Insights / Video / A Zero-trust Discussion with John Grady and Mark Peters (Video)
August 21, 2020

A Zero-trust Discussion with John Grady and Mark Peters (Video)

John Grady
Principal Analyst, Network Security & Web Application Security

Market Topics

Cybersecurity

Zero-trust has seen an explosion in interest over the last few years. As the perimeter has become increasingly porous due to cloud usage and distributed network architectures, a fresh look at some of the foundational cybersecurity concepts was sorely needed. This has only been exacerbated by the pandemic, with many organizations not only supporting a primarily remote workforce, but also trying to complete their digital transformation journey in a matter of months, rather than the years they originally planned.

Despite the clear applicability, there remains some confusion in the market regarding exactly what implementing zero-trust entails, where to start, and how to ensure the initiative is successful. The recent finalization of the NIST guidelines on zero-trust architectures may help provide some clarity, but much work remains.

With all that in mind, Mark Peters posed several questions to me on the topic of zero-trust as a part of Enterprise Strategy Group’s recent virtual breakfast at Black Hat 2020. In the following video, Mark and I touch upon:

  • Zero-trust interest and adoption. By now, nearly everyone even tangentially involved with cybersecurity has some awareness of zero-trust. In fact, Enterprise Strategy Group research has found that 88% of respondents are very or somewhat familiar with the concept. However, when we consider adoption, the data simply doesn’t match up with real-world scenarios, pointing to the aforementioned confusion.
  • Data security as a component of zero-trust. The short answer is that it is a part of a complete zero-trust strategy. However, it should not be the starting point.
  • How to incorporate zero-trust. We don’t provide an exhaustive list, but do touch on some of the high-level keys to success with these projects, including starting small while maintaining a long-term vision and how to think about vendor partnerships.

Unparalleled insights from analysts with an "insider" perspective

From strategy and product development to competitive insights and content creation, we deliver high-quality, actionable support services.