Zero Trust: What It Is — and What It Is NOT

Context

Zero Trust is not a product. It’s a security model built around continuous verification, least privilege, segmentation, and strong identity governance.

Common Mistakes

• Implementing “MFA-only” and calling it Zero Trust
• Ignoring service accounts, legacy apps, and administrative paths
• No visibility into east–west traffic or privileged actions

Practical Checklist

• Centralize identity and enforce strong MFA for privileged access
• Remove standing admin rights; adopt just-in-time access where possible
• Segment high-value assets and restrict lateral movement
• Validate device posture continuously
• Log, monitor, and alert on abnormal access behavior