Why Zero Trust in the Cloud is the Only Way to Stay Secure

Forget “feel good” concepts of responsibility and motivation when it comes to cyber security. Here’s the big difference between feel good and finding the right trust partner for your organization. In cloud and IT security, we’re not talking about trust in the workplace. We’re talking about the critical need to prevent security attacks from both inside and outside your IT network. Even within your network, trust is no longer a cyber security option.

Yesterday’s IT security solution was typically “castle and moat” defense. Enterprises assumed it was enough to keep the attackers out. They neglected the possibility of bad or careless actors inside the castle. Today, this oversight puts enterprises on a multiple collision course with catastrophe:

• Threat actors can move freely inside the network accessing data, applications, and other resources, once security is breached through cyberattacks like phishing, malware or compromised passwords.
• Security drift grows as people leave organizations or transfer to different departments, or as contractors finish work, but without access privileges being revoked or properly adapted. Enterprises omit to transfer or turn off licenses. They leave people with licensing they don’t need or access to confidential files they shouldn’t have.
• Rogue IT installations spring up as business functions run SaaS and other applications without the knowledge or permission of the IT department.

Zero Trust security counters these risks with strict access controls for everyone (and that really does mean everyone). Forrester Research Inc. began writing about Zero Trust in 2010. Now, almost 10 years later, this security approach has been adopted in many corporate IT networks. Ideally, it should be the go-to cybersecurity model for all.

However, Zero Trust is more than just a technological solution. It also has a business strategy component. Access to information and applications must be tailored to individual job roles. After stringent verification of identity, access for users to resources must be limited to what they need to do their work and no more.

Zero Trust security in a cloud platform like LOADSPRING helps you address these needs in the following ways:

• The latest and most effective cloud security architecture with multiple layers of protection against attacks and common security mistakes. LOADSPRING CLOUD PLATFORM provides airtight security around all your project management application software. It enables you to set authentication requirements to the standards you choose.
• A wide variety of multifactor authentication (MFA) methods such as phishing-resistant security keys, and single sign-on. Secure Federated Identity Management solves root issues of too many unique logins and too many passwords.
• Controls on user access to add, modify, and delete user access privileges to projects managed by custom-integrated apps, thanks to user provisioning features that are provided within LOADSPRING CLOUD PLATFORM. LOADSPRING GlobalView provides centralized access control model for more visibility into user activity. Use it to monitor, track and address any issues.
• Least-privilege access ensuring that every process, user or app can access only the information and resources that are necessary for its legitimate purpose. LoadSpringMobile offers real time information sharing that enables team members in the field to see only what they need to see, when they need to see it.

A Zero Trust security model in the cloud is a journey that requires a Sherpa with thoughtful and comprehensive strategies and architecture, like LOADSPRING. It is best implemented in phases with tactics backed by best-in-class technologies and trusted experience. Going forwards, it should be continually optimized.

But it’s worth it. With Zero Trust in place, you can redouble your positive human work motivation and management for your core business activities, safe in the knowledge that your employees and business partners can contribute to the success of your enterprise efficiently and securely.