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The third step in the SDP onboarding process is to onboard and authenticate the initiating hosts, which are the clients that request access to the protected resources. The initiating hosts connect to and authenticate with the SDP gateway, which acts as an accepting host and a proxy for the protected resources. The SDP gateway verifies the identity and posture of the initiating hosts and grants them access to the resources based on the policies defined by the SDP controller.

References =

Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) prepkit, page 21, section 3.1.2

6 SDP Deployment Models to Achieve Zero Trust | CSA, section “Deployment Models Explained”

Software-Defined Perimeter (SDP) and Zero Trust | CSA, page 7, section 3.1

Device validation helps establish a trusted connection based on certificate-based keys in a ZT deployment. Device validation is the process of verifying the identity and posture of the devices that request access to the protected resources. Device validation relies on the use of certificates, which are digital credentials that bind the device identity to a public key. Certificates are issued by a trusted authority and can be used to authenticate the device and encrypt the communication. Device validation helps to ensure that only healthy and compliant devices can access the resources, and that the connection is secure and confidential.

References =

Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) prepkit, page 15, section 2.2.3

Zero Trust and Windows device health - Windows Security, section “Device health attestation on Windows”

Devices and zero trust | Google Cloud Blog, section “In a zero trust environment, every device has to earn trust in order to be granted access.”

Single Packet Authorization (SPA) is a method used in Zero Trust networks to securely request access to a service. A key concept of SPA is that the SPA packet must be self-contained, carrying all necessary information for the authorization decision within a single, encrypted packet. This ensures that the packet alone can provide enough context for the receiving server to authenticate the request and make an authorization decision, without needing additional information exchanges. This self-contained nature of SPA packets aligns with the principle of minimizing the movement and exposure of sensitive credentials, thus enhancing the security of the authentication process​​.

To ensure a successful ZT effort, it is important to engage stakeholders across the organization and at all levels, including functional areas. This helps to align the ZT vision and goals with the business priorities and needs, gain buy-in and support from the leadership and the users, and foster a culture of collaboration and trust. Engaging stakeholders also enables the identification and mapping of the critical assets, workflows, and dependencies, as well as the communication and feedback mechanisms for the ZT transformation.

References =

Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) prepkit, page 7, section 1.3

Zero Trust Planning - Cloud Security Alliance, section “Scope, Priority, & Business Case”

The ‘Zero Trust’ Model in Cybersecurity: Towards understanding and …, section “3.1 Ensuring buy-in across the organization with tangible impact”

Proper risk management should be a key component of any ZT project, especially during implementation and adjustments, because it helps to identify, analyze, evaluate, and treat the potential risks that may affect the ZT and ZTA objectives and outcomes. Proper risk management also helps to prioritize the ZT and ZTA activities and resources based on the risk level and impact, and to monitor and review the risk mitigation strategies and actions.

References = Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) - Cloud Security Alliance, Zero Trust Training (ZTT) - Module 9: Risk Management

The policy engine (PE) is the component in a ZTA that is responsible for deciding whether to grant access to a resource. The PE evaluates the policies and the contextual data collected from various sources, such as the user identity, the device posture, the network location, the resource attributes, and the environmental factors, and then generates an access decision. The PE communicates the access decision to the policy enforcement point (PEP), which enforces the decision on the resource.

References =

Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) prepkit, page 14, section 2.2.2

What Is Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA)? - F5, section “Policy Engine”

What is Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA)? | NextLabs, section “Core Components”

[SP 800-207, Zero Trust Architecture], page 11, section 3.3.1

In a ZTA, policies should be created in the control plane, which is the logical component that defines and manages the policies for accessing resources. The control plane consists of policy entities, such as policy administrators, policy engines, and policy decision points, that are responsible for crafting, maintaining, evaluating, and enforcing the policies1. The control plane interacts with the data plane, which is the logical component that handles the data transmission and processing, and the network, which is the physical or virtual component that provides the connectivity and transport for the data plane1. The endpoint is the device or system that requests or provides access to a resource1.

References =

Zero Trust Architecture | NIST

The scope of the target state definition in Zero Trust planning is significantly influenced by an organization's risk appetite. This entails a strategic evaluation of the level of risk an organization is willing to accept in pursuit of its objectives. Continuous authentication and authorization, integral to Zero Trust, adapt to the dynamic state of threats and the organization's risk posture, ensuring that authorization decisions align with the prevailing risk appetite and the changing security landscape​​.