Over the last few months, I’ve been pleased to collaborate on a number of projects with the respected research and advisory firm TAG Cyber. Senior Lead Analyst Katherine Teitler has published a new white paper that will be of great interest to cybersecurity practitioners, How Invisibility Enhances Zero Trust Security.
In her new paper, Katie explores how obfuscation and invisibility help enterprises achieve a zero trust network posture, which she maintains is the gold standard for security. “Enterprises are moving toward a ‘never trust, always verify,’ adaptive, contextual, and identity-based approach to access control,” she states. “While most of the attributes are widely known amongst cyber security practitioners, obfuscation is a lesser-discussed element.”
Likening invisibility through obfuscation to the practice of placing valuables in a safe or lockbox and then hiding it in an obscure physical location, Katie quickly puts to rest the notion that Tor (The Onion Router) networks are sufficient to reach the high bar of zero trust and describes in depth a number of benefits of commercial anonymity and privacy technology:
- Elimination of digital footprints
- Enhanced security and privacy
- Availability of dedicated resources
The paper then explores a number of the requirements of a zero trust architecture that are enhanced by obfuscation technology – secure remote access, endpoint security, data security, and secure communications – making possible advanced security functions such as threat intelligence gathering, threat hunting, and security testing.
A list of the features one should expect to find in a commercial obfuscation offering is a useful aid to anyone evaluating options, and Katie provides a helpful list of questions to be considered.
The various access methods of an obfuscation network are directly in line with the principles of zero trust and give businesses and individuals the flexibility to operate securely in cyber space. I hope you’ll take the time to read How Invisibility Enhances Zero Trust Security and then give us the opportunity demonstrate Telos Ghost and explore how it can harden the security posture of your enterprise.
ICYMI: See the webinar I co-hosted with TAG Cyber CEO Ed Amoroso: Become Invisible for Ultimate Secure Remote Access: Hiding users and data for work-from-anywhere protection.