Digital Transformation is an inevitable change that businesses have to go through to keep up with modern times. Today, employees and customers are constantly connected to the internet, gaining access to different data and applications. Sensitive data is distributed across the web now more than ever, especially with the rise of data storage platforms like Google Drive and Microsoft 365. Digital transformations not only improve the overall performance of a company but also increase the chances of an attack and exposure to new threats. Traditional security measures no longer hold up to modern-day threats and attacks— digital transformation requires a more secure and efficient security model: Zero Trust.
What is Zero Trust?
Zero Trust is not a new security concept and has been used by corporations for over a decade. It “is a holistic approach to securing modern organizations, based on least-privileged access and the principle that no user or application should be inherently trusted.” In a way, this is a threat intelligence solution. It considers everything as a threat and will only give access to the user if their identity is verified.
Today, cyberattacks and threats have been on the rise. With technology advancing and attacks increasing, corporations around the world are facing more challenges. However, with this approach, Zero Trust is able to prevent cyber threats and data loss from occurring. Other applications and servers can implement this as well, controlling the access and information within the company.
This framework can also secure networking. It allows offices, employees, and remote workers to safely connect to the internet anywhere in the world. Zero Trust also allows workloads to securely connect to other workloads through the cloud. It allows employees to work from anywhere without having to worry about the network.
With the right understanding, Zero Trust will elevate and optimize user experiences for companies. It gives them the freedom to control their environment while enabling them to transform into a digital workspace. Additionally, this framework mitigates the risk of external and internal threats and is a great way to address the challenges that businesses encounter in today’s modern time.
The Foundation
Zero Trust is not as simple it sounds— it is a foundation that builds and strengthens a security system within a company. According to Zscaler, a leading cloud-based information security company based in California, there are three main components:
- Connectivity based on identity and context
Once a network is accessed, traditional security measures like VPNs and firewalls have an inherent trust in users, which increases the risk of a threat compromising the system. However, Zero Trust uses identity and policy-based context to determine if a user should gain access or not. This platform limits access, which prevents lateral movement and reduces risks. Since it doesn’t give access to the corporate network to unidentified users, unauthorized users don’t have entry to the company’s resources.
- Making applications invisible
With Zero Trust, it avoids exposing the corporate network by concealing identities and IP addresses. It makes applications invisible and accessed only by authorized users, significantly reducing attacks while securing the network and system.
- Proxy-based architecture to connect to apps and incept traffic
Traditional firewalls use a “passthrough” approach which allows unknown content to access its destination without analyzing it completely. Moreover, it cannot process encrypt traffic, allowing suspicious actors into the company’s network which increases the chances of a breach and data loss. Zero Trust has a proxy-based architecture design to inspect and analyze content, making real-time policy and security decisions before allowing it to move on.
What is Zscaler?
Zscaler is an American-based cybersecurity company that is responsible for securing over 400 of Forbes Global 2000 companies. They are a pioneer in Zero Trust with industry leaders and experts agreeing that Zscaler leads the largest, easiest to use, and most mature zero trust platform. To that end, they have integrated with 80 leaders in identity, endpoint security, and security operations. Organizations around the world with the most complex networks have recognized Zscaler’s cloud-delivered security as a service.
The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange is a platform that helps protect and empower businesses. It enables fast and secure connections for companies, allowing employees to work from anywhere in the world. It provides comprehensive security using context-based identity and policy enforcement. In fact, the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange helps businesses navigate through the digital age, using a foundation of zero trust to enforce a strong cybersecurity defense. Not only does this platform prevent lateral movements and eliminate attacks, but the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange also reduces cost and complexity, making it a great experience for users and companies.
About IPV Network
Since 2016, IPV Network has been a trusted partner of leading enterprises in the Philippines. It brings the best-of-breed cybersecurity solutions. IPV network helps businesses identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover from cyber threats. Email us at [email protected] or call (02) 8564 0626 to get your FREE cybersecurity posture assessment!
Reference:
(n.d.). “Zscaler Cloud Security – Securing the Global 2000.” Zscaler, www.zscaler.com/company/about-zscaler. Accessed 26 Nov. 2021.
