What Is Zero Trust?

Zero Trust is a security concept based on the idea that organizations should not automatically trust anything inside or outside their perimeters, but rather verify anything and everything that tries to connect to their systems to ensure they pose no threat. Here's a simplified breakdown:

Trust No One: Imagine you have a house where you have some valuables. Even if someone is a family member or a friend, you always check who it is before unlocking the door. Similarly, in a Zero Trust model, no one is trusted by default, be it outside or inside the organization.

Always Check: Just like at a club where a bouncer checks everyone's ID, no matter how often they've been there before, in a Zero Trust model, every access request is verified every time, regardless of where it comes from.

Least Privilege Access: In this club, individuals only get access to the specific areas they need to go, nothing more. Similarly, in a Zero Trust environment, individuals get the minimum levels of access — or permissions — needed to accomplish their tasks.

Keep an Eye: Like having security cameras in your house to monitor what's happening, Zero Trust systems continuously monitor and evaluate what's happening to ensure no suspicious activity is occurring.

Protect Everywhere: Instead of just having a lock on the front door, you have locks on every door and window. Similarly, Zero Trust ensures that every part of the network is secured, not just the perimeter.

In essence, Zero Trust is about assuming there could be a threat anywhere, and therefore, continuously verifying identities and permissions to keep the organization's data and systems safe, much like a vigilant security system keeping a watchful eye on every nook and cranny.