Zero Trust: Strengthening Cybersecurity Through Identity
In today’s digital world, organizations face ever-evolving cybersecurity threats that require a comprehensive and proactive approach to protect their infrastructure and end users. Zero Trust Architecture (Zero Trust) has emerged as a strategic approach to cybersecurity, challenging the traditional perimeter-based security mindset. Instead of assuming implicit trust for everything inside a network, Zero Trust operates on the principle of "never trust, always verify."
Zero Trust within federal agencies is not merely a recommendation but a requirement. Several key mandates and guidance documents highlight the importance of implementing Zero Trust across the Federal Government. These include White House Executive Order 14028 (Improving the Nation's Cybersecurity) and guidance such as White House Memo 22-09 (Moving the U.S. Government Toward Zero Trust Cybersecurity Principles), which provide valuable insights and recommendations for implementing Zero Trust in government environments.
Furthermore, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) offer detailed architectural guidance through NIST SP 800-207 and the CISA Cloud Security Technical Reference Architecture, respectively. By aligning with the requirements, directives, and guidance, agencies can leverage the power of Zero Trust to protect modern public and private infrastructure through risk segmentation, automation, and governance best practices.
Zero Trust is built upon five pillars that span the breadth of IT security and digital touchpoints, including Identity, Devices, Networks, Applications/Workloads, and Data, with an all-encompassing focus on security and privacy. At Dignari, we bring a wealth of experience in enhancing cybersecurity through a focus on the Identity pillar – including decades of experience in the Federal ICAM space to support identity needs in the Zero Trust journey. Essential capabilities required to initiate the facilitation of a mature Zero Trust implementation strategy include:
Centralized Identity Store: Establishing a centralized identity store for authorization and authentication is paramount. It provides a foundation for consistent and secure access control across the organization, ensuring that user identities are managed effectively.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Eliminating passwords and implementing MFA for all classes of users is crucial for enhancing authentication security. MFA adds an additional layer of verification, making it more difficult for attackers to compromise user accounts.
Least Privilege Access: Enforcing the principle of Least Privilege is essential to minimize the attack surface and potential risks. By granting users access only to the resources necessary for their roles, organizations can reduce the likelihood of unauthorized access and limit the potential impact of a security breach.
Continuous User Validation: Continuously validating users, processes, and devices after granting system access is critical to Zero Trust identity. This ongoing validation helps identify potential threats or anomalies in real-time, enabling organizations to respond promptly and mitigate risks.
Access Revocation: Promptly revoking access when no longer required is crucial for maintaining a secure identity infrastructure. Whether due to employee departures or role changes, revoking access ensures unauthorized individuals cannot exploit lingering access privileges.
Automated Workflows for Identity Management: Implementing automated workflows for identity and account lifecycle management streamlines processes and ensures efficient approval processes for granting and revoking access. This capability reduces administrative overhead and enhances the consistency and accuracy of identity management.
Logging & Monitoring: Logging and monitoring all user access activities gives organizations visibility into potential security incidents. It also identifies anomalous behavior, helps investigate security breaches, and facilitates compliance with regulatory requirements.
Implementing Zero Trust requires a delicate balance between practicality and mission focus. On the one hand, adopting feasible and sustainable security measures that align with an organization's resources and capabilities is essential. On the other hand, these measures must be mission-driven, designed to protect critical assets and support an organization's overarching goals without hindering operational efficiency. This balance ensures that Zero Trust strengthens security and facilitates an agency’s mission.
By understanding agencies’ challenges in implementing and executing a mature Zero Trust model, Dignari works closely with our clients to develop a customized solution that meets their specific mission needs and requirements. We are committed to helping our clients achieve greater security and resilience in their IT and cloud environments with Zero Trust support services, including:
Enterprise-level information technology solutions with strategy, assessments, architecture, and requirements.
Technical guidance and oversight support to Government and vendor-led ICAM projects.
Analysis and guidance of new implementations as part of an overall Zero Trust approach.
Functional user acceptance testing, user stories and epics, lessons learned/process improvement, and data analytics.
Development, maintenance, and enhancements of enterprise Single Sign-On (SSO), identity proofing, MFA, and Physical Access Control System (PACS) solutions.
Full lifecycle development and support services for self-service applications.
Strategy, program planning and analysis, deployment planning, governance, privacy, outreach and policy management, deployment team surge support, communication and change management, testing services, and training.
Dignari's team understands the required balance and provides operators with strategies and solutions that support the mission and work within each organization's construct, focusing on essential identity-related solutions. This work includes Analysis, Requirements, Architecture, Roadmaps & Implementation, Development, Integration, Testing & Audit Readiness, and Operations & Maintenance. With the support of frameworks and mandates, Dignari helps agencies work towards maturing their Zero Trust practices to align with best practices and industry standards.