If there’s one thing businesses can learn from the hundreds of data breaches reported in the first half of 2020, it’s that the traditional network security model is no longer enough to prevent such threats. This is especially true now that the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many businesses in Vancouver and across the world to shift to remote work. With distributed workforces now the norm, it’s harder than ever to control access to your network.
There are many ways you can beef up your network’s security, and implementing zero trust security is one of these.
What is zero trust security?
Zero trust works on the assumption that any and all users and devices that access your network cannot be trusted — they are all potential threats to the security of your business’s data. Neither should you trust those already inside your firewalls — always assume that they have been compromised and can therefore wreak havoc on your systems and operations.
But zero trust doesn’t mean you shouldn’t trust your employees at all. It just requires you to be more cautious about the people you grant access to your apps and data. This entails verifying their identities and credentials, as well as authorizing and encrypting each and every access request they make.
What are the elements of an effective zero trust framework?
Successful zero trust security frameworks consist of four key elements: multi-factor authentication (MFA), microsegmentation, endpoint management, and data security.
1. Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
MFA is a security system that verifies a user’s identity by requiring at least two methods of authentication. For example, a user may be required to provide a password and a one-time code sent to their mobile phones. Or they can just sign in using a biometrics-based authentication program such as Windows Hello and a passcode generator like Microsoft Authenticator.
Windows Hello uses fingerprint, iris, and facial scanning technology to verify a user’s identity. Meanwhile, Microsoft Authenticator allows secure sign-in to a user’s Microsoft account as well as to any online account that supports the time-based one-time password (TOTP) standard.
MFA provides an additional layer of user validation and prevents attempts by malicious actors to enter your network, thus making it an integral part of an effective zero trust framework.
2. Microsegmentation
In microsegmentation, your organization's workloads and applications are divided into distinct zones within data centers or cloud computing environments. These zones are isolated from one another, allowing network administrators to set granular security and access controls over each one. For instance, they can make it so that only HR employees with a certain level of authorization can view and edit personnel files in your company’s human resource management software. And just because these users can access one program doesn’t mean they can access others; they will need additional access rights to do so.
By isolating your workloads and applications and protecting each of them with specific security controls, microsegmentation reduces your organization’s attack surface. This, in turn, lowers your risk for crippling data breaches and other cyberattacks.
3. Endpoint management
Endpoint management software keeps unauthorized devices out of your network, and ensures that authorized ones are always updated and patched to prevent attacks and intrusion.
A mobile device management tool like Microsoft Intune, for instance, requires your staff to register all the mobile devices they use to access your systems, including both company-issued and personally owned ones. Your IT team can easily monitor registered devices from Intune’s centralized admin console and deploy software patches to ensure that these devices are always updated and protected.
With Intune, your IT staff can also set conditional access controls for every mobile device registered to your organization. What’s more, they can evaluate the health of these devices and alert users to any security issues so these can be properly addressed. Intune can also prevent jailbroken or rooted devices, which lack the security features that protect them from cyberthreats, from accessing and potentially letting threats into your systems.
4. Data security
Data is the lifeblood of any business, so business leaders must do everything to ensure their data’s security. Consider using data loss prevention (DLP) software, which puts an extra layer of protection to your data on top of traditional security measures such as firewalls and anti-malware programs.
DLP classifies business-critical data and identifies violations of security and compliance requirements such as those set by PCI DSS, PHIPA, and the GDPR. It then alerts you and recommends the necessary actions to take to prevent major data loss incidents or other events that could put your organization at risk.
Additionally, DLP software filters data streams in your network and monitors data in the cloud, keeping data at rest, in transit, and in use protected at all times.
What are the benefits of zero trust?
Aside from boosting security and lowering your risk for a data breach, a zero trust framework gives you better visibility over your systems. It allows you to see all users and devices that access your network, as well as what particular data or app they accessed and from where. This, in turn, enables you to pinpoint any irregularities or unusual activities within your systems and identify potential threats quickly.
Zero trust also gives a better end-user experience. With measures such as MFA or password-less sign-in in place, your employees won’t have to remember several passwords or change their passwords every month or so. Accessing the apps and data they need is easier, so they can get on with their tasks faster. This has the added benefit of boosting their productivity.
More and more companies are adopting zero trust to better protect their networks, data, and applications. Learn more about zero trust and how it can secure every aspect of your business from our experts at Quicktech Solutions. Drop us a line today: 604-709-8324.