Zero Trust Architecture: NIST Publishes SP 800-207
August 11, 2020

NIST announces the final publication of Special Publication (SP) 800-207, Zero Trust Architecture, which discusses the core logical components that make up a zero trust architecture (ZTA). Zero trust refers to an evolving set of security paradigms that narrows defenses from wide network perimeters to individual or small groups of resources. Its focus on protecting resources rather than network segments is a response to enterprise trends that include remote users and cloud-based assets that are not located within an enterprise-owned network boundary. ZTA strategies are already present in current federal cybersecurity policies and programs, though the document includes a gap analysis of areas where more research and standardization are needed to aid agencies in developing and implementing ZTA strategies. Additionally, this document establishes an abstract definition of zero trust and ZTA as well as general deployment models, use cases where ZTA could improve an enterprise’s overall IT security posture, and a high-level roadmap to implementing a ZTA approach for an enterprise.