What is zero trust?, the security model that replaces the perimeter
Zero trust is a security model that rejects the assumption that anything inside a network is trustworthy. Every request, regardless of where it originates, must be authenticated, authorised, and continuously validated. Network location is no longer proof of identity.
Why What is zero trust? matters
Most cloud breaches succeed because the attacker reaches a network position that grants implicit trust. Zero trust eliminates that implicit trust. The maturity gap is also the most common audit finding for organisations subject to NIS2, DORA, or US Executive Order 14028.
Common mistakes with What is zero trust?
- Treating zero trust as a product to buy rather than an architecture to build.
- Implementing identity zero-trust without device posture, a stolen credential still wins.
- Skipping the network pillar because "the cloud is encrypted by default", east-west traffic inside a VPC is rarely segmented.
- Calling it done at "Advanced" without measuring against actual incident scenarios.