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Zero trust security is an approach to protecting resources in which no user, device, or service receives access merely because it is inside an organization’s network or belongs to the organization. Instead, access is evaluated against policy for the specific resource, using identity and device checks and granting only the privileges required.
What does zero trust security mean?
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) defines zero trust as “A cybersecurity paradigm focused on resource protection and the premise that trust is never granted implicitly but must be continually evaluated.” NIST glossary
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In practical terms, a network location is not proof that a request is safe. A user or device on an internal network is not automatically trusted, and being outside that network does not automatically disqualify a request. The security focus shifts from protecting a boundary and trusting what is inside it to protecting the particular resource being accessed.
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How does zero trust security work?
When a user, device, or other subject requests access to an enterprise resource, the organization evaluates the request under its access policy. NIST treats authentication and authorization for the subject and the device as distinct functions that take place before a session to a resource is established. The policy can limit access to the resource and privileges needed, rather than granting broad access to a network segment.
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- Identify the request: Establish which user or other subject and which device are requesting access.
- Evaluate the policy: Apply the organization’s rules to determine whether the request should be allowed and what privileges it needs.
- Protect the resource: Establish access to the particular resource under the applicable decision, rather than treating network presence as blanket permission.
“Never trust, always verify” is a useful shorthand, but it does not mean a person must manually reauthenticate for every click or that every request should be denied. Zero trust means trust is not assumed from network position; access is evaluated using policy.
Is zero trust a product or a security model?
Zero trust is a cybersecurity paradigm, not a single product, appliance, or vendor feature. A zero trust architecture (ZTA) is the enterprise plan for applying its principles across resources, workflows, policies, and infrastructure. NIST’s description of that end-to-end scope includes identity, credentials, access management, operations, endpoints, hosting environments, and the infrastructure connecting them. NIST SP 800-207
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Why do organizations use zero trust?
Location-based trust becomes less useful when people work remotely, use bring-your-own-device (BYOD) environments, or access cloud assets outside an organization’s network. NIST identifies these changes in enterprise environments as reasons to focus access decisions on resources rather than assume that everything inside a perimeter is trustworthy. Limiting access to what a user or device needs can also reduce opportunities for unauthorized lateral movement between resources. NIST SP 800-207
Does zero trust replace the network perimeter or existing security controls?
No. Zero trust changes the basis for access decisions; it does not make network boundaries irrelevant or require organizations to discard existing controls. Perimeter defenses can still play a role, but being behind a boundary alone is not sufficient reason to trust a request. NIST’s foundational guidance discusses the limits of perimeter-based assumptions, particularly for remote users and cloud services. NIST SP 800-207
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What does a zero trust architecture cover?
A ZTA is an enterprise-wide plan, not merely a way to control employee sign-ins. Its scope can include the identities and credentials involved in access, endpoints and workloads, the resources being protected, the environments hosting them, and the infrastructure connecting them. NIST SP 800-207 sets out architecture components, workflows, access policies, deployment models, use cases, and migration guidance. The complementary CISA Zero Trust Maturity Model, Version 2.0 is dated April 2023; consult CISA for a newer edition before using it as current implementation guidance.
What is the simplest way to remember zero trust?
Do not treat a user, device, or service as trusted simply because it is inside the network or organization-owned. Evaluate access to each resource against policy, using identity and device checks and limiting privileges to what is needed.
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