next year,² and the cloud computing industry is expected to double in the next couple of years.³ This means that more of your employees will be accessing their work accounts in different places and on different devices, and more of your data and applications will move to the cloud.
A single strong perimeter won’t be enough to keep these remote and virtual resources safe. With a zero-trust architecture, you’ll be able to confidently navigate these changes and apply more thorough protective measures to your systems.
Avoid Breaches Due to Human Error
Your employees aren’t perfect, and at some point someone will log in to their work account on an insecure Wi-Fi network, click a suspicious link, or leave their laptop open and logged in for anyone to see. When slip-ups like these happen, zero-trust architecture prevents criminals from accessing other parts of your system, containing any ill effects and making it easier to eradicate the issue.
Contain Breaches and Limit Their Effects
If a breach does happen, zero-trust security minimizes its effects, reducing downtime and damage to critical operations. With every user, device, and application being consistently authenticated, unnoticed breaches are less likely to occur.
Meanwhile, microsegmentation ensures that even if one section is compromised, the attacker cannot easily access other parts of the system.
Build a Tight Security Infrastructure With Brightline IT
At Brightline IT, we’re dedicated to forward-thinking, innovative cybersecurity solutions that prepare your business for a safer future. With zero-trust architecture as just the beginning, you’ll experience tighter, more comprehensive security and greater peace of mind knowing that your resources are protected. To prioritize safety and face the future with confidence, call Brightline IT.
