News
Beyond the Office Firewall: How Businesses can Embrace the Future of Zero Trust
December 2024 by Mark Appleton, Chief Customer Office at ALSO Cloud UK conducted by Markel Direct
A new study, conducted by Markel Direct, has revealed that nearly 1 in 4 SMEs are concerned about how they secure working environments for employees working away from the office.
The survey identified that securing remote working environment was a key concern for 23% of SMEs though the increased sophistication of cyber-threats placed firmly in the top spot of concerns at 62%.
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“With the surge of remote workers, many organisations are beginning to dismantle the traditional philosophy of a network perimeter security as they began migrating to apps, cloud and online services,” said Mark Appleton, Chief Customer Officer at ALSO. “However, this network structure has been outpaced by employees are now working outside the fortified defences of the office firewall.
“To remedy the situation, businesses must invest in a cybersecurity framework that closes the gap between access to cloud and on-premises resources to support workers on the go while securing endpoints on the corporate network.”
Zero-trust emerges as a security framework gives businesses the ability to operate in a borderless environment but still prioritises continuous monitoring to create a safe and conducive remote workspace.
“As its name implies, zero-trust security architecture treats all users, devices and resources as untrustworthy. The framework implements many different validation points, barriers and strict controls, even for verified users. Regardless of where the request originates or what resource it accesses, the zero-trust model will assume a breach and ask for verification. If embedded throughout the entire digital infrastructure, it can serve as an end-to-end strategy that protects employees, devices and sensitive data.”
While more restrictive, Appleton believes that the zero-trust model can create a far more secure environment and give IT leaders a wide, holistic view of their infrastructure.
“Zero-trust gives organisations the ability to see exactly what devices and services are being used and where those resources reside. This provides a detailed picture on what’s happening within the corporate network so businesses can detect threats faster and isolate the impact of incidents. As such, IT leaders can make more informed decisions regarding risk management and resource allocation while gaining a deeper understanding of their network operations.
"Furthermore, employees are constantly targeted by cybercriminals seeking network entry and with remote workers reliant on the cloud, they may be the most vulnerable. Zero-trust become an ally in the security process by continuously verifying access but also empowers employees by shifting some of the security responsibility away from users. This can lead to increased productivity and less strain on security resources.”
Implementing and monitoring a zero-trust framework can be complex therefore businesses need experts to carefully design the zero-trust framework, so it does not block legitimate processes.
“Choosing products that are robust and up to date with support and development is critical for a conducive framework. This is where resellers are uniquely equipped to help navigate the roadmap to zero-trust. With a vast portfolio, these IT partners can proactively discuss how organisations are responding to the latest threats and offer comprehensive services, making it a one-stop shop for IT and security needs.”
Appleton concluded, “Organisations need reduce network complexity and secure end-user experience to accommodate workers. Zero trust security can become a weapon in the businesses’ cybersecurity armoury with its focus on tight access limits and increased visibility. By choosing the right partner and ensuring proper execution, zero-trust can offer a strong defence in an increasingly complicated threat environment.”
