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If your organization had not already jumped on the “Zero Trust” bandwagon by the time the work-from-home era began in earnest, federal adoption of strict standards in 2021 meant that, by now, your team is either fully implementing the best zero trust security practices or not competing in the government market space.
The spark of inspiration that led to the development of NetBrain Intent-Based Network Automation was all about helping IT organizations grapple with the ever-changing landscape of communications technology.
After years of carefully optimizing and designing your network for agility and application performance, adding a zero trust security approach presents an interesting challenge: how to maintain a dynamic IT environment—flexible network architecture continually adapting to end-user demand—with security policies that never assume the intent of said end users, nor allow any form of access implicitly.
What is Zero Trust Security?
The Zero Trust security model is founded on the principle of “never trust, always verify.” It assumes that no user or device, whether inside or outside the network perimeter, should be granted unrestricted access by default. Instead, access to resources is granted on a granular, context-aware basis, and authentication and authorization are continuously validated throughout the user’s session. This approach aims to minimize the potential attack surface and limit the lateral movement of adversaries in case of a breach—a strategy that NetBrain automation is well suited to complement and reinforce.
Agility and Zero Trust Security with NetBrain
A zero-trust security framework enhanced with NetBrain NextGen automation is an absolute must for multi-vendor, multi-cloud networks.
In a zero-trust environment, continuous network assessment serves as the bedrock for security efficacy. It involves the real-time monitoring, analysis, and verification of various network components, such as users, devices, and application paths.
NetBrain makes this easy by going far beyond the evaluations done in static, hard-coded series of tasks and instead capturing the actual Intent of your security team’s architectural designs. With NetBrain’s unparalleled visibility, network Intents intelligently verify that every node in your network—from user access points to local data centers to cloud services—are continuously vetting entry into the network. The traditional network edge no longer exists.
Consequently, this allows NetOps teams to sustain the agility needed of their infrastructure while keeping security policies relevant and effective as the network evolves. Often, usability versus security is falsely presented as the choice IT teams must make. Automation is positioned as the bridge to end that dichotomy. But automation is not all equal. Solutions dependent on linear programming and human-maintained scripts are quickly swallowed under the demands of scale. The true choice is between code-based automation solutions and NetBrain’s Intent-based automation platform.
Looking at one of the better-known federal guidelines, NIST 800-207, what are the three principles of zero trust? And, how does NetBrain enforce and support those principles?
- Continuous verification – Network components must constantly verify network access for all users. NetBrain automates the assessment of device policies and posture regardless of vendor or interface.
- Risk mitigation – Any internal or external breaches must be limited in “blast radius.” NetBrain Intents digitize the architectural designs or goals of your network engineers. Assure network segmentation and continually prod and test the configurations of every device.
- Fast response – Zero trust security demands that data collection and threat response after any incident be automated to reduce dwell time (the period between breach and detection) and ensure rapid reaction. NetBrain no-code network automation can be triggered via API upon any breach to immediately gather all the necessary context during the threat and can identify the anomalies and vulnerabilities that must be plugged to mitigate the impact before it spreads.
Why Move to Zero Trust Security?
In May of 2021 and January of 2022, the White House released an executive order and memorandum, respectively, that spells out the federal government’s expectations for compliance with zero-trust IT standards, specifically NIST 800-207. While ostensibly a mandate for federal agencies and their vendors, private enterprises would be foolish to ignore the momentum towards Zero Trust and the value it brings to every organization that adopts it.
NetBrain’s continuous network assessment is an indispensable practice for safeguarding an organization’s digital assets and maintaining a robust cybersecurity posture. By actively monitoring network activity, detecting anomalies, and responding swiftly to emerging threats, businesses can significantly reduce the risk of successful cyberattacks. Embracing the principles of zero trust security, alongside implementing a well-structured continuous assessment strategy, organizations can create a more secure and resilient infrastructure, gaining the trust of their customers, partners, and stakeholders.