Zero Trust Security Explained: Strategies for a Secure Digital Future
The world runs on trust, and cybersecurity is no different. Just as you take an elevator without worrying about it crashing, you shop online because you trust that your money and data are safe. How does that happen? Because of a cybersecurity model called zero trust.
Yep, you read that right: zero trust. In the mind of a cyber pro, the only way to be safe is to trust no one. But wait a second. You text your friends. You spend all day online. You might even use a computer to run a business. There are a lot of people involved in that. Real people. Can you trust them?
Of course, you can! This is about one thing: designing a trust-based architecture to keep you safe when you're doing things online, from email to invoices.
So what is the zero trust model for cybersecurity, and how does it work?
Let’s dive in.
What is the zero trust security model?
You know, one nutty thing about cybersecurity is that the simplest concepts can have the most complex definitions. For instance, the zero trust model is based on three words we all know well: Don’t. Trust. Anyone.
So why do these lengthy explanations always pop up? For instance, here’s one way that Forrester defines zero trust:
Zero Trust is an information security model that denies access to applications and data by default. Threat prevention is achieved by only granting access to networks and workloads utilizing policy informed by continuous, contextual, risk-based verification across users and their associated devices. Zero Trust advocates these three core principles: All entities are untrusted by default; least privilege access is enforced; and comprehensive security monitoring is implemented.
We’ll give credit where it’s due. That’s a strong and substantial explanation from a leading firm. It’s truly comprehensive and leaves a lot to unpack.
The thing is, you shouldn’t need a Ph.D. in computer science and two decades of industry experience to understand a foundational principle for keeping your business safe.
And that’s the issue — cybersecurity lingo can be so complex that it can fail the people who need it most.
For zero trust, that’s a lot of people who run small businesses. People who know cyber is critical for their company but don’t have a massive budget or a ton of time. They look into solutions but get conflicting info. And it’s all in industry-speak.
So that’s where we come in. We aim to explain zero trust (and other important principles, like defense in depth) in a relevant way to you and your business. Here’s a simple way to think about it:
Don’t allow anyone into your system(s) — until they’re verified.
It’s a great shorthand, but it’s not quite right as a definition. Can you guess why? Hint: It has to do with the word “allow.”
You can tell someone they’re not allowed in a building. But what if they want to get in? They’ll find a way. When it comes to cybersecurity, you can’t just tell bad actors they’re not allowed in your systems. You must deny their every attempt.
Now, let’s dive in a bit deeper.
3 principles of the zero trust security model
We came up with this definition of zero trust, the one you’ll find in our Cyber 101 section:
Everyone is denied access to your system(s). Access is only granted once someone is properly verified.
And here are the 3 core principles of the zero trust security model:
Trust no one, at first
Give them access to what they need, nothing else
Always keep an eye on them
Those are some strict rules. If you’re running a business, you might think, “Should I really treat my employees and customers like that?” In terms of cybersecurity, the answer is: yes. In order to keep out the bad actors, you need to subject everyone to zero trust principles.
But here’s the good part: once they’re verified, they’re verified.
Besides, nowadays, people expect to encounter additional cybersecurity measures. As a matter of fact, it shows maturity in your business model. People are increasingly comfortable doing a quick reCaptcha test or setting up 2-factor authentication.
The reality is, cybercrime is a billion-dollar business. So good cybersecurity starts by treating everyone suspiciously. That’s just the nature of the digital world.
The importance of zero trust security for small businesses
But here’s the thing: one of the best ways to understand the importance of zero trust is to think about it in a non-digital, brick-and-mortar way.
Maybe you’re one of the millions of Americans operating a small business. Sure, you might sell toys or tacos, which have little to do with computers, seemingly.
But odds are, your company is built on software. According to Statista, the average organization worldwide uses 110 Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications. SaaS just means these applications are running on another computer (over the internet), not on your computer.
These systems are the lifeblood of your business. They’re the mechanisms that allow you to track inventory, sell to customers, and pay your employees. Without them, your business would have difficulty growing, let alone staying open.
So who do you let operate your systems? Who’s privileged enough to manage payroll? Who has permission to send an email?
Any old person off the street? Or an employee whose identity has been verified by a security standard to your liking?
Think about it like this.
Pretend you own a restaurant. It’s 3 P.M. on Monday. You’re in the office finishing up some accounting.
Out front, a person knocks on the front door. Your host answers it. The person says they’re the new bartender. Your host happily lets them in. There’s a ton of work to do.
The new person is in the restaurant. They go behind the bar. The cash register is open, and there are a bunch of credit cards that customers forgot.
Now the host comes to the back office. They tell you the new bartender is here. You look at your watch. The new bartender isn’t supposed to start until 5.
You walk to the front of the restaurant. There’s no one there, and the front door is wide open. The register is empty, the credit cards are gone.
Random beer fact!
The "33" on Rolling Rock bottles has no known meaning. What?!
How did the breach happen? What could have prevented it? Let’s list everything that went wrong":
The host didn’t ask for the alleged new bartender’s ID or official letter.
They didn’t think about whether that person was wearing a uniform.
They didn’t consider whether they’d seen that person before.
They didn’t force that person to wait outside while notifying you.
They weren’t trained to do these things, or they didn’t remember to do them.
In other words, they trusted a person without verifying their identity. It wasn’t a great decision.
Need to learn how to implement zero trust?
Zero trust means that the only people who can interact with your software systems are the ones you have told, “Yes, it’s OK for you to work here.” This ensures that they are not, by any reasonable measure, a bad actor.
Zero trust is so important because in the virtual world, you can rarely verify someone’s identity in person. In fact, you may interact only via email. Bad actors know this and want to exploit that vulnerability to get inside your systems and steal your data.
Don’t let them!
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Cyber 101 | The Solopreneur | SMB | BoD
