Guide to Implementing Zero Trust into your Security Strategy

The majority of small to medium-sized businesses are focused on growing their business and meeting customer demands. Most businesses do not have any specific employee that handles security for the company, so this responsibility falls primarily on the business owner. This generally leads to businesses having a weak or nonexistent security strategy. 

Although businesses are generally neglecting security protocols, they are still being impacted by cyber-attacks. In fact, 66% of all small businesses have reported that they have been a target of a cyber attack within the last 12 months. Many of the instances in which a cyberattack was successful were due to businesses granting access and assuming a file or link was safe. Businesses today can avoid falling victim to these kinds of cyberattacks by adopting a zero-trust security strategy.

What is a Zero-Trust Security Strategy?

A zero-trust security strategy is a strategy in which a business does not assume anything inside or outside of the company. This requires internal or external attempts to access company data to be verified and granted access. Most businesses have specific devices, networks, or IP addresses saved to their systems. When a person logs in from one of those entry points, they are granted access to sensitive data.

With a zero-trust security strategy, verification is needed at all times. In the instance where a hacker could gain access to your business, their ability to penetrate the business further would be significantly diminished. A zero trust strategy will help you leverage several technologies to ensure your business has the maximum protection from internal and external threats.

How Can You Implement a Zero-Trust Security Strategy?

It’s best to work with an IT provider to maximize your zero trust security strategy. You can start implementing zero trust now by incorporating some of the following practices into your business:

Educate employees: Your employees are your first line of defense for your company. You should educate your employees on why your business is going to start using a zero-trust framework. Employees should know who’s allowed to access a resource and what they should do if they see any suspicious activity. 

Updating system permissions: Upgrading your system permissions is a huge first step to implementing a zero-trust security strategy. Many companies have employees accessing all kinds of files on-premise and remotely. Upgrading your system permissions will allow employees to only use what they need to perform their jobs. 

Multi-factor authentication: Multi-factor authentication is one of the best technologies to use in a zero-trust infrastructure. Multi-factor authentication will require anyone who signs into your systems to provide an additional layer of authentication. This can prevent a majority of successful cyber attacks just due to the additional layer of security provided by multi-factor authentication. 

These are just some of the primary steps you can start taking to implement a zero-trust security strategy. You can work with an IT provider like Christo IT to establish a zero-trust architecture for your entire business. This will ensure all entry points for your business are secured. Christo IT also provides your business with 6 layers of protection.  To learn more about how to use zero trust for your business, get a free consultation.