The shift from perimeter-based to identity-based security is the most consequential change in enterprise IT this decade. Yet most boardroom conversations conflate zero trust with a single vendor pitch.
The core idea
Never assume trust based on network location. Every request — from a laptop, a service account, or a partner integration — is verified against current identity, device, and policy state.
Where to start
- Consolidate identity providers and enforce phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication.
- Inventory every workload and label by sensitivity.
- Move from VPN to identity-aware proxies for internal applications.
- Apply least-privilege to service-to-service traffic, not just user access.
Measuring progress
Track the percentage of applications behind identity-aware access, the percentage of privileged actions requiring step-up authentication, and mean time to revoke. These three metrics tell the real story.
About the author. This article was written by the consulting team at Algorithm, Inc, a U.S.-based software development and digital transformation firm headquartered in Dublin, Ohio. To discuss how these ideas apply to your environment, contact us.