Securing Remote Workers Through Zero Trust

The idea of zero-trust in the enterprise has shifted in recent years from mostly theory to actual implementation. It makes sense, after all, as security teams are improving and fortifying the security defenses rolled out during the hurried shift to remote work. Many organizations are turning to zero-tier models, where every attempt is verified before granting access.

Dark Reading’s special report, “How to Deploy Zero Trust for Remote Workforce Security” digs into how security teams can improve and fortify the security defenses protecting users working remotely. Verifying identity behind each connection attempt is necessary, because the goal of zero trust is to make sure the device is secure and identity is authentic.

Enterprises must get remote security right. By their very nature, remote workers can attempt to access networks and applications from literally any device and from anywhere — home, coffee shop, a picnic bench by the lake. But that means remote workers are vulnerable because they’re detached from traditional security defenses. Enterprise security teams too often have no visibility into how secure those devices and networks are. Is this really a known and trusted developer trying to access the development pipeline? Is this someone masquerading as that developer?

The catch? The catch is that the path to zero trust is difficult. According to the research firm Gartner, less than 1% of enterprises have a measurable zero trust program in place currently, but by 2026 the firm predicts that by 2026, that number will reach 10%.

“The good news is that zero trust was fundamentally designed to support remote work,” says Alex Bovee, co-founder, and CEO of the identity and governance platform, ConductorOne. “When designing a zero-trust strategy for remote workers, the main objective is to embed [“never trust, always verify”] principles of access control, consequently establishing a robust security posture for remote employees,” Bovee adds.  

Read Dark Reading’s “How to Deploy Zero Trust for Remote Workforce Security” for game plans security teams need in order to deploy zero trust for remote users. The goal is to help individuals get the access they need, quickly, securely, and efficiently.