What Is a Zero Trust Vendor?

Zero Trust vendors provide products and services that help organizations implement a Zero Trust framework for cybersecurity. 

Zero Trust is a philosophy that assumes every request to access IT resources may be a threat. No person, application, or machine is automatically trusted in a Zero Trust system. Every time access is requested, the user, device and connection must be authenticated or re-authenticated, whether it originates from inside or outside the network.

The Zero Trust approach is a better fit for highly distributed networks and hybrid cloud environments where IT resources may physically reside anywhere in the world. Zero Trust also is ideally suited for a hybrid workplace where users often need to connect to applications and data from remote locations on unsecured connections. By requiring authentication on every access request, a Zero Trust environment can help prevent attacks and limit the damage that attackers can do if they successfully penetrate defenses in one part of the network.

Zero Trust vendors enable organizations to implement and manage Zero Trust networks more efficiently by providing a Zero Trust platform with tools for micro-segmentation, continuous monitoring, threat detection, identity and access management, employee verification and Zero Trust Network Access.
 

Zero Trust vendors offer various technologies that help organizations adhere to the three essential pillars of a Zero Trust environment.

Never trust, always verify
Zero Trust solutions operate on a “default deny” basis, barring access to IT resources until a user, device, or process has been authenticated. Zero Trust environments verify access requests based on context, including user identity, location, type of device, and the content and application being requested. Adaptive policies continually reassess the risk associated with each user and device as the context changes.

Assume breach
Security teams in a Zero Trust environment don’t wait until an attack sets off alarms. Instead, they assume a breach has already happened and constantly seek to identify and remediate it. This practice allows them to find violations faster and limit the damage. 

Offer least-privilege access
In a Zero Trust system, legitimate users, devices and processes receive permission to access only the resources they need to perform a specific function and nothing more. This helps to limit the risk exposure of each request and minimizes the chance of a potential breach.
 

Zero Trust vendors deliver various solutions organizations can use to implement Zero Trust policies.

Identity and access control
Identity and access management solutions enable continuous authentication and enforce least-privilege access. Dynamic and contextual analysis of user requests ensures that legitimate users can access the resources they need at the right time while limiting access to other IT assets. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) solutions significantly reduce the opportunities for threat actors to gain unauthorized access.

Micro-segmentation
Micro segmentation solutions allow IT teams to segment networks into smaller networks and to protect individual workloads, applications and sensitive data. By wrapping these assets within a security perimeter, micro-segmentation technologies defend them from attackers who have gained access to another part of the network. 

Endpoint verification
Endpoint verification solutions authenticate devices to ensure they are controlled by legitimate users and are free of malware and threats.

Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)
ZTNA solutions enable users to connect to resources on the network from any location on any device. By providing a secure, encrypted tunnel for connectivity, ZTNA technologies improve the user experience while restricting access to IT assets.

Real-time monitoring
Solutions for continuous monitoring provide visibility into all security processes and activity on the network. Real-time monitoring enables security teams to improve threat detection and analysis, while real-time analytics facilitate more informed security decisions.
 

Zero Trust environments offer several critical advantages for enterprises, security teams, and users.

Enhanced security posture
Zero Trust solutions help block dangerous attacks like ransomware, malware and zero-day vulnerabilities while limiting the damage of successful breaches.

Secure remote access
ZTNA solutions help to connect remote and hybrid workforces, allowing workers to safely connect to the internet and the data and applications they need.

Easier management
Implementing a Zero Trust approach can help IT teams to manage and secure a highly distributed IT environment more easily.

Streamlined compliance
Zero Trust environments enable enterprises to comply more easily with a broad range of regulatory frameworks and internal standards by delivering greater visibility and improved protection.

Lower headcount
Automation in a Zero Trust system allows security teams facing budget constraints to improve security programs without needing to add staff resources.
 

Offering market-leading solutions built to protect the modern enterprise, Forcepoint helps stop breaches while enabling businesses to continue at pace. As a Zero Trust vendor, Forcepoint delivers a collection of Zero Trust security services and products that support security teams to successfully implement a Zero Trust framework while minimizing cost and effort. With Forcepoint Zero Trust security tools, security teams can:

• Provide secure remote access. Forcepoint Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) lets users connect quickly and securely to apps and data on an organization’s network while applying Zero Trust policies for least-privilege access. Forcepoint ZTNA limits access to only the private apps that each user needs rather than providing broad access to resources in internal data centers and private clouds. Security teams can manage one set of security policies to control sensitive data, protecting files with built-in malware-scanning and DLP technology that stops hackers and data breaches.
• Protect critical data. Forcepoint DLP (Data Loss Prevention) supports Zero Trust data security policies by stopping unauthorized users from accessing data and preventing data from being purposefully or accidentally leaked. Forcepoint DLP monitors data flowing in and out of the organization and uses security policies to detect and block sensitive information from leaving the organization’s domain. This Forcepoint solution also provides comprehensive visibility that lets security teams discover, classify and monitor data more effectively while introducing zero friction to the user experience.
• Block file-based malware attacks. Forcepoint Zero Trust CDR (Content Disarm & Reconstruction) automatically blocks known and unknown threats like zero-day attacks and malware transmitted via incoming files. Rather than relying solely on malware detection technology, Zero Trust CDR adopts a Zero Trust approach and assumes every document, email, image and file is already compromised. When users receive a file or request access to an IT asset, Zero Trust CDR extracts the valid business information within the file. It builds a new, pixel-perfect, entirely usable file free of threats.