A new security paradigm is necessary to address the complexity of the contemporary workplace, the expanding threat landscape, and the need to protect data, people, and devices wherever possible.
Before the transition to hybrid working, data was often managed on-premise, where security controls and traffic monitoring were applied to all incoming and outgoing traffic. Everything within the organization’s security perimeter was essentially trusted. Employees can now access office and cloud resources through their mobile devices from anywhere due to changes in the workplace dynamic.
The security perimeter is no longer limited to the walls of the office building, and data transfers between SaaS applications, IaaS applications, remote devices, and IoT devices are now occurring outside the corporate perimeter as well. Hence, cybercriminals now have a larger attack surface due to the growth in data and the number of access points, making attacks more profitable and straightforward.
The switch from the “trust but verify” to the “never trust, always verify” methodology safeguards malicious users’ data and ensures that only the appropriate individuals – and none other – have access to it at the proper time. Zero Trust is not simply a theory. It is a concrete security model with few security principles that aid in maximizing the effectiveness of a security model for an organization. A few of the fundamental principles are:
Verify Explicitly
The fundamental tenet of the Zero Trust security model is that no one should be taken at face value because of the possibility of attackers inside and outside the organization’s network. Organizations should always ask for the login credentials after a brief timeout forces users and devices to validate repeatedly. Always authenticate and approve the user at every step.
Also Read: Insider Threats at Workplace: Top Four Strategies to Prevent Them
Provide the least privilege
Users should have the least privilege access, according to organizations. Each user’s exposure to delicate network components minimizes by only sharing information when necessary. This includes forbidding VPN access because it allows a user access to the entire network that is linked.
Continuous monitoring of devices and services
The organization should use real-time monitoring to enhance its intrusion detection, investigation, and correction capacity. Real-time tracking can assist businesses in identifying potential security holes before they spread and begin to abuse other systems. Automating and orchestration can also assist in fast remediation if an attack or breach is discovered.
Embrace micro-segmentation
Micro-segmentation divides security perimeters into small zones to retain independent access for distinct networks. Micro-segmentation is used in the Zero Trust paradigm to validate and authenticate the user’s identity continuously. When numerous safe zones are used to protect a network that contains different types of files, that is an example of micro-segmentation. Without additional authorization, a user having access to one zone won’t be able to enter another.
Future Workplace
The current corporate shift toward hybrid working shows that the industry recognizes the need to give its staff more freedom and choice. The role of security has had to evolve given the acceleration of digital transformation, the blending of personal and professional devices, the use of cloud technology, and rising app usage. While it must change to fulfill the zero trust mentioned above security principles, this mustn’t hinder business agility and user experience. As a result, while creating a digital security strategy, short- and long-term planning are required.
Other crucial factors like fostering long-term sustainability, boosting agility, and promoting growth cannot be neglected for short-term security. Understanding data flows between services is essential for determining where additional, more localized controls may be applied without compromising user experience or business agility.
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