The Zero Trust era is coming: What that means for VPNs and your data

The days of being isolated from the outside world to protect your network will soon become obsolete. Due to the incredible growth of the remote workforce, the adoption of cloud-based networks, and new cyber threats, old cybersecurity models no longer work.

In this era of ultimate sharing and connectivity, threats can come from any angle, including within the network. Enter the zero trust security framework. By trusting no one and verifying everything, Zero Trust can make any network, home to any enterprise, a Fort Knox.

As the old “castle and moat” approach to online protection gradually becomes obsolete, many speculate that VPNs will follow suit. So what does this mean for the security of your data? Let’s dive in to learn more and see what the future of cybersecurity holds.

What is zero trust?

Despite investing heavily in firewalls and VPNs, organizations and even individuals are finding that they are still vulnerable to attacks. This depends on the inherent flatness of most networks. Once hackers are able to penetrate a network, they can move easily without worrying about additional security checks. Zero Trust is one way to combat this type of unnecessary access.

Zero Trust Architecture may sound like some fancy new technology, but it’s really just a strategy for cybersecurity. It is a method of network security, not any single program or application.

The basic idea behind zero trust is to trust no one. Very simple, right? In practice, it takes the form of better, more comprehensive authentication in front of services; principles such as “least access required” and the assumption that the network is always under attack guide the model.

Why is this authentication important? Take the castle for example. A traditional VPN acts as a moat around a castle. This makes entry difficult, but once inside you are free to wander.

Zero Trust Security, on the other hand, can be thought of as a castle guard. They are posted at every door and act as gatekeepers for the area. Any time you want to move to another room in the castle, you will need permission from the guards in that area. This level of comprehensive security better limits the damage an intruder can cause if he or she successfully gains entry.

Zero Trust principles have already been adopted by some forward-thinking organizations and companies, but it’s only a matter of time before the same ideas are used in home networks and personal applications.

Will Zero Trust replace VPNs?

Due to the nature of zero trust, traditional VPNs are facing a reckoning. Because zero trust architecture is so effective at ensuring network security, some in the security community believe it has the potential to replace VPNs as a remote access method.

Personally, I don’t think that will be the case. Zero trust may become the default practice for companies in the future, but that doesn’t mean VPNs will go the way of the dinosaurs.

They still offer countless benefits when it comes to professional and personal privacy. Just because you’re accessing a zero-trust service that authenticates you every step of the way, doesn’t mean your activity is private; someone monitoring your traffic can still piece together everything you do.

VPNs remain the best way to obfuscate your traffic and protect it from prying eyes. Given that zero trust architecture and VPNs are not inherently conflicting, zero trust is likely to be used alongside VPNs in the future rather than directly replacing it.

Zero Trust and VPN protect your data, the power of friendship

As more people start working from home, their home networks will start to become larger and more complex. Wireless routers and access points will become important targets for hackers to steal private data.

Zero trust security for the home can take the form of multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all personal accounts. We’ve seen MFA like Face ID, personal USB hardware tokens, and keys become more and more popular. Windows 11 now allows users to easily Set up and start using biometric keys Use the correct equipment.

Unfortunately, there is currently no zero-trust packaged solution in China. Until it becomes more common, you need to take it upon yourself to take responsibility for following these practices. Leveraging the previously mentioned technologies like MFA, network segmentation, and strong firewalls is a good start. This is in addition to using Good VPN. When working from home or connected to a corporate network, it’s always a good idea to use a VPN – even if your company doesn’t require it.

Zero Trust security won’t replace VPNs, but it does make them better in ways that most people don’t realize. Going forward, VPN providers must keep customer data secure through zero-trust practices and be able to prove it. Behind the scenes this helps digitally bring huge benefits to the security of customer data.

Major VPNs have begun to incorporate this as part of their privacy practices. ExpressVPN recently updated its trust center The policy includes new core principles such as “Embracing Zero Trust,” “Adopting Zero-Knowledge Encryption,” and “The Principle of Least Privilege.” I expect more VPNs will incorporate similar privacy policy guidelines.

This is good news for all VPN users, not just the privacy-conscious ones. As VPNs develop more zero-trust security practices to keep user profiles safe on the backend, they are doing their part. But until zero trust becomes common practice across all networks and accounts, we need to redouble our own efforts to protect ourselves at home.