Breaking Down the Benefits of Zero Trust Security: Reducing Risk, Improving Compliance & Enhancing Cybersecurity
Gokul Vasudev has over 18 years of experience in providing key IT security and assurance functions. In this article he explains what zero trust is (it isn't the same as "trustless" in crypto) and why is an effective approach to addressing risks in today's digital landscape.
Cybersecurity has become a critical concern for organisations of all sizes & industries. With the increasing number of cyberattacks & the rising costs of data breaches, the need for top-notch cybersecurity is more important than ever. The trust in outside or inside networks requesting access has gone low to ZERO and that's where the concept of "zero trust" comes in
Zero trust is a security concept that assumes that no user or device trying to access the firm network, physically or digitally, should ever be trusted. It is a security framework that requires all users, inside or outside the organisation, to be authenticated, authorised & validated for security configuration before granting access to applications and data
Zero trust security was first coined by John Kindervag in 2010, & it centres on the notion that an organisation shouldn’t trust anything inside or outside its boundaries.
The zero trust model addresses modern-day security challenges such as remote working, ransomware threats, & cloud adoption. The market for zero trust security is growing rapidly, its estimated worth USD19,800 million in 2020 and from 2021 to 2028, it is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 15.2%
The Core Principles of Zero Trust Security:
Never trusting & always verifying
Consider the ongoing threats to the network
Authenticate users by least privilege access
Establish end-to-end analytics
Effectiveness of Zero Trust Security in Addressing Risks:
Zero trust security can lower risk. By implementing a zero trust architecture, organisations can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorised access to critical data & digital assets. It eliminates over-provisioned software and services as baselines are created & continuously verifies the “credentials” of every communicating asset to further decrease the risk.
This model improves compliance with privacy regulations & laws including FISMA, HIPAA, PCI, GDPR & CCPA. This is because, in this architecture, every connection is shielded from the internet, lowering the risk of exposure & exploitation. Micro-segmentation, an element of zero trust security, uses precise limitations to distinguish between regulated & unregulated data, allowing the establishment of perimeters. It improves data security by authenticating users with the least privileged access ensuring that users only have access to the data & applications that they need to perform their job functions, reducing the risk of data breaches
In conclusion, It is an effective approach to addressing risks in today's digital landscape. As the market for zero trust security continues to grow, organizations need to consider implementing a zero trust security strategy to protect their digital assets & reduce risk
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