ZERO TRUST: How to proceed step by step?

Zero Trust is a cybersecurity model based on the principle of "never trust, always verify". Zero Trust is not just a trendy phrase these days. It is a reality that responds to the fact that users, data and systems move outside the perimeter. The traditional model of "secure the border and trust the inside" simply does not work anymore. Today, attackers often penetrate through a legitimate user or a vulnerability that has nothing to do with the perimeter. However, in many companies, especially in the public sector, the implementation of these principles is still underestimated. Many organizations think of Zero Trust as just a marketing term.

In reality, however, it is a very practical approach that can be implemented gradually, without the need for a major infrastructure overhaul.

So let's take a step-by-step look at a realistic implementation path.

Step 1: Inventory and Visibility
The basic premise is simple. You can't protect something you don't know about. Inventorying assets, knowing who is where and what traffic is going on in your network, is the first step. Without this "terrain map," you can't make risk-based decisions. Tools like Novicom ADDNET and Novicom NADS will provide you with not only IPAM/NAC functionality (address management, device registration, access control), but also a real topology map with visualization of logical connections, device types, etc. However, gaining visibility is not a one-time project – it's a process. It needs to be updated regularly and supplemented with new endpoints, segments, services, and users.

Step 2: Segmentation and access control
A fundamental step that many organizations still underestimate. It is not enough to have a firewall at the border - it is necessary to divide the network according to roles, functions, data sensitivity or location. Segmentation reduces the "blast radius" of an attack - i.e. the space that an attacker can exploit after the first penetration. With Novicom ADDNET, you can automatically and dynamically apply DACL (dynamic access list) rules that allow devices only where they are supposed to. And what is important - even the rules can change based on changes in state, behavior or identity.

Step 3: Authorization by identity, not IP address
The next level of security is access control based on the identity of the user or device. Today, it is no longer enough to say: "This is the address 192.168.1.123, it can do everything." We need to know who is behind that address. Integration with Active Directory, LDAP or Azure AD is a must today. This allows you to more precisely control access rights and eliminate the so-called "Lateral Movement" - the attacker's free movement around the network. Everyone only has access to their own systems.

Step 4: Monitoring and response
Zero Trust is a living organism. It is not enough to set the rules once - you need to constantly monitor what is happening in the network. For this, advanced tools and services such as Novicom NADS are used, which can identify anomalies in operation or security anomalies. In conjunction with the Novicom ADDNET solution, you can immediately respond to these events - for example, temporarily isolate a suspicious device, limit its operation or force new authentication.

Step 5: Feedback and optimization
Every security system needs "tuning". Monitor metrics - how many events are blocked, how many incidents were real, how quickly the response is carried out. Regularly review policies, set up new segments, refine exceptions. At the same time, it is key to involve people - user education, the roles of security teams, training network administrators. Zero Trust is not only a technical measure, but also an organizational one.

Zero Trust is not about buying one product. It is a set of principles that say: "Don't trust anyone automatically - verify and restrict". Novicom ADDNET and Novicom NADS are tools that can bring these principles to the reality. Step by step, without revolution. But with consistency that can decide whether the next attack attempt will succeed or end right at the beginning.