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How to apply Zero Trust

What is Zero Trust?

Zero Trust is a model of security which implicitly trusts any device, user, network or service, and demands continuous confirmation of authentication and authorization that is used to gain access to corporate information. This Zero Trust model assumes that the possibility of a breach is certain and could have already occurred, so it allows access restrictions and provides alerts for suspicious behavior. Zero Trust is a framework to secure corporate data for the digital age of today. It is specifically designed to address the current technological requirements of company, which includes security threats from insiders as well as secure remote access ransomware , and much more.

Zero Trust security has three fundamental ideas:

1. Continuous monitoring

In the Zero Trust model, we believe that there are criminals inside and outside our corporate boundary, so no one are automatically trusted. Zero Trust verifies every single user’s access.

2. The least privilege

When users regularly access corporate data in the course of their task The principle of least privilege guarantees that they are granted only the amount of access they require to carry out their job efficiently. Based on “a need to be aware” basis. This limits each user’s exposure to data that is sensitive. In the event of a security breach, Zero Trust limits the impact of the incident and allows security teams to react and limit the damage.

3. Automation

Continuous monitoring and lowest privilege access is impossible without full automation of these procedures. Zero Trust embraces the full implementation of security automation to ensure that users have the least privilege access and to continuously monitor and validate every single data connection made by each user both within and outside of the company.

What is the reason ZTNA not sufficient to be used for SaaS Data Security?

The most popular usage case for this Zero Trust security model is the protection of remote access, also known as Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA). This product type removes the requirement for a VPN that is not a standard feature and makes use of its Zero Trust principles to verify the remotely accessible network by micro-segmentation of the device and network, as well as access control.

ZTNA solutions offer an impressive and extensive micro-segmentation as well as access control that are based on identity as well as network and device metadata, like the IP address of an individual, OS versions, and the roles of users. ZTNA is able to solve multiple major threats, like attack on accounts (examples of access that is allowed to unknown devices and networks). When ZTNA solutions allow access to the network, the user is able to connect to the permitted applications with no micro-segmentation of the “kind” information in these applications can be accessed, altered and shared. In particular, with regard to SaaS applications, users can access and alter SaaS data with no further restrictions on access to data controls through ZTNA. ZTNA solution.

For instance, an employee who leaves a company could be able to steal and scrape a large amount of sensitive company information before leaving the company due to the fact that their name, identity and network metadata remain accepted by ZTNA. ZTNA solution. There isn’t any context surrounding data exfiltration or the type of data is being accessed. So, businesses that are implementing ZTNA solutions are exposed to different day-to-day threats:

Resigning employees who have accessed company information
Inadvertent sharing of company data with personal accounts
Internal overexposure and consumption sensitive information
3rd party partners exposed to data of the company for ever
Data can be shared with anyone who can access the link
And much more…

How can you be sure that there is Zero Trust Database Access?

Zero Trust Data Access (ZTDA) is based on the concept of least privilege as well as micro segmentation and extends it to Software as a Service (SaaS) environments for applications. These are among the most crucial sources of data for enterprises striving to be aligned with an Zero Trust model.

ZTDA is a new guideline principle that allows for the granularity to establish that implicit trust cannot be given to any user within or outside the company over and above the layer of identity or deep rooted in the SaaS application layer. This allows more specific security rules that can be applied to all end users and organizations which are external and internal in the entire range of SaaS applications.

ZTDA brings security closer to vital resources that propel the modern-day business forward.

When ZTNA micro segments are on networks, identities, and the devices they use, ZTDA micro segments on users, third parties, third groups, HR employee status and file type, position, PII detection, malware detection, and much more.

ZTDA implements to the 3 Zero Trust principles as follows:

1. Continuous monitoring

ZTDA platforms are connected to all external and internal user activities, SaaS assets metadata, and data enrichments that are derived from many interconnected integrations, including IDP, EDR, and HR platforms. All these data points are used to allow deep micro-segmentation across various levels, like users groups, assets and the status of employment, domains and many more. ZTDA platforms provide a continuous list of your SaaS ecosystem’s metadata, without the requirement to replicate and keep SaaS host data.

2. Most privilege

Based on the unification of catalog and the data enhancements ZTDA platforms constantly revoke access to data for users both external and internal to ensure the lowest privilege model on a scale. Users can then be granted access or share exactly the same data repeatedly to ensure that business enablement remains as it is. In time, businesses that implement ZTDA platforms dramatically reduce their vulnerability, the amount of users with access to sensitive data and the scope of any possible breach.

3. Automation

ZTDA platforms provide automated workflows that are powered by a complete micro-segmentation of users and collaborators, assets groups, and so on. These workflows aren’t necessarily based on opinion or hardcoding, but are rather flexible and adaptable to be activated upon any end-user or any other anomalous event that is identified. ZTDA platforms provide a wide range of remedies, available on-demand and fully automatic.

How do you apply Zero Trust on the data layer?

The security team or program is not alike. So below are the main steps for implementing zero Trust data Access model:

Visualize – Understand the entire team of collaborators, users and groups, assets, and the risks.
Reduce – address identified threats to enhance your security measures.
Automate workflows to avoid situations that pose a high risk.
Adjust your security requirements based on changes in your business.