For many, this means implementing zero-trust strategies that control access while minimizing friction for authorized users.
One of these pillars - zero-trust network access - is the easiest to implement and the one most organizations are getting wrong.
To understand what they're missing, remember that ZTNA is designed to address the vulnerabilities common to virtual private networks.
ZTNA, on the other hand, is designed to give users access only to those network resources they are authorized to access based on their functional needs.
A user in the finance department shouldn't be able to access critical DevOps or legal systems.
Instead, many organizations set up ZTNA systems and proxies but then give authenticated users complete access to the network.
The InfoSec or network ops teams implementing zero-trust controls are not the application owners and so have little insight into who needs access to what.
Another factor hampering effective access permission-setting is poor group hygiene and identity management, especially in large, mature enterprises.
Given these complexities, it's unsurprising that many organizations skip the granular policy-setting necessary to achieve ZTNA's security potential.
Getting those access permissions wrong can create problems, with users unable to access what they need to do their work.
To limit risk throughout this process, alert network management teams when group members access a non-permissioned resource instead of blocking access.
Examining these alert patterns over time enables network managers to identify if a particular group needs permitted access to that resource.
Using identity governance administration principles, organizations can distribute responsibility for defining access permissions to the business leaders with knowledge of who needs access to which resources.
Because change is a constant in enterprises, regular auditing of which groups have access to certain resources also makes sense.
Perhaps twice a year, InfoSec teams can select a sampling of groups and analyze what they access, comparing these patterns to all the resources they are permitted to access.
If they access a portion of things they are permitted to access, this may reveal a large threat surface.
Right-sizing those access permissions to match the group's work requirements is a key step to eliminating that potential vulnerability.
The potential security benefit of a properly configured and managed ZTNA strategy is immense.
ZTNA complements things like micro-segmentation, which is focused on managing device-to-device interactions rather than human access interactions.
Cybercriminals continue to develop new attack strategies for a simple reason: They effectively overcome the access control measures many organizations have in place.
This Cyber News was published on securityboulevard.com. Publication date: Mon, 18 Mar 2024 14:13:05 +0000