How can you implement Zero Trust in your organization? Is it possible? Zero trust refers to a security model where no single point of failure exists within the network.
To achieve zero trust, organizations must adopt a five-step methodology. Tune in to find out.
Why Implement Zero Trust?
With the increasing number of cyber-attacks, organizations are constantly looking for more effective ways to protect their networks. The current security model is still flawed. Thus, organizations need to rethink their strategy to stay protected.
Zero trust is a promising approach to network security. It can help companies mitigate the risks of cyber-attacks while still maintaining the open nature of their business. So, how can you Implement Zero Trust?
Five-Step Methodology to Implement Zero Trust
The five steps involved in implementing zero trust include:
Step 1: Define Your Zero Trust Policy
First, you need to develop a zero-trust policy that describes how your organization will deploy, manage and monitor its network security.
A policy will help you define how you’ll handle threats and risks. Also, who’ll be responsible for handling them, and what the methods to be used are. The policy also has to outline what information will be collected and stored, and for how long.
You need to decide whether you’re going to use a cloud-based solution or not. You also have to decide which devices will be allowed to access the network. This is the starting point of your journey towards implementing zero trust.
Step 2: Identify Your High-Value Assets
Our second step is to identify your high-value assets. So, you need to know where you’re most vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
In this case, you can use the CIA triad – confidentiality, integrity, and availability. It can help you understand how your business can be affected by malicious activities.
Once you’ve identified your assets, you need to apply risk management techniques to protect them. To do this, you have to understand what makes them valuable to your organization.
If you’re using a cloud solution, you need to decide what is going to be stored on the cloud. You also have to decide how your data will be encrypted.
Step 3: Identify and Segment Your Networks
The next step of our methodology is to identify and segment your networks. You have to create a network map that shows the different departments and their resources.
Also, decide which devices must access the network and which ones must not. This will help you control the types of devices that can access the network.
Step 4: Enable Contextual Awareness
Contextual awareness means that all business devices can identify and understand the difference between a trusted and untrusted threat. This is achieved by using advanced machine learning technology to detect and analyze malicious activities.
Step 5: Establish a Secure Configuration and Patch Management Program Settings
These are very important in securing your business against cyber-attacks. That’s why you need to make sure that your devices are properly configured.
Also, create a patch management program that updates all your devices with the latest security patches. This will ensure that all your devices are protected from zero trust.
Conclusion
Zero trust is a promising approach to network security. It can help companies mitigate the risks of cyber-attacks while still maintaining the open nature of their business. However, it’s not a walk in the park to implement zero trust. That’s why you need to follow a five-step methodology to successfully implement zero trust in your organization.