Zero Trust and Principle Of Least Privilege. Whats The Difference?

Zero Trust and Principle Of Least Privilege. Whats The Difference?

In today's digital age, businesses are more vulnerable than ever to cyber attacks. Hackers are constantly looking for ways to exploit vulnerabilities in a company's network or applications. That's why it's important to have robust cybersecurity policies in place to protect your business. Two of the most popular cybersecurity policies are the zero trust policy and the principle of least privilege (POLP). In this post, we'll explore the differences between the two and how they can help to secure your business. 



Zero Trust Policy

The zero trust policy is a security model that assumes that all users, devices, and applications are untrusted, even if they are inside the network perimeter. Under the zero trust policy, access to resources is only granted after the user or device is authenticated and authorized. This means that users and devices must be constantly re-authenticated and re-authorized as they move around the network. This approach is known as "never trust, always verify."

The zero trust policy is based on the principle that no user or device should be trusted by default, no matter where they are located. This is because cyber attacks can come from both inside and outside the network perimeter. By assuming that all users and devices are untrusted, the zero trust policy minimizes the risk of unauthorized access to critical resources.

Principle of Least Privilege (POLP)

The principle of least privilege (POLP) is another popular cybersecurity policy. The POLP is based on the idea that users should only have access to the resources they need to do their job, and no more. Under the POLP, users are granted the minimum permissions required to perform their duties. This approach helps to minimize the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive data and resources.

The POLP is designed to prevent users from accidentally or intentionally accessing resources they don't need. For example, if an employee in the marketing department does not need access to financial data, they should not be granted access to that data. This reduces the risk of a data breach or theft of sensitive information.

Difference between the zero trust policy and the principle of least privilege (POLP)

While the zero trust policy and the POLP are both designed to improve cybersecurity, they are different in their approach. The zero trust policy assumes that all users and devices are untrusted, while the POLP assumes that users are trusted, but only granted access to the resources they need.

Under the zero trust policy, users and devices must be constantly re-authenticated and re-authorized as they move around the network. This can be a time-consuming process that can affect productivity. However, it provides a high level of security by minimizing the risk of unauthorized access to critical resources.

Under the POLP, users are granted the minimum permissions required to perform their duties. This approach helps to minimize the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive data and resources. However, it assumes that users are trusted, which may not always be the case. If a user's account is compromised, for example, the attacker may be able to access sensitive data and resources that the user has access to.

Conclusion

The zero trust policy and the principle of least privilege are both effective cybersecurity policies that can help to secure your business. The zero trust policy assumes that all users and devices are untrusted, while the POLP assumes that users are trusted, but only granted access to the resources they need. By implementing both policies, you can improve the security of your business and minimize the risk of a cyber attack

 

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