What does Zscaler's Zero Trust architecture aim to achieve?

Zscaler's Zero Trust architecture focuses on ensuring access based on verification. This approach challenges the traditional security model that often assumes trust for users and devices that are inside the network perimeter. Instead, Zero Trust requires continuous verification of user identity and device integrity before granting access to resources, regardless of where the request originates.

This model is vital in today’s environment where threats can originate from inside as well as outside the network, making verification a crucial element in safeguarding sensitive data and applications. By implementing strict access controls, Zscaler’s architecture effectively minimizes the risk of unauthorized access and protects the organization from potential breaches. This principle helps organizations align with modern security practices that prioritize consistent authentication and authorization measures.

Trusting all internal users by default undermines security resilience, as it assumes users inside the perimeter are trustworthy. Similarly, reducing the need for user authentication and establishing a perimeter-based security model conflicts with the core tenet of Zero Trust, which seeks to apply stringent verification across all access points rather than relying on static security boundaries.