We have witnessed an evolution in cloud computing and remote work. Both have become the new normal, making perimeter-based security obsolete. The internet of things (IoT), microservices, APIs and third-party partners introduce additional risks that have all added to this challenge, creating a nightmare for modern organizations. So, CISOs have prioritized zero-trust and consider it a starting point for stronger security.

However, implementing zero-trust is not straightforward — security teams can overlook critical items that impact zero-trust initiatives and limit their effectiveness. Let’s explore these in detail.

Not Adopting the Tenets of Zero-Trust

The “trust no one and default deny” strategy is often perceived as the core zero-trust requirement. However, this is a misinterpretation. Designing and deploying a zero-trust means going beyond simple permit or deny rules and building a broader architecture that adheres to several core tenets of zero-trust.

For instance, dynamic policies must determine resource access, granting access only to authorized users and devices based on characteristics like location, device posture, usage patterns and data analytics. All enterprise resources or entities requesting access must be continuously monitored and assessed to determine suitability for continued access. It’s important not to overlook these and other requirements when designing or implementing a zero-trust architecture.

Not recognizing that traditional VPN is incompatible with Zero-Trust

Unfortunately, many organizations interested in zero-trust still rely on VPNs. One of the biggest pitfalls of VPN is that administrators cannot provide selective access to resources once they’ve been authenticated and admitted to the network. Furthermore, zero-trust requires dynamic access controls that adapt in real-time based on contextual information such as location, user behavior and device posture. Traditional VPNs only have static access control based on user roles and IP addresses. Additionally, zero-trust access requires that device posture be checked before connecting to the network. VPNs cannot make any such assessment.

Not Planning For Usability

Cybersecurity priorities are not always aligned with IT or business priorities. Implementing zero-trust might be a priority for the security team; however, IT teams might be focused on other initiatives. The disconnect between these departments can negatively impact zero-trust deployments; misconfigured or incomplete policies can produce blind spots and security gaps. Additionally, there is a downstream impact on users. Cumbersome access processes can frustrate users and hamper productivity.

Not Considering Typical Business Use Cases

Security teams are typically so overworked that specific user needs and business requirements are often ignored. This lack of oversight can lead to real consequences. For example, if a security solution is implemented without considering business use cases (multi-branch facilities, multi-cloud environments, third-party contractors, etc.), it may lead to inefficient business operations, lost productivity, or user resistance. Employees might find security protocols too disruptive, leading them to seek workarounds.

Not Linking Zero-Trust to Business ROI

Most CISOs struggle to articulate the value of cybersecurity in business terms. As a result, they face challenges in securing necessary funding and C-level buy-in. Additionally, business-focused communication across the entire organization is essential for zero-trust projects. If business leaders do not understand the value of zero-trust and how it reduces risk, they will be less inclined to collaborate on those initiatives.

Best Practices To Help Avoid Zero-Trust Mistakes:

Understand business use cases: It’s common for security teams to interpret or implement policies differently or have inconsistent policy enforcement across network segments. To avoid this challenge, it’s highly recommended that security teams map all possible business use cases beforehand.

Adopt zero-trust tenets: Technologies like SASE offer complete visibility into data flows across the network and provide granular control over user and device activities. SASE enables consistent policy enforcement everywhere, ensuring least-privilege access to all enterprise and cloud resources.

Address the ROI of zero-trust: Security teams can address ROI concerns by outlining the cost of delays and inaction, such as blind spots, potential breaches, misuse of user privileges and inappropriate access to critical resources, to name a few. They should also provide security performance indicators such as reduced security incidents, accelerated detection and response times, improved user experience and regulatory compliance.

Implementing zero-trust may appear challenging at first. However, if security leaders can thoroughly convey security ROI that fosters employee trust and confidence, they can deploy a security platform that improves their security posture, achieves greater operational efficiencies and increases productivity for their organizations.