Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

Cybersecurity, like broader technological disciplines, is an ever-changing landscape that industry professionals must adapt to. The zero-trust model of cybersecurity has grown recently as organizations update their security practices to keep pace with, and stay ahead of evolving threats. Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) increased by 230% from 2019 to 2020, and more than 80% of C-suite leaders cite zero-trust as a priority for their enterprises.

Have you ever walked up to an ATM after another person finished with the machine only to find they left it on a prompt screen asking, “Do you want to perform another transaction?” I have. Of course, I did the right thing and closed out their session before beginning my own transaction. That was a mistake an individual made by careless error which could have cost them hundreds of their own currency.

Architecturally speaking, cloud-native applications are broken down into smaller components that are highly dynamic, distributed, and ephemeral. Because each of these components is communicating with other components inside or outside the cluster, this architecture introduces new attack vectors that are difficult to protect against using a traditional perimeter-based approach.

“Zero trust” still confuses people—and for good reason. While the term conveys a certain absolute authority (“zero,” “nope,” “nothing”), contemporary approaches offer much more nuanced capabilities. And while zero trust today is typically associated with security initiatives, the concepts have their origin in the definition of network perimeters, who is granted access, and how that access is provided.

Can’t see the forest through the trees. Can’t tell the ransomware from the apps. Can’t contain the malware if you can only see parts of the network. Ransomware hackers have several different tools in their toolbelt to gain access to a computer and then a network. Common exploits include email phishing campaigns, remote desktop protocol (RDP) vulnerabilities, and software vulnerabilities.

By Nate Smolenski In May, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released the white paper, “Planning for a Zero Trust Architecture,” which illustrates how agencies can make this transition by leveraging the seven steps of the NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF): Prepare, categorize, select, implement, assess, authorize, and monitor.