Cybersecurity, data security, and hardening internal systems is a major concern for organizations and will increase in importance as time goes on. We’ve already covered some basic topics around data security – let’s continue to take a look at data backups and Zero Trust policies.
Zero Trust, as a security model, is a framework based around the concept of “never trust, always verify” – demanding more rigorous standards for checking certificates and identity, no matter if devices are on a theoretically trusted network or not. The framework, as established by the National Cyber Security Centre, includes the following principles:
- The network is hostile
Earlier security frameworks treated networks as a safe environment; devices connected within the closed network were viewed with inherent trust. Under Zero Trust, the assumption is reversed. Just because a device is present on your network does not mean it is trusted, and just because a device is trusted does not mean it should receive access to all of the network’s data. When on a closed network, connection attempts from a non-recognized device are automatically denied.
- The user must be authenticated
Under Basic Authentication, users would authenticate with a single step – usually a password – to verify their identity and thus their credentials to access information. This approach is no longer considered sufficient, and requires more robust verification of user identity under Zero Trust including but not limited to extensive use of Multifactor Authentication (MFA).
- Additional context, such as policy compliance and device health, must be taken into account
Scrutiny of attempted logins and access attempts has to be determined by their context and given variable degrees of attention: How much confidence you need in order to trust a connection depends on the value of data being accessed or the impact of the action being requested.
How do backups and Zero Trust interact?
The basic framework of Zero Trust can be – indeed should be – applied to how backups are set up and configured. Backups are a prime target for ransomware and other attacks, in addition to insider attacks. If you can disable the backup, the organization has a far harder time of recovering.
Zero Trust principles in Backup include encrypting data both in transit and at rest. It involves establishing rigorous verification measures, preventing unauthorized access, and limits access to only strictly necessary portions of the system.
Zero Trust principles are in this regard far superior to other commonly used security measures – Virtual Private Networks allow access to an entire network once connected. Software-Defined Perimeter creates virtual boundaries to protect assets – but unlike Zero Trust frameworks does not require continuous checks of identity and re-verification.
Ensuring comprehensive protections of your backup systems helps keep the backup system functioning as intended, thereby providing security and recoverability to your organization. As the security environment continues to become more complex and threat dense, this approach stands to become not only desirable but necessary.
Your Data In Your Hands – With TECH-ARROW
