The saying "Put your money where your mouth is" makes a valid argument for implementing zero trust security. If your network is valuable to you, you don’t want to take any chances: everyone who wants to access your system must undergo thorough security checks.

There’s no such thing as a traditional network edge in zero trust security. All users, be them insiders or outsiders, must be authenticated and authorized. If you implement zero trust security effectively, it helps prevent cyberattacks. So how do you implement zero trust security in your network?

1. Conduct a Comprehensive Security Assessment

The first port of call in implementing zero trust security is to understand the current state of your network security. Do you already have any security defenses? If the answer is yes, how effective are they?

No matter how strong your current security may be, it can’t be 100 percent effective. Identify the loopholes that cybercriminals could use to infiltrate your network. If there are old and unused accounts on your system, get rid of them because attackers could use them without your knowledge. Your IT department should be able to advise on this.

Having a comprehensive report of your network security gives you a clear picture of where to focus your defense efforts.

2. Adopt Effective Device Identities

Do you have a system for identifying the devices that access your network? Identifying device with access makes it easier for you to track those that connect to your system, lessening chances cybercriminals can use something new to break in.

Bear in mind that cyberattackers devise ways to beat network checks, so you must ensure that you use very strong device identities that can’t be manipulated easily.

Cybercriminals may try to break into your system without a network connection. Be a step ahead of them by ensuring devices can be identified even in the absence of a network connection. Allot an identity to a device, not just a user. Furthermore, make sure that each device don’t have multiple identities.

3. Monitor and Verify Network Traffic

Where are the devices entering your network coming from? Leaving the doors to your system open to traffic from all and sundry is the easiest way to suffer cyberattacks.

Direct all traffic to a central location and verify sources before granting them entry. Doing this manually will slow down your operations and affect the user experience negatively. You can automate the process by adopting security monitoring techniques such as packet sniffing.

4. Tighten Security on Communication Channels

Eavesdropping also happens between devices. An attacker could bug your systems to retrieve your data or monitor your activities. If this goes undetected, they’ll have all the information they need to strike.

You must implement safeguards to prevent any attempt to eavesdrop on or tap your messages. All communication channels must pass an integrity test before gaining access. Authenticate new devices added to the communication channels and deny them access should they fail this authentication.

5. Verify Device Integrity Continuously

To implement zero trust security to its fullest, you must recognize that there are no trusted devices or credentials in your network at every point in time. All devices are suspect until proven otherwise. Achieving this state of vigilance calls for continuous verification of all devices and credentials.

But you don’t want to jeopardize the user experience due to the continuous verification of devices. Adopt a risk-based assessment that initiates the verification process when the systems detect a possible intrusion.

6. Implement Policies for Operations

The zero-trust security policies are meant for users, so you must understand who these users are, the specific network areas they are accessing, and when they are accessing them. It’s also key to identify the endpoints from which those users are requesting access to your network.

7. Incorporate Network Segmentation

Network segmentation helps you isolate the multiple elements in your system using access controls. You can map out various security mechanisms including firewalls, intrusion detection systems, deep packet inspection tools, and more.

Segmenting the various defenses helps you secure your network with specialized cybersecurity techniques, instead of having a generic defense mechanism with little or no impact.

Microsegmentation also helps you restrict access to your components. Instead of having unlimited access, users inside the network have limits to what they can do. Even if an attacker manages to penetrate your system, they won’t have the freedom to access all areas of it. As a result of this, the damage they can do will be limited too.

8. Use Multi-Factor Authentication

Cyberattacks are successful when the hackers have a freeway into their targeted systems. Multi-factor authentication adds extra layers of security to an already secure system.

You might want to prioritize this so the end user doesn't get this additional measure, but you’ll be shooting yourself in the foot. What if an attacker hijacks or infiltrates that user’s account?

Implement multi-factor authentication for all users on your network, regardless of who they are. See it as a necessity that’s in the best interest of everyone. Spending a few minutes going through the multi-factor authentication process is a small price to pay to secure your network against damaging cyberattacks.

9. Protect Data With Encryption

Implementing zero trust security is an incomplete step if you don't use data encryption as well. Since your data could get into the hands of unauthorized users, not encrypting it is an act of negligence. Encrypting data means encoding it, so only verified users can read it.

Don’t only encrypt data at rest. You should also encrypt data in motion because attackers could eavesdrop or infiltrate it in transit.

10. Adopt the Principle of Least Privilege

You would be saving yourself a lot of trouble by adopting the Principle of Least Privilege (POLP) in your zero-trust security framework. The most important thing is for all users on your system to be able to do what they are supposed to do, and nothing more. Give them just the right amount of access they need to do it. There’s no need to give someone more access than they need. You’ll only be creating opportunities for possible attacks.

With the Principle of Least Privilege, even if an attacker breaks into your network, they won’t be able to do much damage because they’ll have limited access. If you are keen on securing your network, the Principle of Least Privilege should also apply to you as the network owner—because an attacker can also hijack your account.

Leave No Stone Unturned With Zero Trust Security

As a network owner or operator, the power to secure your company is in your hands. You lose that power the moment the attack occurs. Zero trust security is your best bet to go all out and secure your network. Don’t take anything for granted or exempt any user from this.

Remember, zero trust security isn’t about the user but the device. With the right determination and will, an ambitious cyberattacker can penetrate any device. So all are suspect: treat them as such.