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Advanced Cybersecurity Strategies for Modern Threats – Zero-Trust Security

In the past, cybersecurity focussed largely on protecting IT networks against external dangers lurking on the internet. These ‘perimeter security strategies’ assumed that all activities within a corporate network were trustworthy and that the only threats worthy of mitigation were those originating from external actors, such as cybercriminals.

Today, these traditional security measures are no longer enough. Businesses need to adopt more mature and sophisticated security strategies that deliver multiple points of protection and are designed to inhibit both external and internal security threats. Among these strategies is the ‘Zero-Trust’ model. Its basic principle can be summarised as: ‘never trust, always verify.’

In this article, we’ll provide a short guide to zero-trust security. We will also explain why traditional security strategies no longer make the grade. Finally, we will outline some of the ways you can start implementing this widely advocated strategy to improve your business’s security posture. But first, a little bit about us…

We’re Armco IT – Strategic IT Support and Solutions for North Yorkshire Businesses

From our base in Malton, North Yorkshire, Armco IT provides IT support, management and solutions to businesses across York, Ryedale, North and East Yorkshire. With our commitment to providing tailored solutions that comply with cybersecurity best practices, our goal is to help businesses operate more securely, productively and efficiently using the best tech products on the market.

Cybersecurity is fundamental to everything we do and we’re passionate about helping Yorkshire businesses protect themselves against today’s hostile cyber threat landscape.  So here’s our guide to the zero-trust security model and why it might be the strategy your business needs to reinforce its security posture and upgrade its cyber resilience.

 

Zero Trust Security in a Nutshell

As we’ve mentioned, established security models worked on the principle that activity within a network was essentially trustworthy and that virtually all threats were external.

The zero-trust model, on the other hand, assumes that all network activity is a potential threat whether that activity originates from outside the network or within it.  The model also recognises the threat individual endpoint devices could pose to overall network security. It therefore implements checks to ensure all connections are secure, authorised and fully authenticated. The zero-trust strategy protects a network using three main security tenets:

All Connections Viewed as a Potential Threat

A traditional firewall inspects traffic and files as they pass through a filter. While this is effective at mitigating some threats, others are detected after the hostile payload has been delivered – in other words, when it’s too late. The zero-trust model halts all connections, subjecting them to an inspection by an inline proxy in real-time. This ensures that hostile content can be identified and blocked before reaching its destination, keeping threats like ransomware and viruses out of the network.

Attribute-based Access and the Principle of Least Privilege

Zero trust security employs access management best practices. These are designed to protect data against unauthorised access and limit the scope of damage should a threat actor breach the system. The ‘principle of least privilege’ is one such practice. This is a concept that limits resource access on the basis of role-based requirements in order to minimise account takeover risks.

This is used alongside attribute-based access controls. These controls apply access restrictions according to pre-defined criteria relating to:

  • the user accessing the resource,
  • the sensitivity of the resource in question,
  • the action being performed, and
  • contextual attributes, such as the device making the request and the time and location.
Attack Surface Minimisation

Should threat actors gain a foothold in your network, you want to be able to stop them in their tracks. It is essential that you prevent them from accessing sensitive information and distributing malware laterally across your environment. Zero trust security achieves this through network segmentation, a practice that divides the network into smaller chunks. This effectively creating barriers to hostile lateral movement and reducing the attack surface available to a would-be hacker.

Network segmentation permits the application of granular access restrictions. It also connects users directly to the apps and services they need, not the network as a whole. This limits the ability of compromised devices to inflict damage system-wide.

 

Why Zero Trust Security Has Become Strategy of Choice Among Experts

Recent developments in the cybersecurity landscape have made the zero trust model the best option for businesses keen to build a robust cybersecurity framework:

The Increased Sophistication of Cyber Threats

Today’s most capable cybercriminals can circumvent traditional cybersecurity tools. Once inside corporate networks, there are often few obstacles preventing them from achieving their pernicious aims. Thanks to its application of continuous verification and authentication, the zero-trust approach is able to frustrate and neutralise these sophisticated breach attempts, ensuring critical resources remain out of reach.

The Nature of The Modern IT System

The business IT system no longer has a neat, clearly defined network perimeter, as was the case in the past. Mobile devices, cloud services and home networks used by remote employees, add complexity to the IT terrain. They also present new security risks that conventional tools and practices struggle to address. Zero trust assesses every access attempt against pre-configured criteria, thereby enabling businesses to scrupulously enforce access policies no matter where employees are working from, which devices they’re using and the app or resource being accessed.

Acknowledgement of Insider Threats

Traditional, perimeter-based defences operate on the proviso that internal activity is essentially trustworthy. While treating staff with suspicion may seem an uncomfortable prospect, businesses today recognise the need to address insider threats. This is particularly due to high-profile data privacy regulations such as GDPR. By validating every request, including those actioned from within a trusted network, zero trust acknowledges the threat posed by potentially hostile insiders. It also creates a framework for deploying granular access control policies which support data privacy and compliance. 

Adaptable Risk Management

Greater focus on cyber risk management has prompted a shift towards technologies and strategies that offer greater adaptability. These allow security teams to modify security and access controls around changing circumstances and emerging threats. Because the zero trust model places great emphasis on activity logging and continuous monitoring, businesses can identify and address their greatest security risks more effectively and fine-tune access controls to prevent data breaches.

Data-Centric Security

The zero trust approach applies access controls at an application and data level, rather than at the edge of the network. This places protection around the assets that matter most: a business’s data and critical resources. Controls can be adjusted and reinforced according to various security factors. These include the data’s sensitivity and specific risks that arise from its handling activities. This allows security teams to deploy data-centric security controls on a granular, case-by-case basis, ensuring that highly sensitive information assets are afforded the highest levels of protection.

 

Implementing Zero Trust Security

If you’re interested in implementing zero trust security in your business, talk to Armco IT about how you can apply the strategy using the security controls you already have in place. Use the following five security controls as a basis for a broader strategy:

  • Multi-factor Authentication. Enforce multi-factor authentication across all user accounts if possible. This provides an extra layer of defence should one authentication factor be compromised.
  • Enforce the ‘Principle of Least Privilege’. Extend access rights and user account privileges on the basis of job role, ensuring that users only have the resources access and functionality they need to perform their duties. Review privileges on an ongoing basis and host ‘global admin’ privileges on dedicated accounts.
  • Network Micro-Segmentation. Discuss network micro-segmentation with your IT team. This divides the network into sections, with access controls unique to each and limited cross-segment communication to prevent lateral movement in the event of a breach.
  • Continuous Monitoring and Analytics. Ensure your business possesses the capability to monitor network traffic, access events and user behaviour. These capabilities enable a near live response to evolving threats, as well as post-incident investigation using event logs. Specialised tools, such as Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions, Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) tools and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), can assist in collecting, analysing and responding effectively to security event data.
  • Assess Device Trustworthiness. Ensure the devices connecting to your network are secure and trustworthy, by assessing their compliance with security best practices. Ensure software and operating systems are up-to-date and verify that their configuration is in line with your security policies. Block network access for devices that fail to meet your security criteria.

Featured image by Matias Mango: https://www.pexels.com/photo/numbers-projected-on-face-5952651/

Armco IT – IT Services, Support and Solutions for North and East Yorkshire Businesses

Based in Malton, we provide proactive IT support and services throughout Yorkshire, covering York, North and East Yorkshire. With a proven track record across various sectors like manufacturing, design, professional medical services and insurance, we excel in delivering impactful IT solutions. Our focus is on maintaining, optimising and securing your digital infrastructure, allowing you to prioritize your business’s growth and success. Reach out to our team today to initiate our collaboration.

Interested in enhancing your security posture? Contact us now for a complimentary half-hour cybersecurity awareness training session. Gain valuable insights to safeguard your invaluable digital assets effectively.