Zero trust, maximum security

With cyber threats escalating, Australian businesses are trusting no one. Organisations are increasingly discarding traditional security systems — “castle and moat” defences comprised of firewalls and VPNs — in favour of zero trust architecture.

“Zero trust is a modern approach to cybersecurity that works on a simple principle: ‘Never trust, always verify,’” says Dr Nalin Arachchilage, an associate professor in cybersecurity at RMIT University.

“Traditionally, once you were inside a company’s network, you were trusted automatically — like being given the keys to a building and being able to roam freely. Zero trust removes that assumption. Every time a person or system tries to access data, applications or services, their identity, device and request are checked, no matter if they’re sitt