Trust but verify: a Russian proverb Ronald Reagan often used to characterize U.S.-Russia relations, especially regarding nuclear weapons. The Internet has made it clear that the “trust” part of the proverb may not work so well. Today, we may have to say, “Never trust; only verify.”
Acknowledging that no entity, especially the kind made of human DNA, is trustworthy, so verification is necessary at all times, John Kindervag originated the concept of “Zero Trust” during his tenure at Gartner, in response the ever-disintegrating network perimeter, and attendant failure of traditional network defenses – firewalls, IPS/IDS, proxies, and similar systems.
The concept of network defense as “crunchy outside, chewy inside” has clearly proven inadequate, and does not reflect the reality of how users consume IT resources today.
Implementing Zero Trust requires a seismic change in thinking and architecture. The era of cloud computing, however, offers a rare chance to implement entirely new models of data processing, and associated security. As you move to the cloud, consider building in security through a Zero Trust model. The old ways don’t work: it’s time for a new approach.
What are the core ideas of Zero Trust? Well, the best source on this is Jon Kindervag, who originated the idea, and evangelizes it energetically. Let’s look at Kindervag’s principles, and see how they align – or clash – with federal guidelines, regulations, and standards.
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