There’s been a lot of talk in the information technology industry about moving beyond the traditional model of network access control (NAC) to a new paradigm called zero trust. While NAC has proven to be an effective method for making sure that endpoint devices are safe and secure before they’re given access to your IT network, zero trust goes a step further by requiring visitors, remote users, and software-as-a-service users to prove their identity as well as other factors before being given access. There are many benefits to deploying a Zero Trust Network Access architecture, including better visibility into who is accessing your resources. Read on for details about what Zero Trust Network Access is, how it works, and why you should adopt this updated IT security framework at your organization…
A zero trust network access architecture treats all network users as potential threats. It assumes that every user inside and outside of your network could be malicious, even if she’s an employee. A zero trust network access architecture also assumes that all of your users’ devices may be compromised, and that any of your users may be working from a remote location. This is in contrast to a traditional network access control architecture, where all users are authenticated and authorized to access the network by the network infrastructure. A zero trust network access architecture requires users to be authenticated and authorized by the application and/or the user. This could involve any combination of user name and password, biometrics (e.g., fingerprint or facial recognition), or one-time passcodes sent through a mobile app. A zero trust network access architecture also allows network administrators to choose which IP addresses or networks can access the organization’s resources. This is in contrast to a traditional network access control architecture, where all IP addresses are blocked except for a whitelist of authorized IP addresses. The only way to add a new IP address to the whitelist is to make a change to the network infrastructure.
- Network administrators can choose which IP addresses or networks can access the organization’s resources. - Visibility into who is accessing your resources and from where. - Strong authentication to prevent attacks and account takeovers. - Better tools and processes for managing risk. - Strong two-factor authentication to prevent account takeover. - Better tools and processes for managing risk.
- Adopting a zero trust network architecture can be difficult, expensive, and time-consuming. - It can be difficult to retrofit an existing network architecture with a zero trust security framework. - Applying a zero trust security model to an existing app can be challenging. - Visibility into which users and devices are accessing your resources and from where can be overwhelming.
There are three things to remember when building a zero trust network. First, you have to identify the right users who should have access to your network, devices, and applications. Second, you have to enforce strong authentication and authorization for all users to gain access. Third, you need to defend against cyberattacks. Here’s how to do each of these steps:
The main benefit of a zero trust network is that it requires strong authentication and authorization for all users to gain access. This means that administrators can allow employees to access sensitive data while still maintaining a high level of security. It also means that administrators can deny access to unapproved devices and applications while still being able to conduct their day-to-day operations. If you’re looking to upgrade your IT architecture to the next level, then it’s time to go beyond the traditional network access control model to embrace the benefits of a zero trust network.