Enforcing Zero Trust Policy: Best Practices for Security

Here’s a question we are hearing from at least some of your customers lately, “Can you help our business implement and enforce zero trust security?” Some customers are simply looking to understand what zero trust is and why they should even care about it.

To help you ramp up fast on zero trust, this article provides an overview of some need-to-know basics about this approach to cybersecurity, including what it is and how to enforce a zero-trust policy.

Discover the best practices for enforcing a Zero Trust Policy to enhance your organization's security and protect against cyber threats.

Understanding the Zero Trust Policy

First, it’s important to understand that zero trust isn’t a product. (You’ll also need more than one product to support it!) Zero trust is a security framework.

The Zero Trust Policy is a security framework that operates under the principle of never trusting anything or anyone by default. This means that every request, whether internal or external, is thoroughly verified and authenticated before granting access. The traditional approach of assuming trust within the network perimeter is no longer sufficient in today's evolving threat landscape, where cyber attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

The Zero Trust Policy aims to address this challenge by implementing strong security controls and access restrictions at every level of the network infrastructure. It requires organizations to adopt a more granular and segmented approach to security, where each user and device is treated as potentially untrusted. By doing so, the Zero Trust Policy ensures that even if one component of the network is compromised, the attacker's lateral movement is limited, reducing the overall risk of a successful breach.

It is an embodiment of the old saying: “If you can’t trust anyone, it’s best to trust no one.” Under zero trust, no actor can be trusted until they are verified with appropriate controls—and they are also verified continuously. 

Why is zero trust relevant now?

The concept of Zero Trust is particularly relevant now due to several factors.

1. The increasing number of remote and mobile workers has expanded the network perimeter beyond traditional boundaries, making it more difficult to establish trust based on location alone.
2. The rise of cloud computing and the adoption of hybrid IT environments have further blurred the lines between internal and external networks.
3. The growing sophistication of cyber attacks, such as advanced persistent threats and insider threats, necessitates a more proactive and preventive security approach. By implementing a Zero Trust Policy, organizations can reduce the attack surface and mitigate the impact of potential security breaches.
4. Compliance requirements and data privacy regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), are pushing organizations to adopt stronger security measures. Zero Trust provides a framework that aligns with these regulations and helps organizations demonstrate their commitment to protecting sensitive data.

Implementing Zero Trust Architecture

Implementing a Zero Trust Architecture requires a systematic approach that involves several key steps.

1. Organizations need to gain a comprehensive understanding of their network infrastructure, including all users, devices, and applications. This inventory helps identify potential vulnerabilities and areas of improvement.
2. Organizations should establish strong identity and access management (IAM) controls to ensure that only authorized users and devices can access the network. This includes implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA), role-based access controls (RBAC), and continuous monitoring of user activities.
3. Segmentation is another crucial aspect of Zero Trust Architecture. By dividing the network into smaller, isolated segments, organizations can contain potential threats and limit lateral movement in case of a breach. This can be achieved through network segmentation technologies, such as virtual local area networks (VLANs) or software-defined networking (SDN).
4. Organizations should implement robust encryption and data protection mechanisms to safeguard sensitive information. This includes encrypting data both at rest and in transit, using strong encryption algorithms and secure communication protocols.
5. Continuous monitoring and auditing play a vital role in maintaining Zero Trust compliance. Organizations should implement real-time threat detection and response systems, as well as regular security assessments and audits to identify any potential vulnerabilities or policy violations.

Securing Network Access with Zero Trust Principles

Securing network access is a critical component of Zero Trust. Traditional perimeter-based security measures, such as firewalls and virtual private networks (VPNs), are no longer sufficient in today's dynamic threat landscape. Instead, organizations should adopt a holistic approach that combines multiple security controls and authentication methods.

One of the key principles of Zero Trust is the principle of least privilege (PoLP). This means that users and devices are only granted access to the resources they explicitly need, based on their roles and responsibilities. By implementing PoLP, organizations can minimize the potential impact of a compromised user or device.

In addition to PoLP, organizations should implement strong authentication mechanisms, such as MFA, to verify the identity of users and devices. This includes using factors beyond passwords, such as biometrics or hardware tokens, to ensure a higher level of security.

Network access should also be continuously monitored and logged to detect any suspicious activities or anomalies. This can be achieved through the use of security information and event management (SIEM) systems and user behavior analytics (UBA) tools.

By combining these principles and practices, organizations can significantly enhance the security of their network access and reduce the risk of unauthorized access or data breaches.

Enhancing Endpoint Security with Zero Trust Approach

Endpoints, such as laptops, smartphones, and IoT devices, are often the entry point for cyber attacks. Therefore, it is crucial to enhance endpoint security as part of the Zero Trust approach.

One of the key practices for enhancing endpoint security is implementing strong endpoint protection solutions, such as antivirus software, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems. These solutions help detect and prevent malware infections and other security threats.

Furthermore, organizations should adopt a proactive approach to patch management and vulnerability scanning. Regularly updating and patching endpoints ensures that known vulnerabilities are addressed and reduces the risk of exploitation.

Another important aspect of endpoint security is device identity and authentication. Organizations should implement device authentication mechanisms, such as certificate-based authentication or device attestation, to ensure that only trusted and authorized devices can connect to the network.

Lastly, organizations should implement endpoint monitoring and threat detection systems to identify any suspicious activities or anomalies. This includes monitoring network traffic, analysing endpoint logs, and leveraging machine learning algorithms to detect potential threats.

Continuous Monitoring and Auditing for Zero Trust Compliance

Continuous monitoring and auditing are essential for maintaining Zero Trust compliance and detecting any potential policy violations or security breaches.

Organizations should implement real-time monitoring systems that collect and analyse network traffic, system logs, and user activities. This helps identify any abnormal behaviour or unauthorized access attempts.

Furthermore, regular security assessments and audits should be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the Zero Trust controls and identify any gaps or weaknesses. This includes penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, and compliance audits.

In addition to technical monitoring, organizations should also establish robust incident response and management processes. This includes defining clear roles and responsibilities, implementing incident detection and response plans, and conducting post-incident reviews to identify areas of improvement.

By continuously monitoring and auditing their Zero Trust implementation, organizations can ensure ongoing compliance and proactively address any security issues.

Where to look for more guidance on the zero-trust framework

Implementing a Zero Trust Policy can be a complex undertaking, and organizations may require additional guidance and resources.

To reiterate, when a business adopts a zero-trust approach to security, it’s making the choice to require all users, whether they’re inside or outside of the organization’s network, to be authenticated, authorized, and continuously validated for security configuration and posture before they are granted access to applications and data—or allowed to maintain access to those resources.  

The zero-trust framework uniquely addresses the security challenges that most modern businesses face, such as securing remote workers and hybrid cloud environments and protecting against disruptive, costly cyber threats like ransomware. Zero trust can help organizations secure their infrastructure and data so they can operate more confidently in today’s complex, digital world, and pursue digital transformation knowing they’re protecting what’s most important to the business all along the way. 

Many security vendors have tried to create their own definitions of zero trust, but there are standards from recognized organizations that can help businesses transition to a zero-trust security approach. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), for example, offers a Zero Trust Maturity Model that includes five pillars—Identity, Device, Network, Application Workload, and Data—and is intended to help support an organization’s zero-trust journey. 

And really, it is a journey, just like digital transformation itself. It can take several years for an organization to get where it wants to be with zero trust security, and because networks are always evolving, it will be an ongoing process to maintain an effective zero trust architecture.

Also, keep in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to zero trust. Even the National Cyber Security Center acknowledges in its recently published zero-trust planning guide for organizations that “there is no single specific zero-trust infrastructure implementation or architecture.”