Home Learn Zero-Trust Security How Zero-Trust Security Can Help Mitigate Risk Request demo Zero-Trust Security Establishing Zero Trust Implementing Zero Trust Zero Trust Best Practices Commvault and Zero Trust Definition Risk Mitigation The traditional network perimeter has dissolved in modern enterprise environments, leaving organizations vulnerable to sophisticated cyber threats. Security models based solely on location or network boundaries no longer provide adequate protection in hybrid and multi-cloud landscapes.Zero-trust security offers a compelling alternative by treating every access request as potentially hostile, regardless of origin. This approach replaces implicit trust with continuous verification, significantly reducing an organization’s attack surface and limiting the impact of breaches.Security leaders increasingly recognize zero trust as essential for protecting critical data and systems across distributed environments. By implementing verification at every access point, organizations can better defend against credential theft, lateral movement, and other advanced attack techniques. What Is Zero Trust?Zero-trust security represents a paradigm shift from traditional security models, founded on the principle of “never trust, always verify.” This approach assumes that threats exist both inside and outside the network, requiring verification for everyone attempting to access resources, regardless of their location. Unlike conventional security that focuses on defending the perimeter, zero trust acknowledges that perimeters are porous in distributed IT environments.Traditional security operated on an implicit trust model: Once inside the network, users and devices received relatively unrestricted access. Zero trust eliminates this implicit trust, requiring continuous authentication and authorization before granting access to applications and data. This fundamental shift addresses the reality that threats often come from compromised internal accounts or devices that already have bypassed perimeter defenses.The core principles of zero trust include continuous verification of identity, least privilege access, micro-segmentation, and comprehensive monitoring. These principles work together to create multiple layers of security controls that limit lateral movement and contain potential breaches. According to CISA, zero trust architecture integrates these principles into eight functional pillars – identity, device, network, application, data, visibility, automation, and governance.The Core Principles of Zero TrustThe following table outlines the core principles of zero trust and their corresponding business benefits:Core PrincipleBusiness BenefitContinuous verificationReduces risk of credential theft and compromised accounts by requiring ongoing authentication.Least-privilege accessMinimizes potential damage from breaches by limiting user access to only necessary resources.Micro-segmentationContains breaches by dividing networks into isolated zones, preventing lateral movement.Device verificationReduces risk from compromised endpoints by verifying device health and compliance.Data-centric protectionProtects sensitive information, regardless of where it resides or travels.Comprehensive monitoringProvides visibility into suspicious activities and enables faster threat detection.Automation and orchestrationImproves response times and reduces human error in security operations. Establishing Zero Trust Steps to Establishing Zero Trust To help organizations identify critical elements for their zero-trust model, here is a step-by-step guide: StepActionOutcome1. Identify critical assets.Map your data flows and classify information based on sensitivity.Prioritized list of assets requiring protection2. Define trust boundaries.Determine where verification controls should be implemented.Clear security zones and access control points3. Inventory users and devices.Document all entities requiring access to resources.Complete visibility to potential access points4. Establish access policies.Define who needs access to what resources under which conditions.Granular access control framework5. Select verification methods.Determine appropriate authentication mechanisms for different risk levels.Multi-layered authentication strategy6. Plan monitoring approach.Identify what activities and behaviors to monitor.Comprehensive visibility strategy7. Define incident response.Establish automated and manual responses to suspicious activities.Clear playbooks for security events Implementing Zero Trust Implementing Zero Trust for Risk Reduction Implementing zero trust requires a methodical approach that begins with understanding your organization’s assets and how they’re accessed. Start by identifying and classifying your most sensitive data and applications, then map the users, devices, and workflows that interact with these resources. This foundation allows you to design appropriate verification controls and access policies tailored to your specific risk profile.Identity and device management form the cornerstone of attack surface reduction in a zero-trust model. By implementing strong identity verification through multi-factor authentication (MFA), single sign-on, and identity governance, organizations can verify who is requesting access. Device management complements this by validating that devices meet security requirements before granting access to resources.Threat intelligence plays a vital role in making real-time policy decisions within a zero-trust framework. By incorporating current threat data into access decisions, organizations can dynamically adjust permissions based on risk signals.For example, a login attempt from an unusual location or at an unusual time might trigger additional verification requirements or limited access privileges. This adaptive approach allows security controls to respond to changing threat conditions without manual intervention.The following table provides a detailed implementation guide for systematically rolling out zero trust across your organization: Implementation PhaseKey TasksSuccess MetricsPhase 1: Assessment• Inventory critical data assets.• Map existing identity systems.• Identify security gaps.• Document current access patterns.• Complete asset inventory• Documented access requirements• Identified security gapsPhase 2: Foundation• Implement MFA for all users.• Deploy endpoint management.• Establish baseline monitoring.• Create initial access policies.• 100% MFA coverage• Endpoint visibility• Monitoring baselines establishedPhase 3: Segmentation• Implement network micro-segmentation.• Apply application-level controls.• Establish data protection measures.• Deploy policy enforcement points.• Segmented network architecture• Application access controls• Data classification implementedPhase 4: Automation• Implement automated policy enforcement.• Deploy continuous monitoring.• Establish incident response automation.• Integrate threat intelligence.• Automated policy decisions• Real-time monitoring• Automated response capabilitiesPhase 5: Optimization• Review and refine policies.• Address user experience issues.• Expand coverage to all resources.• Measure security improvements.• Reduced security incidents• Improved user experience• Comprehensive coverage Zero Trust Best Practices Best Practices for Zero-Trust Deployment Stringent authentication serves as the first line of defense in zero-trust deployment, requiring users to prove their identity through multiple factors before accessing resources.Organizations should implement risk-based authentication that adjusts verification requirements based on the sensitivity of resources and contextual risk factors. This approach balances security with user experience by applying appropriate controls based on access context.Micro-segmentation enhances resilience against cyber threats by dividing networks into isolated zones with independent security controls. This practice limits lateral movement if a breach occurs, containing potential damage to a single segment rather than exposing the entire network.By implementing fine-grained access controls at segment boundaries, organizations can verify every connection attempt regardless of its origin, significantly reducing the attack surface available to adversaries.Successful zero-trust deployment requires alignment between people, processes, and technology across the organization. This alignment begins with clear security policies that define access requirements and verification procedures.Technology implementations must support these policies through consistent enforcement mechanisms. Meanwhile, people need awareness training and streamlined processes to maintain security without impeding productivity. Best Practices for Implementing Zero TrustThe table below summarizes key zero trust best practices with specific implementation instructions for enterprise environments:Best PracticeImplementation InstructionsExpected OutcomeRisk-based authentication• Classify resources by sensitivity.• Define authentication factors for each risk level.• Implement contextual access policies.Appropriate security controls applied based on risk contextMicro-segmentation• Map application dependencies.• Define security zones based on data sensitivity.• Implement granular access controls between segments.Contained breach impact and reduced lateral movementContinuous monitoring• Deploy monitoring tools across all segments.• Establish baselines for normal behavior.• Configure alerts for anomalous activities.Early detection of potential security incidentsJust-in-time access• Implement temporary access provisioning.• Configure automatic access expiration.• Require justification for privileged access.Minimized standing privileges and reduced attack surfaceData protection• Classify data by sensitivity.• Apply encryption to sensitive data.• Implement data loss prevention controls.Protected data regardless of locationConsistent policy enforcement• Centralize policy management.• Implement policy enforcement points.• Regularly audit policy effectiveness.Uniform security controls across environmentsAdvanced Zero-Trust Security Tactics User behavior monitoring represents an advanced tactic that analyzes patterns to identify anomalous activities that may indicate compromise. By establishing baselines of normal behavior for users and entities, security systems can detect deviations that warrant investigation. This approach helps identify threats that have bypassed traditional controls, such as compromised credentials being used by unauthorized actors.Advanced analytics and machine learning enhance zero-trust implementations by processing vast amounts of security telemetry to identify subtle patterns and relationships. These technologies can correlate events across disparate systems to recognize attack patterns and predict potential threats before they cause damage. With proper integration, analytics platforms provide security teams with actionable intelligence to guide policy decisions and response actions.Ongoing security assessments remain essential as threats and technologies evolve over time. Regular testing helps identify gaps in zero-trust controls before attackers can exploit them.The following table outlines advanced zero trust tactics along with their associated tools and implementation checkpoints:Advanced TacticAssociated ToolsImplementation CheckpointsUser behavior analytics• UEBA platforms• Security analytics tools• Identity governance systems• Baseline establishment• Alert thresholds defined• Response procedures documentedAutomated threat response• SOAR platforms• Security orchestration tools• Incident response automation• Playbooks created• Integration with security tools• Testing and validation completedAdaptive access control• Context-aware access platforms• Risk scoring engines• Policy enforcement points• Risk factors defined• Access policies configured• Testing in various scenariosContinuous validation• Breach and attack simulation tools• Penetration testing• Security posture assessment• Testing schedule established• Remediation processes defined• Metrics for improvementAdvanced threat detection• NDR/XDR platforms• Threat intelligence integration• Deception technology• Detection use cases defined• False positive tuning• Alert triage procedures Commvault and Zero Trust Commvault and Zero-Trust Data Security Commvault aligns with zero-trust objectives by providing comprehensive data protection and recovery capabilities that complement broader security strategies. Our solutions apply zero-trust principles to data management, requiring verification before allowing access to backup data and systems. This approach helps protect critical information from unauthorized access while maintaining availability for legitimate recovery needs.Data management and ransomware protection form essential components of continuous business within a zero-trust framework. Commvault delivers immutable backups that help prevent unauthorized modification, helping organizations recover quickly from ransomware attacks and other data corruption events. These capabilities complement identity and access controls by providing a secure recovery option when prevention measures are bypassed.Commvault offers scalable, automated zero-trust solutions designed for hybrid environments. Our approach integrates with existing security infrastructure to provide consistent data protection across on-premises systems, public clouds, and SaaS applications. This unified strategy simplifies security management while providing the comprehensive coverage needed for effective zero-trust implementation. Zero-Trust Use CasesThe table below illustrates how Commvault’s solutions integrate with zero-trust strategies through real-world use cases:Use CaseCommvault IntegrationZero-Trust BenefitRansomware recoveryImmutable backups with air-gapped storageProvides clean recovery point even if production environment is compromised.Data access governanceMFA and role-based accessLimits backup access to authorized personnel with appropriate privileges.Cloud data protectionConsistent controls across hybrid environmentsMaintains zero-trust principles, regardless of data location.Automated security responseIntegration with security orchestration platformsEnables automated recovery actions based on security events.Compliance verificationAudit logging and reporting capabilitiesDocuments access to sensitive data for compliance requirements.Secure remote operationsZero-trust access to backup managementProtects administrative functions from unauthorized access.Commvault Help with Zero TrustZero-trust security requires a strategic blend of technology, processes, and people working together to create multiple layers of protection. Strong data protection and recovery capabilities serve as the foundation for maintaining business operations during cyber incidents. Organizations that implement comprehensive zero trust architectures with robust data protection are better positioned to defend against modern cyber threats and maintain continuous business.We understand your zero-trust journey requires careful planning and the right technology partner. Let us show you how our solutions can strengthen your security posture. Request a demo to see how we can help protect your data. Related Terms Data Protection Practices, technologies, and policies to safeguard data against unauthorized access, loss, corruption, and other threats. Learn more Cyber Deception A proactive security and defense tactic that deceives bad actors and malicious attacks by diverting them toward fake assets while generating alerts about their presence. Learn more Air Gap Backup A backup system that is physically isolated from the main computer or network, creating a “gap” that prevents backup data from being accessible to hackers or malware. Learn more related resources Explore related resources View all resources blog Mastering Immutability, Air-Gapping, and Zero Trust Learn about how the cloud resilience model is based on the zero-trust security framework. video Implementing Zero-Trust Architecture with Commvault Learn how to simplify zero-trust implementation in your IT environment while improving your security posture. solution brief Cyber Resilience Handbook A practical guide to establishing minimum viability for your organization’s cyber resilience strategy.