The Zero Trust model has established itself as a fundamental building block for strengthening the cybersecurity of organizations. As evidence of this, in 2023, the proportion of companies deploying Zero Trust initiatives nearly tripled, from 24% to 61%. This model is indeed essential to laying the foundation for a secure cloud architecture and fending off hacking attempts. However, implementation remains complex and is causing certain companies to slow down. This will ensure you are well prepared to make the most of the Zero Trust model and take cyber protection to the next level.
Challenges that need to be overcome
Before starting, some companies have little understanding of what implementing a zero trust architecture entails. Therefore, first of all, it is important to have a genuine desire to engage in such an approach. Especially when it goes far beyond simply providing a few software components.
The success of a zero trust approach continues to depend on employee understanding and training. It also requires an accurate inventory of the organization’s users and applications. In addition, implementation requires close collaboration between the various IT department teams. They must then be disbanded so that they can coordinate as part of a coherent security strategy. These opening efforts may encounter obstacles and resistance to change associated with fear of loss of responsibilities and the need for a new approach to managing certain IT resources.
As a result, managers and IT departments often find implementing the zero trust model time-consuming. They give up on this major project, only remembering the cumbersome processes and excessive resource requirements.
Prepare objectively
However, given the cyber risks that companies face, adopting a zero trust approach is worthwhile. Before making a ban decision, let’s remember the specifics of this model.
The principle of Zero Trust is that within a computer network, no entity is reliable and is not authenticated a priori. In this sense, it is necessary to question the implicit trust traditionally granted to users and applications within a network.
In a zero trust architecture, the context of user access to their work environment is important. Interaction between applications is equally important. Every request for access to an application resource, system or data requires identification – possibly multifactorial. Any unusual action results in an access block (connection from an unknown location or to an unknown computer, unusual data flow, etc.).
Therefore, the implementation of such an architecture requires the fulfillment of a number of prerequisites:
• Good visibility of the environment and control of its users to know who has access to which data and from which device,
• Monitoring and auditing traffic between different users: Is sensitive data shared between users with the same access level? Are they shared internally or externally?
• More powerful and robust multi-factor authentication methods such as one-time code or biometrics.
Don’t skip any steps
Of course, the zero trust model can be applied to all companies. However, it requires a certain level of maturity from the teams responsible for systems, networks and IT security. Therefore, before moving to the Zero Trust model, a number of basic security measures – (immutable) backups, strengthening authentication policies, anti-spam/antivirus, etc. – must be implemented.
In this logic, cybersecurity experts tend to recommend implementing Zero Trust gradually. They therefore remind us that the first thing to do is to create a map of your information system. This makes it possible to distinguish and target environments for which integration of the Zero Trust approach is possible and relevant, especially with regard to the sensitivity of the resources to be protected.
In addition, several axes can be considered to integrate this approach into a traditional information system. The first is primarily identity management and control. As a key element of the Zero Trust approach, it requires strict monitoring of access to the company’s various IT resources: monitoring departures and arrivals, internal mobility, etc.
The second, equally important aspect concerns device management. It is important to ensure that all devices connected or expected to be connected to the IS are correctly configured, updated and, above all, secure. In other words, the goal is to ensure that all of these devices meet the security and authentication requirements required to access network resources, regardless of the user, their location, or the type of network used.
The third area that companies should focus on is the micro-segmentation of their information system. In practice, it’s just a matter of dividing resources into different groups. The aim is then to adapt protection to the needs and sensitivity of the data and applications. This requires a certain level of perspective and is based on the division and maturity of IT departments mentioned earlier.
Once this step is completed, the tools and the Zero Trust approach can be used to “force” access according to the desired sensitivity levels within the information system (or part of it).
Therefore, to the extent that a company wants to adopt a Zero Trust approach, it must prepare the ground and teams and apply the principles gradually. A pragmatic strategy ensures optimal security of data and applications. Finally, change management is also extremely important. If they understand the specifics of these new authentication rules, information system users will massively support the approach, especially since they are already aware of “basic” IT hygiene (not opening disputed emails, not connecting to public Wi-Fi, etc.). .).