5 Reasons Why Enterprises Need Zero Trust Security

The notion of “Zero Trust” has been around since the 90s. But, the Zero Trust security model was first coined by John Kindervag to describe stricter access control management and cybersecurity programs, in 2010. Meaning that infinite trust is diminished from all computing infrastructure, and Zero Trust is grounded on the idea “trust none, verify all”.

Before the pandemic, the Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) security was seen as an extra layer of protection for your cybersecurity defenses. But, the pandemic caused permanent changes in our work environments. With the increasing number of remote employees, Zero Trust security became a necessary tool for enterprises. By implementing Zero Trust security solutions, enterprises can strengthen their cybersecurity posture and their defenses against cyberthreats. Let’s see the 5 reasons why enterprises need Zero Trust security.

Traditional perimeter-based security approaches are no longer compatible with modern-day challenges and cyber threats. This approach puts all the security measures inside of the perimeter and assumes that every connection inside of the perimeter is secure and trusted. Additionally, it doesn’t provide any visibility about what is going on inside of the corporate network.

This approach is out of date, and ineffective to keep corporate assets and resources safe. As many employees work remotely, they aren’t inside of the perimeter and their access to the corporate network is an open invitation for cyber attacks.

On the other hand, Zero Trust security doesn't adhere to a perimeter, and it enables secure access to corporate applications by constantly verifying employees' identities, before granting access. So, regardless of employees’ locations, it makes sure only authorized users can access the corporate resources.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our work environments have become decentralized and web-oriented. Of course, cybercriminals want to take advantage of this situation by targeting remote employees. Additionally, these malicious actors constantly improve their methods and tactics to accomplish their malicious goals.

In 2021, ransomware alone damaged the world by 20 billion dollars. In today’s world, we can’t ignore the increasing risks of cyber threats, especially when many employees work remotely. So, enterprises should implement security solutions that are up to date with potential threats.

Zero Trust security provides enhanced network security and threat prevention features. For example, it doesn’t allow lateral movement, and in times of breaches, it reduces the surface areas, so that IT admins can isolate the breach at once.

As more employees started working from their homes, it became more difficult for businesses to secure all the end-points in their network, especially when they use out-of-date security approaches. Additionally, these employees not only use their laptops, but they also use their tablets, and phones to do their jobs.

Using these personal devices for work is very risky because they use these devices for their social activities like social media, online shopping, etc. When they unintentionally download malware, they put your entire network at risk.

By implementing Zero Trust, you can reduce these risks because it detects devices that are compromised and immediately alarms IT admins so that they block these devices' access immediately. 

When your security approach is designed to trust employees at all times, they have unlimited access to the corporate network. Giving unlimited access to employees is extremely risky because they can easily roam in the network and access sensitive data. In cases when one of your employees’ IDs is compromised, the attacker can roam in your network without any restrictions and easily find what he is looking for. 

The Zero Trust security segments the network and gives limited access to employees and applications. Even if attackers can access the corporate network, they can’t roam and reach other segments of the network because Zero Trust gives employees limited access. The network segmentation creates checkpoints that are impassable to cross.

The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t frightening as 2020, and employees are now more comfortable with working outside of their homes, especially in public places like coffee shops, restaurants, etc. This means they will connect to your corporate network via unsecured public wifi networks.

If your security measures are out of date, these unsecured networks increase the risks of potential breaches. Whether employees use home wifi or public networks to access the corporate network, Zero Trust always assumes that the user and device are compromised and asks for authentication. Afterward, it enables secure access to applications no matter where they work. 

Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) is a modern approach that strengthens your cyber security in so many ways. To cope with modern-day challenges and increased cyber threats, the Zero Trust model is amongst the best security solutions.