Security for the Hybrid Workforce: Zero Trust Principles

As more and more industries made the shift to remote work because of the pandemic and workers started using home devices for business purposes, new attack surfaces were created for cybercriminals to take advantage of.

Email compromise continues to be a significant threat vector. Cybercriminals are also using malware that poses as a legitimate software update and targets workers. Ransomware has become more sophisticated, focusing not only on double or triple extortion tactics but also on offering ransomware as a service (RaaS). This type of attack uses a partner network to carry out the attack and makes it difficult to figure out the real bad actor.

For a workforce that regularly requires access to apps and resources that exist beyond traditional corporate networks, security architectures relying on network firewalls and VPNs are no longer sufficient to keep sensitive information safe. More businesses are adopting a hybrid or fully remote workplace. This shift is driving broader adoption of the Zero Trust strategy to secure apps and data.

Implementing a Zero Trust Security Approach to Hybrid Work

In addition to security basics like applying updates, patching, and multifactor authentication (MFA), businesses need to adopt the Zero Trust method to ensure a more layered and secure data protection approach. The Zero Trust method means no device or identity is assumed to be secure and is continually verified. Through the help of Zero Trust, organizations can strike a balance in ensuring productivity, security, and health for devices operating beyond the corporate network. As a result, the devices workers use will be secure while working from home, the office, and anywhere.

Zero Trust principles  

The inherent trust that exists within traditional corporate networks is eliminated by Zero Trust. An effective Zero Trust architecture is designed to reduce risk in every corner across the digital estate. This means that before any transaction occurs, it must be validated and proven trustworthy. 

These guiding principles are building blocks for an effective Zero Trust strategy:

• Verify thoroughly

  Authenticate and authorize according to all available data points. This includes user identity, location, data classification, device, workload, and anomalies.

• Practice least privilege access 

  By using least privilege access, limit user access with risk-based adaptive policies, data protection, and just-in-time and just-enough-access (JIT/JEA). Through this process, businesses can secure the data accessed by hybrid workforces without hampering productivity.

• Assume breach 

  Assume breach, and verify each request as if it originated from an open network. 

  Instead of trusting the security of data behind the firewall, the Zero Trust model approach assumes no trust is granted based only on physical or network location, or asset ownership. For every access request, authentication, authorization, and encryption must be entirely carried out before access is granted. Sophisticated intelligence and analytics are utilized for real-time detection and response to anomalies.

  Ensure end-to-end encryption. Improve defenses by using analytics to get visibility, manage risk, and maximize threat detection.