November 2024 Volume 6

OPERATIONS & MANAGEMENT

HOW ZERO-TRUST CYBERSECURITY CAN BENEFIT YOUR BUSINESS By Jim Kerr

Instead, it represents a framework of tools and behaviors that are applied systemati cally in your organization. These can include straightforward actions, like requiring multi factor authentication, to more sophisticated approaches like employing external managed detection and response for threat hunting and mitigation. By insisting on verification and authentica tion at every step, zero- trust makes it diffi cult for a hacker to gain access through a compromised user account or device. Benefits Implementing zero-trust cybersecurity can help your business: • Boost data protection. • Minimize attack surfaces. • Reduce the risk from growing cyber threats. • Support adherence to compliance and insurance requirements. • Differentiate yourself from competitors. • Build a more secure future. Key Elements Successfully shifting to a zero-trust cyber security model will require an adjustment in thinking across the organization. The changes will affect everyone, not just the IT team. Here are key elements to consider as you begin to strategize implementing zero trust. Assume a “Breach Mentality.” Instead of waiting for a breach, operate as though the risk is already there (because it is). This will improve your response time if a breach occurs, minimize the damage, improve your overall security and, most importantly, protect your business. Continually Verify. Zero-trust is not “one and done.” You’ll need to confirm the iden tity and access privileges of people, devices

T he zero-trust framework (based on NIST 800-207) follows the guiding principle that implicit trust, both inside and outside the network, is a vulner ability and that a security strategy must be built around the central belief of “never trust, always verify.” Traditionally, cybersecurity tools have focused on securing the perimeter of a network. The objective was to keep bad guys on the outside from getting in and from there, assume that everyone and everything operating behind the corporate network fire wall was safe. The notion of zero trust cybersecurity turns this idea on its head. Rather than only focusing on the perimeter, zero trust cybersecurity is a model that assumes no person, application, or device is automati

cally trusted, and must be regularly verified as legitimate. The result is better protection against cyberattacks. Zero-Trust Cybersecurity Approach The zero-trust approach works on the premise that everything — people, applica tions, and devices — poses a risk to your network and must prove trustworthy before accessing your organization’s network or data. In practice, this means every person, application, and device must be authenti cated and authorized each time they request access. Zero-trust is not a single product or service. You can't just buy it and implement it with a click of a button.

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