The modern workplace has seen a rise in the number of endpoints, leading to an increase in security challenges for organizations. Security and risk management (SRM) leaders need to apply zero-trust principles to endpoints to enhance workspace security effectively. This approach goes beyond traditional security measures by focusing on continuous verification and adaptive access control to address risks associated with managed and unmanaged devices.
Implementing a zero-trust strategy involves assessing existing security systems and integrating various security tools and practices. This includes conducting an inventory of all devices accessing corporate resources, auditing installed applications, and enforcing security features like firewalls and encryption. Integrating endpoint protection platform (EPP) with unified endpoint management (UEM) creates a unified endpoint security (UES) system, providing visibility and control over managed endpoints.
Securing unmanaged devices is crucial, with conditional access policies based on contextual factors being essential. Technologies like VDI, DaaS, and ZTNA offer secure access to corporate resources, while MFA enhances security by allowing only authenticated users access. Combining zero-trust principles with vulnerability management, behavioural analytics, and threat intelligence ensures a holistic approach to security.
Continuous monitoring and improvement are key components of a zero-trust strategy, with advanced analytics and machine learning helping to detect suspicious activities and trigger automated responses. By integrating zero-trust principles with other security strategies and regularly assessing their effectiveness, organizations can effectively mitigate risks and protect their resources from cyber threats.