Trust No One and Automate (Almost) Everything: Building a Modern Zero Trust Strategy

Distributed networks that run on multiple and/or hybrid clouds are making many things easier, such as scaling up to meet demand. But one thing that’s gotten much more complicated is security. The old castle and moat approach doesn’t work, because in a distributed, cloud native architecture there are many castles, geographically scattered, and more may appear or disappear at any time.

Zero trust is a modern cybersecurity strategy that replaces the outdated “castle and moat” approach by eliminating the concept of inherent trust in users or devices. It requires continuous authentication, authorization, and verification of every access request, whether from humans or machines. Beyond security enforcement, zero trust also aligns cybersecurity efforts with business priorities by identifying and protecting the most critical digital assets.

The approach gained prominence following the 2013 Target data breach, which underscored the business consequences of inadequate security, leading to the CEO’s removal. Unlike traditional security models, zero trust does not aim to prevent cyberattacks entirely but focuses on safeguarding sensitive data and minimizing the impact of breaches. By enabling executives to take an active role in security strategy, zero trust provides a structured framework for protecting assets across distributed environments, including cloud and edge computing. Its ultimate goal is data protection, ensuring that breaches, if they occur, do not result in irreversible losses.