You may have felt safe if you lived in a home with a high boundary wall. That is, until you realized that a thief can still climb it. This is exactly what happens in the world today of cybersecurity.
For years, businesses relied on security perimeters–basically digital walls–to keep bad actors out. As hackers became more sophisticated and companies began to move their systems to cloud computing, the old idea of security perimeters started to fall apart.
What does
mean and how is this different from the traditional perimeter strategy?
Let’s do it in a humane, simple way.
What is the security perimeter model?
Imagine that your company is a castle from the Middle Ages. You have strong walls (firewalls), an inner moat (VPN), as well as guards on duty at the gates (security policies).
As soon as someone enters the castle, such as when an employee connects to a company’s network, they are trusted. They have access to all resources, systems and files.
This is the
idea of perimeter-based security.
Keep the bad guys outside and trust everyone in.
It was great when everyone was in the castle .
But this is not how business operates anymore.
The problem: the castle walls are gone
Today, you can work from anywhere, including Starbucks or home.
Apps are stored in the cloud and data is constantly flowing through different networks. Devices are also connecting and disconnecting.
What are the old walls? The walls don’t go that far.
A compromised laptop or email phishing can allow attackers to gain access. Once they are in, will trust them fully.
It’s the same as giving a thief free access to your castle because they sneaked in wearing a uniform.
Example in real-world:
In the year 2020, an attack occurred after an attacker obtained a contractor’s credentials for a VPN. The attacker was able to move lateral across the network because the company relied on perimeter-based security.
The perimeter security industry struggles to deal with this type of threat.
Never Trust and Always Verify: Enter the Zero Trust Model
Zero Trust is a new concept that flips the traditional idea on its head.
It says that instead of trusting everyone in the network it:
Never trust anyone, inside or outside. They must prove their legitimacy.
Every device, app, or user must continuously verify their identity.
Imagine airport security:
Even the pilots and crew go through metal detectors and security screenings. Why? Why? Because the stakes of trusting someone are too high.
Zero Trust in action
Zero Trust: How it Works
Zero Trust is not a single tool. It’s a philosophy of security that’s supported by many layers of technology.
This is how it goes:
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Multi-factor authentication: ______ ______
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Device security: HTML 1_ The system checks if the device meets standards for security (updated OS and antivirus, etc.). ).
-
Least Privilege access:
Users get only what they need – nothing more. -
Continuous monitoring:
Your activity is monitored continuously for suspicious behaviour, even after you have logged in.
It is harder for an attacker to exploit one single vulnerability.
The Story that Makes it Real
Imagine that you are a small company with remote developers.
A developer opens a phishing e-mail one day. Hacker steals credentials from developer and attempts to log in your code repository.
A hacker can easily get in under a perimeter-model because the system considers them “inside.”
This login attempt will trigger an alert under Zero trust. The system detects an oddity:
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Login is from a different country.
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The device has not been recognized.
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It is outside of normal working hours.
Access denied immediately.
Crisis avoided.
This is the power of zero trust–it does not rely on walls, but on smart detection and continuous verification.
Security Perimeter and Zero Trust: Differences between the two
| Features | Security Perimeter | Zero Trust |
|---|---|---|
| Trust model | You can trust anyone in the network | No one to trust by default |
| Access control | Broad once inside | Restricted and continuously verified |
| Best for | Local office setup | Cloud, hybrid and remote environments |
| Weakness | Credential theft by insiders | Initial setup is complex |
| Focus | Network boundary | Identity, device and context |
Why Zero Trust is the Future
As remote work, SaaS, and hybrid cloud become the norm, perimeters are everywhere at once.
In a borderless, globalized world, practical protection is the key.
FAQS
1. What is the difference in security between perimeter-based and zero trust?
Zero Trust follows the rule: em data-end=”367″ data-start=”336″> “Never trust, always verify.” Zero Trust adheres to the rule : “Never trust; always verify.”
2. What are the five D’s for perimeter security?
The 5 Ds are: Detect, Deny Delay and Defend – a multi-layered approach for protecting networks and data against attacks.
3. What is the opposite to perimeter security?
Zero-Trust security is the opposite. It removes all network boundaries and demands continuous verification for every access request.
4. What are the advantages of Zero Trust security compared to traditional perimeter-based security?
Zero Trust does not rely on network boundaries. It constantly verifies users and their devices, provides least-privileges access and protects both internally and externally more effectively.
5. What are the five pillars of Zero Trust?
Each of the five pillars is:Â Device, Application, Data, and Network Security. This ensures complete protection from end to end.
6. Does ZTNA replace VPN?
ZTNAÂ replaces VPNs, because it offers a more secure and app-specific network access.
