Take a deeper dive into Microsoft’s proactive integrated approach, Zero Trust framework, to implement security operations across all layers of your digital estate. JourneyTEAM’s Hector Perez, a Microsoft 365 and Cloud specialist, explains the three components of Zero Trust, why they are important, and how to get started with this high level of security in your organization.
Three Reasons Why Zero Trust is Important
Proliferating data and devices: Cloud-based solutions make sensitive industry data more readily accessible through any device. Financial services, healthcare, and other industries ingest billions of bytes of data each day. To protect PII, and ensure compliance, enlist zero trust to prevent threats from accessing/exfiltrating sensitive data.
Remote work is on the rise: With a hybrid workforce becoming more and more common, you’ll want to take threat prevention measures so those who need access have it, while keeping out those who shouldn’t.
Increase in sophisticated attacks: Your digital landscape is no longer a local area network protected by perimeter-based security. Company data is scattered across cloud-based solutions and as such a modern approach to security is required to prevent an ever-growing risk of cyber-attacks – it’s not a question of “if” but “when”.
The Three Components of Zero Trust
Verify Explicitly: The process of verifying a user’s identity based on location, device health, and what service/data they are trying to access (any anomalies to HOW they are trying to access information).
Least Privileged Access: The practice of limiting user access with just-in-time and just-enough access (JIT/JEA). Giving access to only the required systems/data, and nothing more, limiting potential threats.
Assume Breach: Configure systems in a way that assumes your data will get breached. This leads security administrators and technical teams to ensure extensive precautionary measures are taken to minimize a potential blast radius and segment access to systems.
Get Started with Zero Trust
Evaluate the maturity of your security infrastructure to get started. This will help you identify gaps and determine the right security solutions to fill them. Get the most out of your Microsoft technology by evaluating these 5 key pillars:
1. Identities
2. Endpoints
3. Applications
4. Data
5. Network
To learn more about Zero Trust, and to start implementing its' components and practices, read here.