The current cybersecurity threat landscape is a cataclysm of unpleasant statistics. External hackers can breach around 93 percent of company networks, 44 percent of executives think their security isn’t keeping up with digital transformation, and organisations are fending off attacks that are growing increasingly sophisticated and socially-engineered.
The modern organisation that’s building its foundations on digital transformation and digitisation has no choice but to juggle risk alongside growth. Which is why the zero-trust cybersecurity framework is gaining ground and momentum.
Around 72 percent of organisations in a Statista global survey have plans to adopt this framework while 42 percent have already started. This leaves quite a significant percentage of companies still deciding whether this is the right operational approach and 28 percent with no plans to implement it at all.
The challenge for most companies is that zero-trust comes with an aura of complexity and a perception that it’s too mystical to implement with ease.
The reality is different. Zero-trust is a strategic approach to security that focuses on eliminating the concepts of implicit trust, consistently validating every individual and every point of access at every point of digital interaction.
It’s a solution and a framework that can be customised to fit within the parameters and expectations of the organisation. Its value is inherently within its ability to support organisations undergoing digital transformation initiatives and investments by mitigating risk and enhancing their cybersecurity posture.
Zero-trust has also become a trusted solution for companies that are embracing more flexible and hybrid models of working and that are not limited to traditional offices or fixed locations. It allows for the business to constantly ensure and establish trust for every entity accessing its assets, regardless of location or time.
This ensures that access is granted across privilege correctly so that people only have access to what they need to perform their roles. By implementing a process of constant verification and trust in real-time, the organisation is reassured that anyone interacting with the company data has been checked and approved.
One of the best ways to ensure that zero trust is implemented in a way that solves problems rather than complicating security even further, is to collaborate with a trusted service provider.
With the right partner and framework in place, the organisation is well placed to architect a modern security framework that’s capable of evolving with it and adapting to its changing needs.
Lloyd Oandah is a technical solutions architect at Dimension Data East Africa
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