If you’re reading this, then you probably have some interest in IT security, and therefore it will not come as news to you that Zero Trust is one of the hottest topics in the field right now. But you might still have some questions about exactly what benefits Zero Trust delivers. So I thought it might be helpful to go over some core use cases and how a Zero Trust Access solution can address them.
One important caveat is that there are a lot of different Zero Trust solutions out there, with varying capabilities and sets of features. So what follows is fairly specific to what you can expect to accomplish using Barracuda CloudGen Access. Other solutions’ mileage may vary.
Virtual private networks, or VPNs, have been the gold standard for secure connectivity for years. But most VPN solutions are complex to configure and difficult to scale, requiring lots of support for non-expert remote users. (There are exceptions, such as the proprietary TINA VPN protocols built into Barracuda CloudGen Firewall).
More important, VPNs simply can’t match the dynamic, granular access-control capabilities of Zero Trust. With the right credentials, any malicious actor can penetrate your VPN and gain access to your data, applications, and other resources. A strong Zero Trust solution, on the other hand, constantly monitors multiple factors to ensure that only authorized users and devices can access specific, allowed resources at authorized times and in authorized places.
This sets a much higher bar for cybercriminals. At the same time, it delivers a transparent, simple experience for users and a simpler, easier configuration and management environment for admins.
The number of organizations that leverage multiple cloud environments — taking advantage of their different strengths to address a variety of business needs — is growing fast. A challenge they face is how to configure controls that securely allow users to seamlessly and transparently access cloud-based resources and workloads across multiple cloud environments.
With Zero Trust access controls, it’s simple to treat multiple cloud environments just like any other network resources. For users, there is no friction in moving back and forth among the resources they are authorized to access, no matter where they are hosted.
Things change. A user gets promoted and needs access to resources that previously were off-limits to them. Or new regulations require that some users be locked out of previously accessible resources. Perhaps a user moves overseas and needs to access resources at times that were previously not allowed.
With a strong Zero Trust solution, it’s extremely simple to update and adjust controls at a highly granular level, so that no matter how things change, only authorized users and devices are allowed to access specified resources.
Some of the data and applications that drive your operations are not critical to protect; unauthorized access to these may pose a very low risk. Others are extremely critical, the kind of thing that cybercriminals would love to get their hands on — and that would cripple your operations if compromised or exposed.
With Zero Trust, it’s perfectly simple to implement access control policies that reflect the reality that some things are more critical than others.
In order to optimally allocate resources and set effective investment priorities, it’s important to understand exactly how network traffic is flowing, where there are bottlenecks, and what potential security risks may be emerging.
Because it continuously monitors each and every connection and transaction, a well-designed Zero Trust solution gives you highly granular visibility into exactly how traffic flows within your extended network, giving you the insights and data you need to plan investments and allocations wisely.
According to Gartner, by 2025 more than 60% of organizations will embrace Zero Trust as the foundation of a comprehensive security infrastructure, and there’s good reason for that. Those who don’t will remain more vulnerable to attack and will need to devote more resources to security and compliance.
But not all Zero Trust solutions are created equal. Barracuda CloudGen Access carries on our tradition of delivering powerful solutions that are easy to use and simple to manage. Don’t take my word for it. Try it out and see for yourself how it can bring you greater peace of mind while freeing up IT resources and improving overall productivity.
By Tony Burgess
This article originally appeared on Journey Notes, the Barracuda blog.
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