TLS/ SSL DECRYPTION — ONE OF THE
MAIN PILLARS OF ZERO TRUST MODEL
In a world where everything and everyone is
connected to the internet, in one way or another, it’s
hard to imagine a network that is truly secure. Data,
large amounts of it, are at the centre of it all.
Insider Threats — Need for Security to Evolve
from “Castle and Moat” Approach
Initially, we had the concept of zones, perimeters and
network segments – placing all the protected assets
“inside” the secured network perimeter. However,
attackers are always evolving the methods they use;
always on the lookout for weak points in your network
defences; and coming up with newer ways of
infiltrating the perimeter. Keeping up with them is a
challenging and ongoing struggle. We also need to
realize that the “castle and moat” approach to our
network defences was mostly effective against
threats that resided outside the network. But what
about the threats on the inside? What about modern
attacks that work on multiple levels to try to bring
your networks down? How do we protect our
networks from people who have legitimate access to
all its resources?
Zero Trust Model — a Modern Cybersecurity
Approach
Zero Trust attempts to fix the problems, and patch the
holes, in our cybersecurity strategies. At the core of it,
the Zero Trust model is based on the principal of “trust
nobody.” The Zero Trust model dictates that no one in
your network should be trusted completely, that
access should be restricted as much as possible, and
that trust should be seen as yet another vulnerability
that can put your network at risk.
Danger of Security Blind Spots
In recent times, we have witnessed a phenomenal rise
in the use of encryption across the internet. Google
reports that over 90 percent of the traffic passing
through its services is encrypted.
However, with encryption comes the creation of a “blind
spot” in our network defences as most of the security
devices we use are not designed to decrypt and inspect
traffic. The Zero Trust model is not immune to this
problem as visibility is considered as one of the key
elements to its successful implementation. Without
complete encrypted traffic visibility, the model will fail,
introducing vulnerabilities that can be exploited by both
insiders and hackers.
TLS/SSL Decryption — One of the Main Pillars of
Zero Trust
A centralized and dedicated decryption solution must be
placed at the centre of the Zero Trust model and should
be included as one of the essential components of your
security strategy.
Many security vendors will make claims of the ability to
decrypt their own traffic, working independently of a
centralized decryption solution. However, this
“distributed decryption” approach can introduce
problems of its own, including inferior performance and
network bottlenecks, and fixing these would require
costly upgrades.
Key features of a good TLS/ SSL Decryption Solution
Below are some of the features to look out for when
looking to implement a TLS/ SSL Decryption Solution:
• Full Traffic Visibility
• Ease of Integration
• Multi-Layered Security Services
• User Access Control
• Micro Segmentation
• Securing Cloud Access
In conclusion, without a centralized and dedicated
TLS/SSL decryption solution, the Zero Trust model is
unable to do what it was designed to do — protect our
networks, users and data from threats residing inside and
outside the network.
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