Originally published on March 30, 2023 on VMBlog.
Syxsense CEO, Ashley Leonard, shares his thoughts on zero trust adoption on VMBlog. Here’s a short snippet from that article:
Zero trust adoption has taken center stage in recent years because it can help better secure remote workers and hybrid cloud environments and protect against ransomware threats. But as organizations continue to press forward with digital transformation and look to protect stakeholders from rising cyberattacks, not all are reaping the benefits of a fully implemented zero trust strategy. In fact, a recent survey revealed that more than one-third of organizations are not pursuing zero trust strategies, and of those that are, more than half are still in preliminary exploratory stages of adoption.
But according to Gartner, cybersecurity spending on things like zero trust will double by 2026 to $267.3 billion. Why the disconnect? According to EMA research, 41% lack the budget and funding, 32% lack the technical capabilities, 29% have no clear direction on how to begin, and 24% are concerned that it could negatively impact business operations. It’s clear that organizations need more support to overcome the struggles associated with zero trust adoption. To better understand this, let’s look at three prominent challenges organizations are facing today and how they can best overcome them to accelerate – and feel more comfortable with – their zero trust journey.
Challenge #1 – Poor Visibility Across Environments
To understand the requirements that make sense for a zero trust framework, full visibility across the environment is crucial. That means being able to see all devices, data stores, and users. This also includes an assessment of where technical capabilities are lacking. Zero trust is not just another tool for IT managers. It’s a completely different method of understanding device and network access.
To support a zero trust project, organization’s need to first understand where their limitations lie (for example, do they know which databases have high-value data, or “crown jewels”), how existing tools and infrastructure have been implemented (such as who can access critical data or high-value assets, like servers), and have a documented process in place for managing the existing tools and infrastructure. Unfortunately, asset discovery can be challenging for many organizations, which is one reason zero trust projects can appear so daunting. It’s like moving into a new house where none of the boxes are labeled. Identifying the difference between kitchen or laundry supplies is required before you can really get organized.
Read the full article on VMBlog to find out the other two challenges and how to overcome them.
