Zero Trust Environment: Why is it Important?

When you first hear the term “Zero Trust Environment,” it probably sounds a bit intense. As humans, we typically want to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and extend trust to those around us. However, in the world of physical access control and cybersecurity, establishing a Zero Trust architecture throughout your systems and networks might be the difference between confidently protecting your company’s data and leaving it open to potential security breaches. 

Derived from the basic security principle of “never trust, always verify,” Zero Trust is designed to protect modern digital environments by utilizing network segmentation, preventing lateral movement, and simplifying granular user-access control. In layman’s terms, Zero Trust is essentially designing security around the assumption that your company’s associates, applications, and devices can not be trusted.

The importance of a Zero Trust Architecture

When it comes to your company’s security, the importance of a Zero Trust architecture can’t be overstated. In past blogs, we’ve mentioned the common “human error” challenge that persists throughout every security environment. Whether online or offline, hackers can still get to us through the internet, connected devices, text messages, or the online services we use. It’s as simple as clicking on a link in an email you thought was from your boss, only to find that it was a cleverly disguised phishing attack. 

Zero Trust combats attacks such as these by 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. 

Why it Matters & How it Applies to the Security Industry

Additionally, in our post-pandemic world, where many of us find ourselves in hybrid work lives where we alternate between working from home and the office, Zero Trust plays an even more significant role in keeping our company’s data safe. An excellent example of Zero Trust at work in our day-to-day lives is using two-factor authentication. Perhaps, whenever you go to sign on to your work email, you’re also prompted to enter a code sent to your phone to confirm that the individual attempting to access your email is you. 

Similar procedures may also be done in a physical security system that utilizes the concept of Zero Trust. They might even be more seamless than the ones that are used for cybersecurity. 

Moreover, if you have the right physical security system, the technology may already be utilizing Zero Trust without you even being aware of it. Just like how two-factor authentication is used to verify an individual’s identity in a Zero Trust environment, security systems implementing more than two modes of authenticating physical credentials create safer spaces. The most painless example of Zero Trust architecture done right in physical access control can be seen in Alcatraz’s systems.

Zero Trust + Alcatraz AI

At Alcatraz AI, there’s no second-guessing whether or not to secure internal credentials, applications, devices, and communications with added layers of security. We deliver on Zero Trust and offer AI-enabled access control to answer the call of safeguarding valuable assets from emerging threats with AI-powered technology unlike any other access control offering on the market. To learn more about how Alcatraz can strengthen your access control, schedule a demo with us at www.alcatraz.ai