To Maintain Your Security, Trust No One

Remote circumstances have forced businesses to ask themselves some hard questions, specifically in regards to network security and cybersecurity. We all know that it’s important, but a zero-trust model takes things to a whole other level. Let’s take a look at this concept and why it might be just the model you need to guarantee maximum security for your company.

Zero-Trust Security Appropriately Means That You Trust No One

Security has traditionally been about keeping threats out of a specific area, assuming that whoever has access is the one trustworthy enough to do so. However, this fails to take into account that the ones accessing the data may not be trustworthy. When your employees are remote and scattered all over, their ability to access data is increased thanks to cloud computing, mobile solutions, and other methods, meaning there are more opportunities for cyberattacks to create trouble for them.

Essentially, with a greater surface area to attack, more threats are likely to be unleashed on businesses, meaning more threats are likely to be successful. You can’t rely on the old ways to protect your business any longer.

Why is Zero-Trust Now So Necessary?

Since your networks are growing ever-larger, there will be some growing pains in regards to cybersecurity. More endpoints and more technology means more paths for attackers to take into your network. Therefore, verifying who is who will be central to securing your network. Plus, many attacks these days rely on fooling the user, a practice called social engineering, and it is particularly dangerous if your team is not prepared to handle it.

Zero Trust Practices to Bake Into Your Processes

The best way to mitigate these threats is to include zero-trust policies in your practices. To help you get started with what this might look like for your company, here are some best practices to consider:

Verify, Don’t Trust

You can never be sure that someone accessing your network is who they say they are unless you ask. In this case, you should be verifying identity for any activity on your network, be it a general employee or a member of your management team. Verify their identities using a secondary means, and be sure to train them on why this is so important.

Require Stringent Authentication

It might be inconvenient for your team, but more powerful authentication measures will reduce the likelihood of your processes becoming hijacked by attackers. All requests for access should be checked, double-checked, and checked again by tested systems and review.

Reinforce the Importance of Zero Trust Adherence

These measures won’t have any teeth if your business is not committed to them. If a handful of holdouts refuse to accept these measures, they can be undone. Remind your team why you are implementing these processes and how they are making a good decision by keeping them in mind.

Horne & Benik can help your business improve its cybersecurity practices. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 499-4400.