What is Zero Trust?
Zero Trust is a security methodology that enterprises are rapidly adopting to enhance data protection by reducing the sole reliance on traditional perimeter-based protections.
Traditionally, cybersecurity strategies have relied on a hardened perimeter with security tools like firewalls and WAFs, that were implemented in a layered-defense approach. This security methodology was highly effective when cyber threats emerged primarily from the outside-in, and corporate assets lived on-premise, behind the safety of the network perimeter.
Today’s business landscape, however, has changed dramatically due to recent global events. Enterprises predominantly rely on cloud computing, remote workforces, and a bevy of mobile devices – all of which fail to conform to traditional security strategies. Corporate assets are potentially scattered across the globe, necessitating continual access to networks and confidential data from many connected devices and users.
This new means of working broadens the virtual attack surface, giving bad actors multiple thresholds to penetrate a corporate network through any user or device. A recent Forrester Report found that we live in a time where organizations have to assume you have already been compromised; you simply don’t know it yet. That is the necessary mindset in today’s environment.
Enter zero trust
Zero Trust is a proactive, security-first architectural approach where access and authorization are evaluated and granted every time with every user identity and with every device, regardless of whether or not they’re connected to a corporate VPN.
In a Zero Trust world, organizations decrease their reliance on network perimeter security as the only source and also focus on securing individual users, assets, and resources.
With this mindset, enterprises that follow traditional cybersecurity strategies can still benefit from increased protections behind the firewalls and WAFs preventing unknown vulnerabilities and clandestine sleeper attacks that have already breached the perimeters.
Authentication and protections are continually evaluated and applied at the device, user, and application level for every transaction. This approach authorizes a level of trust at each network access point and with every request or response payload, removing anxiety and vulnerabilities in securing a remote workforce.
Moving to Zero Trust
We’ve established that organizations need a modern security approach that can look beyond perimeter-only based strategies, and focus on securing individuals, devices, and applications.
For many organizations, however, making the move to Zero Trust may seem daunting. What are the beginning steps to take, having identified the need for additional security layers beyond the perimeter?
Consider that devices accessing the network and the users associated with those devices are constantly influx – perhaps even changing daily in larger enterprises. While applying Zero Trust is still crucial in both instances, an easy first step to consider would be securing corporate applications.
Enter Imperva’s Runtime Protection (RASP)
RASP is a recognized leader in securing confidential enterprise data for both new and legacy applications. The RASP Plugins embed protections within the application itself, analyzing each transaction at runtime for a host of known and unknown cyber threats.
Gartner recommends that organizations focus on two primary projects when implementing Zero Trust: user-to-application segmentation (ZTNA) and workload-to-workload segmentation (identity-based segmentation). Luckily, RASP works well in both of these cases, offering customizable configuration options that can target specific application needs on various platforms.
Avoid data leaks
Once an application is secured with RASP, events that do not meet the preset security standards are flagged, and those transactions can instantly be blocked or redirected, leaving enterprise information safe while avoiding costly data leaks. Applications are secured.
Capture unknown attacks
RASP inspects every request payload regardless of where it originates. This approach adds an additional layer of protection even if an authorized user is unknowingly compromised, and bad actors send malicious code from a network-verified device.
Better security intelligence
Flagged events are captured, and detailed information is logged, providing real-time insights into what applications are experiencing while exposing unknown vulnerabilities. Analysis of event data aids in defining a higher level of security intelligence that can be used for future business and development decisions.
Since Imperva’s Runtime Protection protects the SQL queries, paths, allowed commands, and even the network connections allowed for the application, it allows for the implementation of Zero Trust, minimizing risks against the applications no matter where the attack originates.
If you would like to learn more about how Imperva’s Runtime Protection (RASP) secures applications by default, please get in touch. We’d be happy to tell you more about how RASP solutions could be integrated into your web applications, web services, and microservices, becoming just another part of the application’s core functionality as they review any data that travelling out of or in of your applications, detecting and neutralizing threats to vulnerable code in real-time, without any significant performance impact.
Zero trust with zero problems.
Try Imperva for Free
Protect your business for 30 days on Imperva.
