Zero Trust Architecture for Industrial IoT

What Is Zero Trust?

Zero Trust security is an IT security standard model that requires strict identity verification for every person and device trying to access resources on a private network, regardless of whether they are sitting within or outside of the network perimeter.Zero Trust assumes that there is no traditional network edge; networks can be local, in the cloud, or a combination or hybrid with resources anywhere as well as workers in any location.
Zero Trust is a framework for securing infrastructure and data for today’s modern digital transformation. It uniquely addresses the modern challenges of today’s business, including securing remote workers, hybrid cloud environments, and ransomware threats. While many vendors have tried to create their own definitions of Zero Trust, there are a number of standards from recognized organizations that can help you align Zero Trust with your organization.

Zero Trust and NIST 800-207

At ICT Security , we align to the NIST 800-207 standard for Zero Trust. This is the most vendor neutral, comprehensive standards, not just for government entities, but for any organization. Finally, the NIST standard ensures compatibility and protection against modern attacks for a cloud-first, work from anywhere model most enterprises need to achieve.

Zero Trust Model Principles

The Zero Trust model is based on four main principles, which are listed in the following figure.

Zero Trust requires strong authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and identity and access management (IAM) tools to ensure that only authorized users and devices are granted access.
Zero Trust requires continuous monitoring of network traffic and endpoint activities using security information and event management (SIEM), intrusion detection systems (IDS), and intrusion prevention systems (IPS) to identify potential security incidents.
Zero Trust requires the principle of least privilege to ensure that users and devices are granted access only to the resources they need to perform their job function.
Zero Trust requires data encryption, data loss prevention (DLP) tools, and network segmentation to isolate critical assets and limit the impact of any security incident.

Implementation Timeline

Implementing a Zero Trust model can be a complex process that requires a phased approach to ensure proper planning, coordination, and execution. The timeline for implementing a Zero Trust model will vary depending on the size of the organization, the complexity of its network infrastructure, and the maturity of its security controls. Here are some general steps that organizations can take to implement a Zero Trust model:

1. Conduct a network and application inventory to identify all assets and their dependencies: This step involves mapping the network topology and identifying all applications and services that are used within the network.

2. Develop access control policies that are based on the principle of least privilege and restrict access to only the resources required to perform a specific task: This step involves defining access control policies that restrict user and device access to only the resources they need to perform their job function.

3. Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) and identity and access management (IAM) tools to verify and authenticate every user and device that accesses the network: This step involves deploying MFA and IAM tools to ensure strong authentication of all users and devices that access the network.

4. Deploy network segmentation tools such as firewalls, virtual private networks (VPNs), and software-defined networking (SDN) to isolate and protect critical assets: This step involves implementing network segmentation to isolate critical assets and restrict access to them.

5. Deploy security monitoring tools such as intrusion detection systems (IDS), intrusion prevention systems (IPS), and security information and event management (SIEM) to continuously monitor the network and all its activities for anomalies and potential security threats: This step involves deploying SIEM, IDS, and IPS tools to continuously monitor network traffic and endpoint activities to identify potential security incidents.

6. Implement data encryption and data loss prevention (DLP) tools to protect sensitive data and limit the impact of any security incident: This step involves implementing data encryption and DLP tools to protect sensitive data and limit the impact of any security incident.

7. Conduct regular security audits and assessments to ensure that the Zero Trust model is working as intended and to identify any gaps or weaknesses that need to be addressed: This step involves conducting regular security audits and assessments to ensure that the Zero

Example implementation timeline

Every Zero Trust Architecture deployment is unique but there are a common set of steps that most projects follow. This is a recommended timeline for a business getting started on a Zero Trust Architecture implementation.