Can you imagine if your company’s most coveted and private information was exposed to the world with a single click? According to this New York Times article, that is exactly what happened to the United States. Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the National Guard recently leaked hundreds of classified U.S. Intelligence documents through a gaming chat website.

As cybersecurity experts, it was concerning to see how easily a junior-ranked airman could even access these confidential files and data. If the National Guard had a Zero Trust strategy in place, this incident could have been prevented.

Government entities holding our nation’s secrets are not the only entities that need a Zero Trust strategy. Small-to-medium-sized businesses can benefit from this approach because it keeps their sensitive files and data more secure from prying eyes. Can you afford a data breach from one of your “trusted” employees?

What is Zero Trust?

Zero Trust refers to a system where employees only have access to the information and files required to perform their roles, as opposed to giving blanket access to all the members of an organization. For example, a customer service representative does not need access to the same files or data as the Vice President of a company.

Here are Four Zero Trust strategies you should be implementing at your organization to avoid a risky data leak:

  1. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) - Multi-factor authentication uses a secondary method to verify a user’s identity. When signing on, the user will receive a push notification, text, or email on another device. MFA is one of the most important measures to prevent unauthorized access to your network.
  2. Identities to Control Access - Much like our social security numbers and driver’s licenses, people and devices have an identity within a network. They have trackable numbers that indicate who is trying to access a document or application. This way, whenever a person or device requests access to a resource, there are security measures in place to prevent unverified users from accessing sensitive information and an audit trail of when a user accesses data.
  3. Passwordless Authentication - Traditional passwords aren’t always the most secure option for authentication. Alternatively, you can use a four-to-six-digit pin, thumbprint, facial recognition, or an iris scan.
  4. Network Segmentation - Without network segmentation, it is assumed that any user within your network is trustworthy. Network segmentation breaks up your network into smaller pieces. This allows an organization to create internal boundaries to better monitor and protect its network. Each segment has limited access to certain resources, so not every employee has access to every resource. This also prevents cybercriminals from moving easily around your network.

These tips are just a starting point to protect your business from internal and external threats. Protecting your network is an ongoing process. We are offering a Free Network Security Audit to get you started, providing insight into the security of your IT systems. To claim this offer, please click this link or contact Eric Shorr at eshorr@securefuturetch.com.