Zero Trust

What is Zero Trust?
Zero Trust is a security model that assumes no user, device, workload, or network path is trustworthy by default, whether it originates inside or outside your perimeter. Every request is verified explicitly, granted least-privilege access, and continuously evaluated based on real-time context (identity strength, device health, location, behavior). Instead of “log in once and you’re in,” Zero Trust treats each action like a fresh decision.

In practical terms, Zero Trust replaces flat, castle-and-moat networks with identity-centric controls. Core building blocks include:

• Strong identity: SSO + MFA/passwordless for humans; short-lived tokens and managed identities for services.
• Policy engines: risk-based and context-aware authorization (user, device, app, data sensitivity, time).
• Least privilege by default: role/attribute policies, CIEM for cloud rights, and JIT elevation to remove standing admin access (ZSP).
• Segmentation at multiple layers: ZTNA (identity-aware access to apps), micro-segmentation for networks, and scoped API permissions.
• Continuous monitoring & response: identity-centric telemetry and ITDR to detect token abuse, unusual privilege grants, and session hijacks.

How does it affect identity security?
Zero Trust makes identity the primary control plane. That has direct, day-to-day effects on how you protect accounts, keys, and entitlements:

• Authenticate strongly, continuously. Enforce phishing-resistant MFA/passwordless for admins and sensitive apps. Re-check sessions on risk signals (new device, geo-velocity, anomalous API calls).
• Authorize precisely. Move from coarse roles to contextual, least-privilege policies. Use CIEM to right-size cloud permissions and flag wildcard policies.
• Eliminate standing privilege. Convert “always-on admin” to Just-in-Time (JIT) access with automatic expiry; aim for Zero Standing Privileges (ZSP) so stolen creds have minimal blast radius.
• Include non-human identities. Treat service accounts, API keys, bots, and workloads as first-class identities: owner assigned, least-privileged scopes, short-lived tokens, and scheduled rotation.
• Continuously verify and respond. Feed sign-in logs, directory changes, token events, and entitlement drift into ITDR playbooks to auto-revoke tokens, disable risky accounts, rotate secrets, and open context-rich tickets.
• Segment application access. Replace broad VPNs with ZTNA or identity-aware proxies so every app request is pre-authenticated and policy-checked at the edge.

Case study
After the 2009 “Operation Aurora” intrusions, Google publicized BeyondCorp, an early Zero Trust architecture that removed implicit trust in the corporate network. Access to internal apps began requiring strong user identity, device posture checks, and context-aware policies: no blanket access just for being “on VPN.” The result: lateral movement became harder, privileged actions were gated by step-up checks, and security operations gained continuous visibility into identity and device risk.

Many enterprises have followed a similar path:

• Start by enforcing MFA/passwordless at the identity provider and disabling legacy protocols.
• Inventory and right-size cloud entitlements with CIEM; remove wildcard permissions.
• Convert privileged roles to JIT with audit trails; strive for ZSP.
• Bring machine identities under governance (owners, rotation, least-privileged scopes).
• Deploy ITDR automations to contain token misuse and rogue privilege grants in minutes, not days.

By making every access decision identity-, device-, and context-aware, and by removing permanent, over-broad permissions, Zero Trust turns identity security from a one-time gate into a continuous control that measurably reduces dwell time, lateral movement, and breach impact.

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