We explain how the Zero Trust Network can be one of the solutions for improved cybersecurity

[This is a sponsored article with Aruba and AceTeam Networks.]

Cyberattacks have increased by 238% since the start of the pandemic. This is attributed mainly to the rise in staff and businesses opting to transition to either a hybrid work environment or forgoing their office completely.

When working outside of a secure network, staff members are not protected by enterprise-grade cybersecurity solutions like a firewall or anti-malware tool to prevent most common cyberattacks.

With each organisation experiencing more than 900 cyberattack attempts per week on average in 2021, there is a chance that one of these attacks will get past a remote worker’s security measure and potentially affect the overall business.

Zero Trust security architecture began gaining popularity as of late to minimise the damages caused by such a security breach.

Breaking down the basics

In traditional security architectures, user validation and network protection via a firewall are conducted on the outermost layer of the business network.

Once past this layer, users can freely access any resources that are found inside the network.

However, the problem with this is that if an intruder hijacks an account through phishing emails, man-in-the-middle attacks, or even through a keylogger to obtain login credentials, they would have access to everything inside the network too.

The Zero Trust security architecture was developed to address this issue by not trusting all devices and users (whether in or out of an organisation) that connect to the network by default. 

It performs constant verification even if the client is already connected to the business network, and will block access if there are any discrepancies.

In addition to that, all user accounts are granted access only to resources that are necessary to complete their tasks. Thus, even if intruders gain access to the business network, they would not be able to access all the resources available on it.

With 33% of Malaysians preferring to work from the comfort of their own home, the Zero Trust security architecture has become a more crucial component of cybersecurity in these kinds of working environments.

Since Zero Trust is just an architecture, cybersecurity solution providers can further build upon it with additional functionalities.

Zero Trust architecture, enhanced

An example is how Aruba implemented Zero Trust in their Edge-to-Cloud Security for Modern Networks solution in tandem with a separate architecture called Secure Access Services at the Edge (SASE).

SASE handles 5 different aspects including Software Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN), Secure Web Gateway (SWG), Firewall as a Service (FWaaS), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA).

These aspects help filter unwanted traffic, monitor ongoing transactions, and distribute traffic across the WAN to improve network performance.

On top of that, there are more tools to aid in managing the business network like Client Insights which uses machine learning and AI algorithms for automatic device tagging. 

There’s also the Aruba NetConductor to automate Local Area Network (LAN), Wireless LAN, and WAN configuration while applying policies based on the Zero Trust architecture, and a cloud-based management tool to monitor the status of the network.

One business that has utilised Edge-to-Cloud Security is file hosting service Dropbox, which handles file transfers from as many as 700 million users at any time. Therefore, having a reliable cybersecurity solution is of utmost importance as it can completely prevent or mitigate any cybersecurity attacks.

An element of Aruba’s solution that has helped them is ClearPass, which acts as their primary certificate server, assigning certificates to selected devices. 

Dropbox has found it to be a secure and frictionless experience, allowing their large team to easily connect and access networks they’ve been authorised for. 

Using ClearPass and AirWave, The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) has also reduced the chances of data breaches through certificate assignments to devices owned by 350 highly mobile employees. 

In return, this gives their customers the confidence to trust in the ANAO and provide necessary information for the auditors to generate reports.

Malaysian businesses can benefit from secure network access too

Local businesses keen on reinforcing their business network can approach AceTeam Networks, a Malaysian IT solutions provider, to kickstart the implementation of Aruba’s Edge-to-Cloud Security solution.

AceTeam Networks also offers a one-to-one presentation to further explain the Zero Trust security architecture and its capabilities.

They are one of Aruba’s Gold Status partners, which signals the team’s high sales performance and the presence of certified specialists in Aruba’s solutions within the organisation.

With the necessary qualifications like ClearPass Policy Management, Location Services, IntroSpect Security Analytics, and Software Defined Branch, they are able to help deliver and competently maintain Aruba’s solutions.

AceTeam Networks also provides consulting services for networking, datacentres networking, optimisation, management, automation, and more, with a heavy emphasis on business cybersecurity all around.

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Similar to how we have to adapt to the new normal because of the pandemic, more businesses are forced to adapt to new styles of working too.

To accommodate these working environments, businesses should consider bolstering their cybersecurity measures with the Zero Trust architecture to keep important information like intellectual property and trade secrets safe from prying eyes.

Featured Image Credit: Aruba