These frequently used poor practices make passwords a high-priority target for cybercriminals. They know that compromising passwords can give them control over key systems and sensitive data. This should make tackling the challenge of password management a priority for organizations, but often it is not.

Enterprise password management can be an answer to that challenge. Password managers provide a centralized platform that coordinates the password process, enforces more stringent password controls, and provides users with more secure and simple ways to manage them.

With enterprise password management, passwords are stored in a secure vault that is accessed through a single master logon. Managed passwords often can be applied automatically at a login prompt without the user, machine, or service needing to know the password. This helps to greatly reduce the risks posed by manual entry. Furthermore, password managers help highlight potential password security risks and automate password management, creating unique and complex passwords for users automatically and rotating them to increase password quality. Password managers can often be extended to offer secrets management as a way of handling the complexity of secure key management and rotation.

Password managers are increasingly part of a broader identity management platform, adding capabilities such as single sign-on (SSO) and identity lifecycle management. Password managers also provide a bridge to the goal of removing passwords from organizations entirely by using passwordless technology such as biometrics and passkeys—without the need to refactor the entire authentication process.

The enterprise password management sector has many mature vendors with long-established products. This provides a robust platform to build upon and should provide confidence to the IT buyer. Finding the right password management solution will deliver significant improvement. While its deployment will call for both user education and process change, it can greatly enhance the security of password and other credentials, both human and machine, across an organization. Compromised passwords are a serious threat, and the impact can be significant if they are compromised, so improving password security posture should be a priority for organizations of any size.

This is our third year evaluating the enterprise password management space in the context of our Key Criteria and Radar reports. This report builds on our previous analysis and considers how the market has evolved over the last year.

This GigaOm Radar report examines 13 of the top enterprise password management solutions and compares offerings against the capabilities (table stakes, key features, and emerging features) and nonfunctional requirements (business criteria) outlined in the companion Key Criteria report. Together, these reports provide an overview of the market, identify leading enterprise password management offerings, and help decision-makers evaluate these solutions so they can make a more informed investment decision.

The post GigaOm Radar for Enterprise Password Management appeared first on Gigaom.

In this post, we’ll summarize the key insights and best practices covered throughout the series and provide guidance on how to get started with your own zero trust implementation. We’ll also discuss some of the common challenges and pitfalls to avoid, and provide resources for further learning and exploration.

Key Insights and Best Practices for Zero Trust

Here are some of the key insights and best practices covered throughout this series:

1. Zero trust is a mindset, not a product: Zero trust is not a single technology or solution, but a comprehensive approach to security that assumes no implicit trust and continuously verifies every access request.
2. Data security is the foundation: Protecting sensitive data is the primary objective of zero trust, and requires a combination of data discovery, classification, encryption, and access controls.
3. Identity is the new perimeter: In a zero trust model, identity becomes the primary control point for access, and requires strong authentication, authorization, and continuous monitoring.
4. Network segmentation is critical: Segmenting networks into smaller, isolated zones based on data sensitivity and user roles is essential for reducing the attack surface and limiting lateral movement.
5. Device security is a shared responsibility: Securing endpoints and IoT devices requires a collaborative effort between IT, security, and end-users, and involves a combination of device management, authentication, and monitoring.
6. Applications must be secure by design: Securing modern application architectures requires a shift-left approach that integrates security into the development lifecycle, and leverages techniques such as secure coding, runtime protection, and API security.
7. Monitoring and analytics are the eyes and ears: Continuous monitoring and analysis of all user, device, and application activity is essential for detecting and responding to threats in real-time.
8. Automation and orchestration are the backbone: Automating and orchestrating security processes and policies is critical for ensuring consistent, scalable, and efficient security operations.
9. Governance and compliance are business imperatives: Aligning zero trust initiatives with regulatory requirements, industry standards, and business objectives is essential for managing risk and ensuring accountability.

By keeping these insights and best practices in mind, organizations can build a more comprehensive, effective, and business-aligned zero trust architecture.

Getting Started with Your Zero Trust Journey

Implementing zero trust is not a one-time project, but an ongoing journey that requires careful planning, execution, and continuous improvement. Here are some steps to get started:

1. Assess your current security posture: Conduct a thorough assessment of your current security posture, including your network architecture, data flows, user roles, and security controls. Identify gaps and prioritize areas for improvement based on risk and business impact.
2. Define your zero trust strategy: Based on your assessment, define a clear and comprehensive zero trust strategy that aligns with your business objectives and risk appetite. Identify the key initiatives, milestones, and metrics for success, and secure buy-in from stakeholders across the organization.
3. Implement in phases: Start with small, targeted initiatives that can demonstrate quick wins and build momentum for larger-scale implementation. Focus on high-priority use cases and data assets first, and gradually expand to other areas of the environment.
4. Leverage existing investments: Wherever possible, leverage your existing security investments and tools, such as identity and access management, network segmentation, and endpoint protection. Integrate these tools into your zero trust architecture and automate and orchestrate processes where possible.
5. Foster a culture of zero trust: Educate and engage employees, partners, and customers on the principles and benefits of zero trust, and foster a culture of shared responsibility and accountability for security.
6. Continuously monitor and improve: Continuously monitor and measure the effectiveness of your zero trust controls and processes, using metrics such as risk reduction, incident response time, and user satisfaction. Use these insights to continuously improve and optimize your zero trust architecture over time.

By following these steps and leveraging the best practices and strategies covered throughout this series, organizations can build a more secure, resilient, and business-aligned zero trust architecture that can keep pace with the ever-evolving threat landscape.

Common Challenges and Pitfalls to Avoid

While zero trust offers many benefits, it also presents some common challenges and pitfalls that organizations should be aware of and avoid:

1. Lack of clear strategy and objectives: Without a clear and comprehensive strategy that aligns with business objectives and risk appetite, zero trust initiatives can quickly become fragmented, inconsistent, and ineffective.
2. Overreliance on technology: While technology is a critical enabler of zero trust, it is not a silver bullet. Organizations must also focus on people, processes, and policies to build a truly comprehensive and effective zero trust architecture.
3. Inadequate visibility and control: Without comprehensive visibility and control over all user, device, and application activity, organizations can struggle to detect and respond to threats in a timely and effective manner.
4. Complexity and scalability: As zero trust initiatives expand and mature, they can quickly become complex and difficult to manage at scale. Organizations must invest in automation, orchestration, and centralized management to ensure consistent and efficient security operations.
5. Resistance to change: Zero trust represents a significant shift from traditional perimeter-based security models, and can face resistance from users, developers, and business stakeholders. Organizations must invest in education, communication, and change management to foster a culture of zero trust and secure buy-in from all stakeholders.

By being aware of these common challenges and pitfalls and taking proactive steps to avoid them, organizations can build a more successful and sustainable zero trust architecture.

Conclusion

Zero trust is not a destination, but a journey. By adopting a mindset of continuous verification and improvement, and leveraging the best practices and strategies covered throughout this series, organizations can build a more secure, resilient, and business-aligned security posture that can keep pace with the ever-evolving threat landscape.

However, achieving zero trust is not easy, and requires a significant investment in people, processes, and technology. Organizations must be prepared to face challenges and setbacks along the way, and to continuously learn and adapt based on new insights and experiences.

As you embark on your own zero trust journey, remember that you are not alone. There is a growing community of practitioners, vendors, and thought leaders who are passionate about zero trust and are willing to share their knowledge and experiences. Leverage these resources, and never stop learning and improving.

We hope that this series has been informative and valuable, and has provided you with a solid foundation for building your own zero trust architecture. Thank you for joining us on this journey, and we wish you all the best in your zero trust endeavors!

Additional Resources:

• Zero Trust Adoption Report (ID Experts)
• Zero Trust Architecture: A Comprehensive Guide (Gigamon)
• Zero Trust Security: A CIO’s Guide to Defending Their Business (Akamai)

The post Putting It All Together: Getting Started with Your Zero Trust Journey appeared first on Gigaom.

In a zero trust model, security is not just a technical concern, but a business imperative. With the increasing complexity and interconnectedness of modern IT environments, organizations must ensure that their zero trust initiatives are aligned with regulatory requirements, industry standards, and business objectives.

In this post, we’ll explore the role of governance and compliance in a zero trust model, discuss the key frameworks and standards involved, and share best practices for building a comprehensive governance and compliance strategy.

The Role of Governance and Compliance in Zero Trust

In a traditional perimeter-based security model, governance and compliance often focus on meeting specific regulatory requirements and industry standards, such as HIPAA, PCI-DSS, or ISO 27001. However, in a zero trust model, governance and compliance must be more holistic and integrated, ensuring that security controls are consistently applied across the entire environment and aligned with business objectives.

Governance and compliance play a critical role in enabling zero trust by:

1. Ensuring consistency and accountability: Establishing clear policies, procedures, and roles and responsibilities for zero trust initiatives, ensuring that all stakeholders are aligned and accountable.
2. Aligning with regulatory requirements: Ensuring that zero trust controls and processes are aligned with relevant regulatory requirements and industry standards, such as GDPR, CCPA, or NIST 800-207.
3. Enabling risk management: Providing a framework for identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks associated with zero trust initiatives, ensuring that security controls are prioritized based on business impact.
4. Facilitating continuous improvement: Establishing metrics, benchmarks, and feedback loops for measuring the effectiveness of zero trust controls and driving continuous improvement.

By applying these principles, organizations can create a more holistic, integrated, and business-aligned approach to zero trust that can meet the demands of modern compliance and risk management.

Key Frameworks and Standards for Zero Trust Governance and Compliance

To build a comprehensive governance and compliance strategy for zero trust, organizations must align with relevant frameworks and standards, including:

1. NIST SP 800-207: A comprehensive framework for designing and implementing zero trust architectures, including guidance on governance, risk management, and compliance.
2. Cybersecurity Framework (CSF): A framework for managing and reducing cybersecurity risk, including guidance on governance, risk assessment, and continuous improvement.
3. ISO 27001: An international standard for information security management systems (ISMS), including requirements for governance, risk management, and compliance.
4. GDPR and CCPA: Regulations for protecting personal data and ensuring privacy rights, including requirements for data protection, consent management, and breach notification.
5. PCI-DSS: A standard for securing payment card data, including requirements for access control, network segmentation, and monitoring.

By aligning with these frameworks and standards, organizations can ensure that their zero trust initiatives are consistent, compliant, and effective in managing risk and meeting business objectives.

Best Practices for Zero Trust Governance and Compliance

Implementing a zero trust approach to governance and compliance requires a comprehensive, multi-layered strategy. Here are some best practices to consider:

1. Establish a governance framework: Establish a clear governance framework for zero trust initiatives, including policies, procedures, roles and responsibilities, and metrics for success. Ensure that the framework is aligned with relevant regulatory requirements and industry standards.
2. Conduct regular risk assessments: Conduct regular risk assessments to identify and prioritize risks associated with zero trust initiatives, including technical, operational, and compliance risks. Use these assessments to inform the design and implementation of zero trust controls.
3. Implement continuous monitoring and auditing: Implement continuous monitoring and auditing of zero trust controls and processes, using tools such as SIEM, IDS/IPS, and vulnerability scanners. Ensure that monitoring and auditing are aligned with relevant regulatory requirements and industry standards.
4. Establish clear incident response and reporting procedures: Establish clear incident response and reporting procedures for zero trust initiatives, including roles and responsibilities, communication channels, and escalation paths. Ensure that procedures are aligned with relevant regulatory requirements and industry standards.
5. Foster a culture of compliance and accountability: Foster a culture of compliance and accountability across the organization, through regular training, awareness campaigns, and clear communication of policies and procedures. Ensure that all stakeholders understand their roles and responsibilities in maintaining a zero trust posture.
6. Continuously improve and adapt: Continuously measure and improve the effectiveness of zero trust controls and processes, using metrics, benchmarks, and feedback loops. Adapt governance and compliance strategies based on changing business requirements, risk landscapes, and regulatory environments.

By implementing these best practices and continuously refining your governance and compliance posture, you can ensure that your zero trust initiatives are consistent, compliant, and effective in managing risk and meeting business objectives.

Conclusion

In a zero trust world, governance and compliance are essential for aligning security with business objectives and ensuring consistent, effective risk management. By establishing clear policies, procedures, and roles and responsibilities, conducting regular risk assessments, and fostering a culture of compliance and accountability, organizations can build a more holistic, integrated, and business-aligned approach to zero trust.

However, achieving effective governance and compliance in a zero trust model requires a commitment to aligning with relevant frameworks and standards, implementing continuous monitoring and auditing, and continuously improving and adapting based on changing business requirements and risk landscapes.

As you continue your zero trust journey, make governance and compliance a top priority. Invest in the tools, processes, and skills necessary to build a comprehensive governance and compliance strategy, and regularly assess and refine your approach to keep pace with evolving regulatory requirements and industry standards.

In the final post of this series, we’ll summarize the key insights and best practices covered throughout the series and provide guidance on how to get started with your own zero trust implementation.

Until then, stay compliant and keep governing!

Additional Resources:

• Zero Trust Architecture: Aligning Business Objectives with Reality (SecurityIntelligence)
• Achieving Compliance with Zero Trust (Dark Reading)
• Zero Trust Governance: Empower Your Organization to Securely Work from Anywhere (Okta)

The post Governance and Compliance: Aligning Zero Trust with Business Requirements appeared first on Gigaom.

In a zero trust model, security must be dynamic, adaptive, and continuous. With no implicit trust granted to any user, device, or application, organizations must be able to quickly and consistently enforce security policies, detect and respond to threats, and maintain a robust security posture across a complex, ever-changing environment.

In this post, we’ll explore the role of automation and orchestration in a zero trust model, discuss the key technologies and processes involved, and share best practices for building a comprehensive automation and orchestration strategy.

The Role of Automation and Orchestration in Zero Trust

In a traditional perimeter-based security model, security processes are often manual, reactive, and siloed. Security teams must manually configure and enforce policies, investigate and respond to alerts, and coordinate across multiple tools and teams to remediate incidents.

However, in a zero trust model, this approach is no longer sufficient. With the attack surface expanding and the threat landscape evolving at an unprecedented pace, organizations must be able to automate and orchestrate security processes across the entire environment, from identity and access management to network segmentation and incident response.

Automation and orchestration play a critical role in enabling zero trust by:

1. Enforcing consistent policies: Automating the configuration and enforcement of security policies across the environment, ensuring that all users, devices, and applications are subject to the same rules and controls.
2. Accelerating threat detection and response: Orchestrating the collection, analysis, and correlation of security data from multiple sources, enabling faster detection and response to potential threats.
3. Reducing human error and inconsistency: Minimizing the risk of human error and inconsistency by automating repetitive, manual tasks and ensuring that policies and processes are applied consistently across the environment.
4. Enabling continuous monitoring and optimization: Continuously monitoring the environment for changes and anomalies, and automatically adapting policies and controls based on new information and insights.

By applying these principles, organizations can create a more agile, adaptive, and efficient security posture that can keep pace with the demands of a zero trust model.

Key Technologies and Processes for Zero Trust Automation and Orchestration

To build a comprehensive automation and orchestration strategy for zero trust, organizations must leverage a range of technologies and processes, including:

1. Security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR): Platforms that enable the automation and orchestration of security processes across multiple tools and systems, such as incident response, threat hunting, and vulnerability management.
2. Infrastructure as code (IaC): Tools and practices that enable the automated provisioning, configuration, and management of infrastructure using code, such as Terraform, Ansible, and CloudFormation.
3. Continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD): Processes and tools that enable the automated building, testing, and deployment of applications and infrastructure, such as Jenkins, GitLab, and Azure DevOps.
4. Policy as code: Practices and tools that enable the definition and enforcement of security policies using code, such as Open Policy Agent (OPA) and HashiCorp Sentinel.
5. Robotic process automation (RPA): Tools that enable the automation of repetitive, manual tasks across multiple systems and applications, such as UiPath and Automation Anywhere.

By leveraging these technologies and processes, organizations can build a comprehensive, automated, and orchestrated approach to zero trust that can adapt to changing business requirements and threat landscapes.

Best Practices for Zero Trust Automation and Orchestration

Implementing a zero trust approach to automation and orchestration requires a comprehensive, multi-layered strategy. Here are some best practices to consider:

1. Identify and prioritize use cases: Identify the key security processes and use cases that can benefit from automation and orchestration, and prioritize them based on their impact and feasibility. Focus on high-value, high-volume processes first, such as incident response and policy enforcement.
2. Establish a centralized automation platform: Implement a centralized platform, such as a SOAR or IaC tool, to manage and orchestrate automated processes across the environment. Ensure that the platform can integrate with existing tools and systems and can scale to meet the needs of the organization.
3. Implement policy as code: Define and enforce security policies using code, leveraging tools such as OPA and Sentinel. Ensure that policies are version-controlled, tested, and continuously updated based on new requirements and insights.
4. Automate testing and validation: Automate the testing and validation of security controls and policies, leveraging tools such as Terraform Sentinel and Inspec. Ensure that tests are run continuously and that results are used to drive improvements and optimizations.
5. Monitor and measure effectiveness: Continuously monitor and measure the effectiveness of automated processes and orchestrations, using metrics such as mean time to detect (MTTD), mean time to respond (MTTR), and false positive rates. Use these insights to continuously improve and optimize processes and policies.
6. Foster collaboration and communication: Foster collaboration and communication between security, operations, and development teams, leveraging tools such as ChatOps and collaboration platforms. Ensure that all teams are aligned on the goals and processes of automation and orchestration and that feedback and insights are continuously shared and acted upon.

By implementing these best practices and continuously refining your automation and orchestration posture, you can build a more agile, adaptive, and efficient approach to zero trust that can keep pace with the demands of the modern threat landscape.

Conclusion

In a zero trust world, automation and orchestration are the backbone of the security organization. By automating and orchestrating key security processes and policies, organizations can enforce consistent controls, accelerate threat detection and response, reduce human error and inconsistency, and enable continuous monitoring and optimization.

However, achieving effective automation and orchestration in a zero trust model requires a commitment to leveraging the right technologies and processes, fostering collaboration and communication between teams, and continuously monitoring and optimizing effectiveness. It also requires a shift in mindset, from a reactive, manual approach to a proactive, automated approach that can adapt to changing business requirements and threat landscapes.

As you continue your zero trust journey, make automation and orchestration a top priority. Invest in the tools, processes, and skills necessary to build a comprehensive automation and orchestration strategy, and regularly assess and refine your approach to keep pace with evolving threats and business needs.

In the next post, we’ll explore the role of governance and compliance in a zero trust model and share best practices for aligning zero trust initiatives with regulatory requirements and industry standards.

Until then, stay vigilant and keep automating!

Additional Resources:

• NIST Special Publication 800-207: Zero Trust Architecture
• The Role of Automation in Zero Trust Security (SecurityWeek)
• Accelerating Zero Trust Adoption with Intelligent Automation (Palo Alto Networks)

The post Automation and Orchestration: The Backbone of Zero Trust appeared first on Gigaom.

Policy-as-code solutions transform traditional, often neglected, security procedures into machine-readable code, integrating them seamlessly into DevOps toolchains. This approach empowers organizations to proactively enforce security policies throughout the entire software development lifecycle, from development and testing to deployment and production. The benefits are far-reaching, including improved security posture, reduced staff investment in manual policy enforcement, and streamlined compliance auditing.

This technology is particularly relevant for CTOs, CIOs, VPs of engineering, cloud architects, and other technology executives responsible for safeguarding their organization’s digital assets. Additionally, data scientists, engineers, and business leaders seeking to leverage data for strategic advantage can benefit from the insights and automation provided by policy-as-code solutions.

Business Imperative
The business imperative for adopting policy-as-code solutions is clear. In today’s interconnected world, security breaches can have devastating consequences, including financial losses, reputational damage, and regulatory fines. By automating security policy enforcement, organizations can proactively identify and remediate vulnerabilities, reducing the risk of costly incidents.

Furthermore, policy-as-code solutions help organizations achieve and maintain compliance with industry regulations and standards, such as HIPAA, GDPR, and PCI DSS. Compliance not only mitigates legal and financial risks but also strengthens customer trust and brand reputation.

Sector Adoption Score
To help executives and decision-makers assess the potential impact and value to the business of deploying a security policy-as-code solution, this GigaOm Key Criteria report provides a structured assessment of the sector across five factors: benefit, maturity, urgency, impact, and effort. By scoring each factor based on how strongly it compels or deters adoption of a security policy-as-code solution, we provide an overall Sector Adoption Score (Figure 1) of 4 out of 5, with 5 indicating the strongest possible recommendation to adopt. This indicates that a security policy-as-code solution is a credible candidate for deployment and worthy of thoughtful consideration.

The factors contributing to the Sector Adoption Score for security policy as code are explained in more detail in the Sector Brief section that follows.