With Zero Trust, users can access only the approved applications, systems, or specific resources they need, when they need them.
Think about your network security. Is it like throwing an open house party, leaving your business exposed? What do your security measures and a house party have in common?
The Danger of 'Trust at the Entrance'
Imagine having people over to your house. When they arrive, you might check their names at the door. Because they are your friends, you probably leave all the rooms unlocked. The party seems great, everyone is having fun. But the next day, when you're cleaning up, you're not happy: a drink has been spilled on a good mattress in a bedroom, there's broken glass in the living room, books are off the shelves in your study, and something valuable is missing. You realise that even though you trusted your guests, not everyone needed – or should have had – access to every single room.
Why Old Security Methods Don't Work
This situation is very similar to how network security used to be. Like checking people at your front door, many companies check their employees once – maybe with a VPN or a firewall. But just like having all your house unlocked caused problems, this 'check once, always trust' way of securing your network makes your business vulnerable. Once someone is inside the network, they might be able to see things they don't need – or shouldn't be able to see – which creates big risks.
With more people working from home, more use of online apps, and cyber threats becoming more complex, old security methods that only have one layer of protection, like firewalls or VPNs, are just not good enough anymore. The Zero Trust security model offers a much more sensible and effective way to protect your business.
The Core Principle: Never Trust, Always Verify
The fundamental principle of Zero Trust is simple yet powerful: “never trust, always verify.” This means that no one, not even those within your organisation, is granted automatic access to your network. Instead, access is only permitted after rigorously verifying the user’s identity, the security posture of their device, and the specific resources they are attempting to access – in essence, “verify then trust”. At the core of the zero-trust model lies the principle of least privilege, granting users only the absolute minimum access rights required to perform their specific tasks. This crucial approach significantly limits the potential impact of security breaches and keeps your most valuable data far safer.
Zero Trust Evolves with Technology
While Zero Trust isn’t a brand-new concept, recent technological advancements have made its implementation far more practical for businesses of all sizes. Improvements in cloud computing, sophisticated identity management solutions, and advanced networking capabilities have brought the benefits of Zero Trust within reach for a wider range of organisations.
Introducing Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)
Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) is the practical application of the Zero Trust model, using its core principles to secure access to applications and services. ZTNA focuses on establishing strict, granular access control to applications and services within the company network on a per-application basis, enforced by clearly defined access control policies.
How ZTNA Works in Practice
ZTNA (Zero Trust Network Access) ensures that users can only access the specific resources they need, precisely when they need them. Users are only permitted to connect to approved applications or systems. Under ZTNA technology, no user or application is inherently trusted by default – regardless of whether they are inside or outside the traditional network perimeter – until their identity has been thoroughly verified. Crucially, verification isn’t a one-time event; even previously authorised users and applications must continuously prove their identity to maintain access. If necessary, access can be revoked at any point. In the unfortunate event of a breach, ZTNA effectively prevents lateral movement, stopping attackers from freely navigating across your network if they manage to gain initial entry.
The Benefits of Implementing ZTNA
Incorporating ZTNA provides your business with exceptional levels of protection and invaluable peace of mind. ZTNA is secure, highly scalable, and ideally suited for businesses of all sizes, adding a vital layer of control over network traffic access while providing the flexibility essential for modern work environments. Whether your workforce operates remotely, in a hybrid model, or entirely from the office, ZTNA ensures that only verified devices can access your critical resources.
Conclusion: Secure Your Future with Zero Trust
Moving beyond the outdated 'trust at the gate' mentality is crucial for navigating today's complex threat landscape. Embracing the Zero Trust model, and particularly its practical application through ZTNA, offers a significantly more robust and adaptable security posture. Coro's ZTNA solution provides a powerful yet user-friendly way to implement these critical security principles. It offers a comprehensive platform for continuous user and device verification, granular access control, and real-time threat detection.
Coro simplifies the often-complex process of adopting Zero Trust, making it accessible for businesses of all sizes. Its intuitive interface and robust features allow you to define and enforce precise access policies, limiting the attack surface and preventing lateral movement in case of a breach. By choosing Coro, you gain not just a technology solution, but a partner dedicated to strengthening your security posture and providing you with peace of mind in an increasingly challenging digital world.
To understand precisely how Coro’s ZTNA can benefit your business with a personalised demonstration, and to discover just how straightforward the upgrade can be, get in touch with the cybersecurity experts at CREAPLUS today.
