Multifactor authentication is a method of validating the identity of an entity by requiring two or more factors, such as something the entity knows (e.g., password, PIN), something the entity has (e.g., token, smart card), or something the entity is (e.g., biometric, behavioral). Multifactor authentication enhances the security of Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) by reducing the risk of identity compromise and unauthorized access.

References  =  Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) - Cloud Security Alliance ,  Zero Trust Training (ZTT) - Module 4: Identity and Access Management

One of the key purposes of leveraging visibility & analytics capabilities in a ZTA is to continually evaluate user behavior against a baseline to identify unusual actions. This helps to detect and respond to potential threats, anomalies, and deviations from the normal patterns of user activity. Visibility & analytics capabilities also enable the collection and analysis of telemetry data across all the core pillars of ZTA, such as user, device, network, application, and data, and provide insights for policy enforcement and improvement.

References  =

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

Zero Trust for Government Networks: 4 Steps You Need to Know , section “Continuously verify trust with visibility & analytics”

The role of visibility and analytics in zero trust architectures , section “The basic NIST tenets of this approach include”

What is Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA)? | NextLabs , section “With real-time access control, users are reliably verified and authenticated before each session”

The ZT tenet of assume breach is based on the notion that malicious actors reside inside and outside the network, and that any user, device, or service can be compromised at any time.

Therefore, ZT requires continuous verification and validation of all entities and transactions, and does not rely on implicit trust or perimeter-based defenses

A common activity in the scope, priority, and business case steps of ZT planning is to determine the organization’s current state. This involves assessing the existing security posture, architecture, policies, processes, and capabilities of the organization, as well as identifying the key stakeholders, business drivers, and goals for the ZT initiative. Determining the current state helps to establish a baseline, identify gaps and risks, and define the scope and priority of the ZT transformation.

References  =

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

The Zero Trust Journey: 4 Phases of Implementation - SEI Blog , section “First Phase: Prepare”