At the most fundamental level, zero-trust IT is all about ensuring security based on a known identity of an end user, application, or device. 

As defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), zero-trust IT describes an “evolving set of cybersecurity paradigms that move defenses from static, network-based perimeters to focus on users, assets, and resources.” There is no implicit trust granted to assets or users based solely on their physical or network location or asset ownership. 

Relying on passwords increases risk 

Zero-trust IT also means organizations need to move away from relying on passwords to grant access. Although still widely used, the last few years has taught organizations about how easily passwords can be compromised by phishing attacks. 

In a global survey, 87 percent of professionals report their organization is actively moving toward some type of “password less” approach to managing access, while a full 80 percent still use passwords. 

57 percent of respondents also said their organization implemented new security methods that failed to be adopted by employees.  

Zero-trust IT boosts resiliency 

The issue organizations are encountering is that zero-trust isn’t something that can be acquired. It describes an approach to managing cybersecurity in a way that improves the overall resiliency of an organization. That doesn’t mean there will never be a cybersecurity breach, but it should ultimately reduce the number of cybersecurity incidents that an organization needs to respond to in addition to limiting the blast radius if there is a breach. 

Zero-trust IT requires a layered approach to managing cybersecurity that spans everything from the endpoint to the cloud. Most organizations will not have the internal resources required to implement and manage a zero-trust IT environment on their own. A decision to transition to a zero-trust IT environment will necessitate consuming cybersecurity as a service. 

Organizations are beginning to recognize that their historic approach to cybersecurity is not as effective in the current era of IT. Contact us at Access Tech where we can analyze your business’s current cyber security and guide you on how to implement zero-trust.