In order to access applications, users were required to be in a trusted network. These hub-and-spoke networks were apparently protected with numerous appliances such as VPNs and firewalls, included in a “castle and moat” security architecture. 

While this was ultimately useful to the organization and online users when their applications were situated in their data centers, however, in today’s online world, users are more mobile than ever, eventually making it even more challenging to secure the network. 

Organizations on the other hand are directing a digital transformation, engaging in the cloud, mobility, AI, IoT, and OT technologies in order to emerge as more agile and competitive. 

Since users can be found everywhere, data and applications could no longer reside in data centers. They need immediate access to applications from any location at any point in time, in order to collaborate quickly and effectively. Thus, it would be a senseless endeavor to send the data traffic back to the data centers safely. 

This is the reason why organizations are switching from hub-and-spoke networks to direct cloud access, using the internet as the new network.

Perimeter-based Security Fails to Address the Needs of Modern Business

All network elements - users, applications, and devices, are placed on a single flat plane in conventional hub-and-spoke networks. While this makes it convenient for users to access various applications, it would also provide any infected system the exact access. 

Unfortunately, perimeter-based security using VPNs and firewalls fail to secure the network or provide a satisfactory user experience, for cyberattacks keep getting more sophisticated and users work from everywhere. Consequently, organizations encounter cyberattacks and data breaches that have the potential to seriously harm their security. 

Zero Trust Architecture

We must reconsider how connectivity is allowed in our contemporary world, in the context of the pervasive, long-standing challenges posed by legacy network and security systems. Organizations need to shift away from castle-and-moat security and toward a zero-trust architecture that ensures quick and direct access to apps everywhere, at any time, in order to ensure a secure hybrid workplace. 

Zero trust begins by assuming that every element of the network is unreceptive or compromised, allowing access to applications only after users’ identity, device posture, and business context has been verified and policy checks are righteously enforced. 

Zero trust structure requires the data traffic to be logged and monitored, demanding users a degree of visibility that any conventional security control does not support. 

A successful zero-trust architecture subjects each connection to a number of restrictions before establishing a connection, to guarantee that no implicit trust is ever granted. This is made possible in the following steps: 

1. Verify identity and context: Once a user, workload, or device requests a connection, initially, the zero-trust architecture terminates the connection; followed by identifying who is connecting and the users’ motives. 

2. Control risk: Zero trust architecture then assess the risks and potential challenges in regards to the connection request, inspecting the traffic for any cybercrime activity and sensitive information.  

3. Enforce policy: At last, a per-session-based policy is being enforced, in order to evaluate what actions would be taken pertaining to the connection established. 

A zero-trust architecture thus aids in minimizing the attack surface, stopping threats from moving laterally, and mitigating breach risks. The best way to implement it is through a proxy-based architecture, which connects users directly to applications rather than the network, allowing the application additional restrictions prior to the approval or denial of the connections' permit.