Universal Zero Trust Network Access – The New Paradigm

May 22, 2024

INFRASTRUCTURE AND CLOUD TECHNOLOGY SERVICES | 2 min READ

Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) is a security framework that shifts the traditional security paradigm from the assumption of trust to a model that continuously verifies trust for every request, regardless of its origin or location. Every access request is subject to comprehensive and systematic authentication, authorization, and encryption procedure before granting access privileges.

Harish Krishnan

Associate Vice President and Pre-Sales Head,

Infrastructure & Cloud Technology Services,

Birlasoft

The key components of ZTNA include –

Never Trust, Always Verify – ZTNA operates with the principle that each access request must be verified and authenticated.
Least Privilege Access – Grant minimum level of access necessary for users to perform their tasks.
Continuous Monitoring and Analytics – Real-time monitoring of network traffic, user, and device behavior to detect any potential threats or anomalies.
Contextual Access Controls: Access decisions are based on contextual factors such as user identity, location, time of access, device health, and behavior.
Micro-Segmentation: Network is divided into smaller segments and access controls are applied specific to each segment.
Dynamic Policy Enforcement: Adjusts security policies dynamically based on changes in user behavior, network conditions or threat intelligence.

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ZTNA strategies are undergoing constant evolution to ensure a holistic approach to security that addresses the changing landscape of threats and technological advancements. Some of these are – Integration of AI and ML into ZTNA, Integration of ZTNA and IAM and Integration of Zero Trust into DevSecOps.

As per Gartner, atleast 70% of new remote access deployments will be served mainly by ZTNA instead of VPN services by 2025 – up from less than 10% at the end of 2021.

Universal ZTNA

Vendors are increasingly supporting a Hybrid, Universal ZTNA model. Universal ZTNA enables connections regardless of the location of the network or user. Universal ZTNA provides consistent security by using a single enforcement policy for all enterprise network assets and employees. It centers around ensuring people have a similar, predictable, and dependable connection experience no matter where they are. Universal ZTNA helps to streamline network and security policies across multiple environments.

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Conclusion

As the threat landscape expands, organizations need to invest in solutions such as Universal ZTNA that enables safe network connections for both on-premises and remote employees while providing everyone with a consistent authentication experience. It provides a steppingstone to the wider SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) proposition that enables the convergence of network and security functions into a single, integrated, fully comprehensive platform.

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