What is Zero Trust (and what it isn't)?

Zero Trust is a security framework that states that no actor, system, or network inside or outside of the perimeter is implicitly trusted. Every access request must be verified continuously based on identity, context, device posture, and a number of other factors.

However, it's not a single tool or product. It's a strategy that touches:

• Identity and Access Management (IAM)
• Network segmentation
• Application-level control
• Endpoint verification
• Continuous monitoring

Traditionally, Zero Trust began with established network controls and premises around the idea of internal segmentation and enforcement of access policies through devices such as VPNs and firewalls. As the world shifts digital, that approach quickly becomes stagnant.

Why Zero Trust Needs to Change

The perimeter is dead (cloud-native architectures are here)

In a hybrid or multi-cloud environment, applications may exist in infrastructure across AWS, Azure, GCP, or your on-prem network. Forcing the use of traditional firewalls and static IP-based rules can be limiting in terms of visibility and flexibility.

Today's Zero Trust environments must be cloud-native, working natively with APIs, containers, serverless functions, and SaaS. Policy enforcement must not only apply at the gateway but at every point in the environment.

Microservices require granular control

In the past, securing access to the application in monolithic systems was more than sufficient. Today, in a microservice world, you're managing anywhere from hundreds to thousands of service-to-service communications that require you to authenticate requests, encrypt transmissions, and control traffic.

You need new capabilities such as service mesh technologies, identity-based routing, and zero trust between workloads, not just users.

Compliance is under the microscope like never before

Regulators want all organisations to show control over data access, transmission, and auditability, from GDPR to HIPAA.

What Modern Zero Trust Looks Like

To work in today's digital landscape, Zero Trust must be:

• Identity-driven: Every user, service, or device must prove who they are continuously, not just at login.
• Context-aware: Decisions are based on location, device type, risk score, time of access, and more.
• Dynamic and automated: Policies adapt in real-time using AI/ML-driven insights.
• Integrated across cloud and on-prem: Policy enforcement and telemetry must unify across platforms.

As Gartner noted in its 2024 security trends report, Zero Trust isn't a product; it's an architecture that must be implemented across the identity, network, application, and data layers.

Practical Steps to Modernise Your Zero Trust Strategy

• Map Your Digital Assets, Dependencies: You can't secure what you can't see; you need an inventory of your users, applications, data flows, and additional service interactions.
• Adopt An Identity First Approach: Apply SSO, MFA, and Just-In-Time (JIT) access, and be context-aware with IAM for every user and every endpoint.
• Perform East-West Traffic Inspection: Inspect your service's internal communications by using service meshes or cloud-native firewalls.
• Centralise Your Policy Enforcement and Visibility: Unified control planes allow for consistent Zero Trust policy enforcement across cloud, on-prem and hybrid environments.
• Conduct Ongoing Audits and Risk Reviews: Zero Trust is not "set and forget". Be constantly monitoring, analysing and adapting to changes from threat and compliance perspectives.