How do we implement Zero Trust Security for our remote workforce using Cloud-native tools?

All answers to this question.

Transitioning to Zero Trust is a journey, not a single switch. Start by implementing "Conditional Access" policies in your Identity Provider (like Azure AD or Okta). Instead of just checking a password, your system should evaluate the "Context": Is the user on a known device? Is the IP from a weird location? Is the device's antivirus up to date? For personal laptops, you can use "Mobile Application Management" (MAM) rather than full device enrollment (MDM), which protects company data within specific apps without spying on the employee's personal files. This balance is key to employee buy-in during the transition.

   Answered 2024-11-05 by Elizabeth Walker

Are you worried about "MFA Fatigue" where employees just start blindly hitting 'Approve' on their phones because they get so many prompts throughout the day?

   Answered 2024-11-07 by Thomas Wright

• We definitely saw that, Thomas. To fix it, we moved to "Number Matching" in the Microsoft Authenticator app. Now, the user has to type a code shown on the login screen into their phone. It forces them to actually look at what they are approving. We also implemented "Session Persistence" for known, low-risk devices so they only get prompted once every 24 hours unless they change locations. It’s about making the secure path the easiest path for the user.

     Commented 2024-11-08 by Richard Moore

Don't forget about your APIs! Zero Trust isn't just for users; your microservices should also authenticate with each other using mTLS or short-lived tokens.

   Answered 2024-11-09 by Jennifer Lopez

• Jennifer is spot on. "Service-to-Service" security is the most overlooked part of Zero Trust. If one pod is compromised, you don't want the attacker to have free rein of the whole cluster.

     Commented 2024-11-10 by Christopher Evans