Implementing a Zero Trust Architecture

A zero trust architecture (ZTA) focuses on protecting data and resources. It enables secure authorized access to enterprise resources that are distributed across on-premises and multiple cloud environments, while enabling a hybrid workforce and partners to access resources from anywhere, at any time, from any device in support of the organization’s mission. Each access request is evaluated by verifying the context available at access time, including the requester’s identity and role, the requesting device’s health and credentials, and the sensitivity of the resource. If the enterprise’s defined access policy is met, a secure session is created to protect all information transferred to and from the resource. A real-time and continuous policy-driven, risk-based assessment is performed to establish and maintain the access. In this project, the NCCoE and its collaborators use commercially available technology to build interoperable, open, standards-based ZTA implementations that align to the concepts and principles in NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-207, Zero Trust Architecture. This NIST Cybersecurity Practice Guide explains how commercially available technology can be integrated and used to build various ZTAs.