Zero Trust for Cloud Security: Do You Really Need It?

Deciding on what type of security your business needs is hard. There are so many agents to consider. Do you use Cloud-based or hybrid systems, how big is your organization, what type of data do you process, and what is your ultimate goal? The organization should answer these questions first. More and more organizations switch their systems into cloud environments. This innovation creates different security concerns. If an enterprise adopted cloud-based systems, it requires further protection. Cloud systems consist of so much data, applications, and even networks. 

Companies can consider many solutions to protect their cloud security. Some of them are traditional and some are up-to-date. Besides other security tools, Zero Trust cloud security is a sophisticated discipline that protects the cloud. 

What is Zero Trust?

Zero Trust is an approach that comprises tools and services. These elements prevent data resources, applications, and online services from unauthorized access. With Zero Trust, enterprises can decide who has access to which resources. Limiting access enhances companies’ security levels. Users can only access specific resources that they are allowed to log in to. The Zero Trust principle says that never trust users, always ask for authentication. This verification is fundamental for cloud security. 

Traditional security methods consider inside users trustable. On the other hand, being in network or out of network is not important for Zero Trust. Because it assumes each user is unreliable and verifies all of them. This approach prevents enterprises from inside threats. Not every threat or attack is coming from outside. According to statistics, so many organizations struggle with insider threats. Insiders do not need to be malicious. They can make mistakes by negligence. The Zero Trust approach decreases the human factor. Humans can fail but a properly organized Zero Trust system, most probably will not fail. 

How Does It Work? 

In the Zero Trust discipline, enterprises should assign roles to their users. Roles can be defined according to job definitions and specific needs to run a business. Each role should include detailed access authorizations. Granular approaches enable organizations to manage roles more simply. This role-based implementation limits user access to resources. If Zero Trust can not authenticate user identity, it will not give access permission to users. By doing this, over-access can be prevented. 

Zero Trust works with identity verification techniques. This verification can be done with many methods such as MFA (multi-factor authentication), 2FA (two-factor authentication), biometrics and codes sent via email or SMS. Username and basic passwords are not adequate for robust security anymore. So, companies can choose one of these methods or implement all of them at the same time. Layered confirmation can seem to be time-consuming and not practical. But data breaches on cloud systems can result in a disaster. By allocating a fair amount of budget for cloud security, enterprises can prevent themselves from money and reputation loss. 

Zero Trust for Cloud Infrastructure 

Cloud-based Businesses

Imagine a business cloud infrastructure where each user can access every resource. It poses cloud security at high risk. Each access and log-in put resources on the line. If enterprises define their users' identities and decide on who can access which resource, access traffic can be prevented. 

Especially for the organizations that have remote employees, Zero Trust for Cloud Security is more crucial. On the one hand, remote working has so many benefits that improve business quality. On the other hand, remote work means further risk and breaches. Because it is quite hard to control remote employees. They can fail to protect their cloud security due to many reasons such as public wi-fi, home environment and lack of self-discipline. Zero Trust can equalize human factor risks and security needs for the enterprises. 

To control resource access, Zero Trust refines access by creating an allowlist. It can be done both geographically and via IP addresses. A company can determine its geographical borders and block other access requests. User IP addresses can be listed and Zero Trust enables organizations to monitor access requests. Enterprise’s visibility expands if they use access controls that Zer Trust prompted. 

Benefits of Zero Trust for Cloud Security 

Data Security

The usage of Zero Trust in public cloud services helps enterprises to assure their data security. First, it restricts access and never trusts the users. Zero Trust decreases the risk of sensitive data breaches. Companies must protect their reputation and clients. Users with constrained permission can not harm company cloud systems. Enterprises just need to determine how much access authorization their users need and never give them more than enough. 

Wide Observing

To keep the cloud safe, enterprises must monitor user activities regularly. Zero Trust is not a one-time thing. To keep cloud infrastructure safe, monitoring should continue. Because user needs and behaviors can change over time. The Zero Trust system should be up-to-date and meet the new requirements of users. 

Zero Trust uses micro-segmentation and separates the network into small pieces. This implementation helps organizations narrow their outlook and give adequate attention to each segment. Minimizing a network facilitates attack or breach detection. Because granularity helps observers to pay more attention to each segment. Lastly, micro-segmentation prevents harm from spreading. Even if one part of your network has been affected by the attack you can intervene and protect the rest of your network. 

Accountable and Cost-effective

Adopting Zero Trust to your cloud architecture is more simple and more cost-effective. IT specialists can enjoy the convenience of Zero Trust for cloud security. Once the Zero Trust architecture is set up properly, IT employees can manage their work without hardship. They can focus more on other problems rather than cloud challenges. It reinforces the company's security wall.

Last Words

Zero Trust is an effective frame to make your business more secure. Especially if you are an organization that works more online and uses cloud-based systems, you should start searching for Zero Trust cloud security best practices. It will cultivate your business and enhance your credibility.