When developing safety critical systems a key assumption must be that safety will automatically result from following an organizations standard development methodology?
What is Zero Trust?Zero Trust is a security framework requiring all users, whether in or outside the organization’s network, to be authenticated, authorized, and continuously validated for security configuration and posture before being granted or keeping access to applications and data. Zero Trust assumes that there is no traditional network edge; networks can be local, in the cloud, or a combination or hybrid with resources anywhere as well as workers in any location. Show
Zero Trust is a framework for securing infrastructure and data for today’s modern digital transformation. It uniquely addresses the modern challenges of today’s business, including securing remote workers, hybrid cloud environments, and ransomware threats. While many vendors have tried to create their own definitions of Zero Trust, there are a number of standards from recognized organizations that can help you align Zero Trust with your organization. Zero Trust and NIST 800-207At CrowdStrike, we align to the NIST 800-207 standard for Zero Trust. This is the most vendor neutral, comprehensive standards, not just for government entities, but for any organization. It also encompasses other elements from organizations like Forrester’s ZTX and Gartner’s CARTA. Finally, the NIST standard ensures compatibility and protection against modern attacks for a cloud-first, work from anywhere model most enterprise need to achieve. As a response to the increasing number of high profile security breaches, in May 2021 the Biden administration issued an executive order mandating U.S. Federal Agencies adhere to NIST 800-207 as a required step for Zero Trust implementation. As a result, the standard has gone through heavy validation and inputs from a range of commercial customers, vendors, and government agencies stakeholders – which is why many private organizations view it as the defacto standard for private enterprises as well. Zero Trust seeks to address the following key principles based on the NIST guidelines:
How Zero Trust WorksExecution of this framework combines advanced technologies such as risk based multi-factor authentication, identity protection, next-generation endpoint security, and robust cloud workload technology to verify a user or systems identity, consideration of access at that moment in time, and the maintenance of system security. Zero Trust also requires consideration of encryption of data, securing email, and verifying the hygiene of assets and endpoints before they connect to applications. Zero Trust is a significant departure from traditional network security which followed the “trust but verify” method. The traditional approach automatically trusted users and endpoints within the organization’s perimeter, putting the organization at risk from malicious internal actors and legitimate credentials taken over by malicious actors, allowing unauthorized and compromised accounts wide-reaching access once inside. This model became obsolete with the cloud migration of business transformation initiatives and the acceleration of a distributed work environment due to the pandemic that started in 2020. Zero Trust architecture therefore requires organizations to continuously monitor and validate that a user and their device has the right privileges and attributes. It also requires enforcement of policy that incorporates risk of the user and device, along with compliance or other requirements to consider prior to permitting the transaction. It requires that the organization know all of their service and privileged accounts, and can establish controls about what and where they connect. One-time validation simply won’t suffice, because threats and user attributes are all subject to change As a result, organizations must ensure that all access requests are continuously vetted prior to allowing access to any of your enterprise or cloud assets. That’s why enforcement of Zero Trust policies rely on real-time visibility into 100’s of user and application identity attributes such as:
The use of analytics must be tied to trillions of events, broad enterprise telemetry, and threat intelligence to ensure better algorithmic AI/ML model training for hyper accurate policy response. Organizations should thoroughly assess their IT infrastructure and potential attack paths to contain attacks and minimize the impact if a breach should occur. This can include segmentation by device types, identity, or group functions. For example, suspicious protocols such as RDP or RPC to the domain controller should always be challenged or restricted to specific credentials. More than 80% of all attacks involve credentials use or misuse in the network. With constant new attacks against credentials and identity stores, additional protections for credentials and data extend to email security and secure web gateway (CASB) providers. This helps ensure greater password security, integrity of accounts, adherence to organizational rules, and avoidance of high-risk shadow IT services. The Complete Guide to Frictionless Zero TrustDownload the white paper to learn about frictionless zero trust and the key principles of the NIST 800-207 framework. Download Now Expert TipThe term “Zero Trust” was coined by Forrester Research analyst and thought-leader John Kindervag, and follows the motto, “never trust, always verify.” His ground-breaking point of view was based on the assumption that risk is an inherent factor both inside and outside the network. Zero Trust Use CasesZero Trust, while described as a standard for many years, has increasingly been formalized as a response to securing digital transformation and a range of complex, devastating threats seen in the past year. While any organization can benefit from Zero Trust, your organization can benefit from Zero Trust immediately if: You are required to protect an infrastructure deployment model that includes:
You need to address key threat use cases including:
Your organization has these considerations:
Every organization has unique challenges due to their business, digital transformation maturity, and current security strategy. Zero Trust, if implemented properly, can adjust to meet specific needs and still ensure a ROI on your security strategy. The Next Sunburst Attack ExampleThe 2021 software supply chain attack Sunburst demonstrates the importance of why organizations can’t drop their guard with even standard service accounts and previously trusted tools. All networks have automated updates within their technology stack, from web applications to network monitoring and security. Automating patches is imperative to good network hygiene. However, even for mandatory and automated updates, Zero Trust means preventing potential malicious actions. The technical analysis of the Sunburst attack illustrates how any tool, especially one commonly used in a network, can be taken over from the vendor/update mechanism – and how Zero Trust architecture principles should be applied to mitigate these threats. Zero Trust and the principle of least privilege mandate strict policies and permissions for all accounts, including programmatic credentials like service accounts. Service accounts in general should have known behaviors and limited connection privileges. In the case of Sunburst, an overly permissioned service account enabled lateral movement for attackers. They should never directly attempt to access a domain controller or authentication system like ADFS, and any behavior anomalies should be quickly identified and escalated as they happen. Expert TipWith so many different interpretations of zero trust, it can be intimidating when trying to identify the solution that fits your organization’s needs. To lend a hand, we’ve put together 7 key questions to better assess solutions and services.7 Questions to Ask Zero Trust Vendors What are the Core Principles of the Zero Trust Model?The Zero Trust model (based on NIST 800-207) includes the following core principles:
1. Continuous VerificationContinuous verification means no trusted zones, credentials, or devices at any time. Hence the common expression “Never Trust, Always Verify.” Verification that must be applied to such a broad set of assets continuously means that several key elements must be in place for this to work effectively:
2. Limit the Blast RadiusIf a breach does occur, minimizing the impact of the breach is critical. Zero Trust limits the scope of credentials or access paths for an attacker, giving time for systems and people to respond and mitigate the attack. Limiting the radius means:
3. Automate Context Collection And ResponseTo make the most effective and accurate decisions, more data helps so long as it can be processed and acted on in real-time. NIST provides guidance on using information from the following sources:
Stages of Implementing Zero TrustAlthough each organization’s needs are unique, CrowdStrike offers the following stages to implement a mature Zero Trust model:
For a detailed breakdown of each stage, including goals and best practices, read our article on How to Implement Zero Trust in 3 Stages. Expert TipWhen you invest in a Zero Trust solution, can that solution reduce security complexity, save money, and reduce time to identify and remediate breaches? The answer is a resounding ‘YES’! Watch this webcast to explore real-life use cases for Zero Trust that affect your profit margin and overhead to support the whole program.How to Maximize ROI with Frictionless Zero Trust Why CrowdStrike for Zero TrustCrowdStrike’s Zero Trust solution has the industry’s only frictionless approach to Zero Trust through:
Falcon Zero Trust DemoSchedule a live demo with our security expert and see how the Falcon Identity Protection solution can help your organization strengthen user authentication and enable frictionless Zero Trust security. Request Demo When developing safetyIn the development of safety-critical systems, a key assumption is that safety will not automatically result from following an organization's standard software development methodology. A safety-critical system is one whose failure may cause human injury or death.
When developing safetyWhen developing safety-critical systems, a key assumption must be that safety will automatically result from following an organization's standard development methodology.
Which family of standards serves many industries and organizations as a guide to quality products services and management?The ISO 9000 standard is the most widely known and has perhaps had the most impact of the 13,000 standards the ISO has published. It serves many different industries and organizations as a guide to quality products, service and management.
When forced to choose between adding more user features and doing more testing most software companies decide in favor of more testing?The impact of software defects is always trivial. When forced to choose between adding more user features and doing more testing, most software companies decide in favor of more testing. Risk analysis is important for safety-critical systems, but is useful for other kinds of software development as well.
|