Zero Trust in a Remote Work Environment - ThreatAdvice

The landscape of enterprise operations is evolving rapidly due to the pandemic of COVID-19. If companies wish to continue doing business, they must shift operations from outside the walls of the office to a work from home environment. People are learning how to use video, messaging, and virtual meeting apps to maximize communication while social distancing. As remote working becomes the new normal for businesses, it’s essential to maximize cybersecurity efforts. All employees should display a high level of cybersecurity awareness for the sake of protecting the organization. Now more than ever, hackers are targeting businesses and working to take advantage of our situation. To minimize their schemes, organizations must increase endpoint security and prevent data leakage of any kind. This makes Zero Trust crucial for everyday business operations.

What is Zero Trust Cybersecurity?

If done properly, Zero Trust cybersecurity can add an extra layer of security that will strongly protect company data. Zero Trust is a security concept in which organizations don’t allow automatic access to anything connecting to its systems. According to CSO, The premise of Zero Trust is for an organization to not trust anything inside or outside its perimeters. Every form of system activity should be conducted by authorized personnel with specific access privileges. 

Why Zero Trust?

The cost of a data breach continues to skyrocket. The 2019 Cost of a Data Breach Report found that the average cost of a data breach is $3.92 million, and the average size of a data breach involves 25,575 records compromised. Considering these stats, organizations recognize that they can’t afford the destruction that a data breach creates. Businesses operating remotely through various network connections should consider a Zero Trust model for the sake of fortifying perimeter security.

The Impact of Zero Trust

While working remotely, passwords aren’t enough. In fact, multifactor authentication is not enough either. Once authenticated, multifactor doesn’t prevent hackers from operating on the network. Devices and system activity should constantly be monitored. Any unusual activity should be addressed immediately to prevent any other activity that could be more severe. Policies should be established for employees to recognize their role in protecting company data. No matter the size of a company, everyone has a role to play in cybersecurity. Ultimately, there are two forms of data that any organization should strive to protect:  company data and customer data. Both are equally valuable and should be cared for properly. Zero Trust gives the proper monitoring to security professionals to ensure risks are always being monitored. Visibility is a key attribute in mitigating the damage of a potential breach. The earlier an incident is spotted, the better chance an organization has of recovering.

Conclusion

While operating remotely, a Zero Trust model can be an effective way to protect company data. Perimeter security begins with understanding endpoint access and the variety of devices that are accessing the network. While extensive security measures are beneficial, Zero Trust can be a simple way to manage network traffic and layer overall security efforts.

If you are concerned about your company’s data security during this pandemic, give NXTsoft a call. NXTsoft is ready to assist your business in these uncertain times, and equip your business to successfully operate from a remote setting. Stay safe and contact us with any questions or needs you might have.