What is Zero Trust?
In the past, companies embraced a perimeter-focused security model. Security solutions were deployed at the network edge, enabling the organization to block inbound threats but providing limited visibility into operations and potential security threats within the organization. However, this model is ineffective at managing insider threats and protecting the organization as the corporate perimeter expands to include cloud environments and a remote workforce.
Zero trust updates this model by looking to eliminate the implicit trust provided to insiders by the classic, perimeter-based model. Instead of defining trust boundaries at the network edge, zero trust performs microsegmentation, independently evaluating access requests for each system, application, or service. By reducing implicit trust, zero trust is designed to enhance an organization’s ability to identify and respond to potential threats.
Some of the benefits provided by a zero trust security architecture include the following:
- Greater Security Visibility: Zero trust uses microsegmentation to define trust boundaries around individual applications and systems. This provides the organization with deeper insight into how its IT systems are being used, both legitimately and maliciously.
- Improved Threat Detection: Zero trust enables an organization to identify threats within its network perimeter that target individual applications and systems. By providing visibility inside the corporate network perimeter, zero trust enables organizations to more effectively detect and respond to potential attacks.
- Granular Access Management: With a perimeter-based security model, access to the organization’s network and systems is largely granted as a whole. Zero trust enables an organization to define a user’s access and permissions as the minimum required to perform their role.
- Increased Efficiency: Zero trust’s increased visibility also has benefits for the efficiency and effectiveness of an organization’s IT operations. With greater insight into how the network is being used, IT personnel can more effectively diagnose issues or perform strategic investments to improve the performance of its IT systems.
- Improved Audit Logs: A zero trust security model provides an organization with in-depth audit logs regarding requests for access to its systems. These audit logs can be useful for investigating security incidents and demonstrating regulatory compliance.
What is Least Privilege Access?
Many security incidents involve excessive permissions. If an attacker gains access to a user account with elevated permissions, they may be able to gain access to sensitive data and critical systems to carry out their attacks.
The principle of least privilege states that users, applications, systems, etc. should only be granted the minimum set of permissions that they require to do their jobs. This also extends to privileged users minimizing their permissions when possible. For example, a system administrator with access to a privileged account shouldn’t use it to perform everyday actions that don’t require it, such as checking their email.
The goal of least privilege access is to minimize the threat and risk that any entity poses to an organization. Some of the benefits of a least privilege access model include the following:
- Reduced Risk: Least privilege access controls limit what a user can do on an organization’s system. This reduces the damage that can be done by an insider threat or a compromised user account or machine.
- Improved Visibility: To implement zero trust, an organization requires granular access controls and enforcement. The action of assessing and evaluating access requests provides an organization with greater visibility into how its systems are being used, which benefits both security and network management.
- Regulatory Compliance: Many data protection regulations mandate that an organization limit access to sensitive, protected information such as financial data or healthcare records. A least privilege access policy helps an organization to achieve and demonstrate compliance with these requirements.
Zero Trust vs Least Privilege
Zero trust and least privilege are both security models designed to improve an organization’s security by reducing unnecessary trust and access. Reducing the trust or privileges extended to a user, application, or system decreases the damage it can potentially do to the organization.
In fact, the principle of least privilege is a core component of the zero trust security model. When evaluating access requests, a zero trust system should use least privilege access controls in order to determine whether access should be granted. Enforcing the principle of least privilege is foundational to following a zero trust security model.
Zero Trust and Least Privilege with Private Access ZTNA
Both least privilege and zero trust are models that can help to improve an organization’s security. However, to provide value to the organization, they need to be implemented and enforced.
Private Access ZTNA has zero trust enforcement capabilities built-in with its integrated zero trust network access (ZTNA) functionality. To learn more about implementing zero trust with ZTNA, check out this buyer’s guide.
Harmony SASE is a SASE solution that can help your organization easily and effectively implement zero trust. To learn more about zero trust with Harmony Connect, sign up for a free demo today.
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