Zero trust is not just a cybersecurity buzzword—it's a paradigm shift in how organizations approach security in the modern workplace. Traditional security models relied heavily on network boundaries, assuming that threats could be mitigated by securing the edges of the network. However, with the proliferation of cloud computing, remote work, and mobile devices, these boundaries are no longer enough to prevent modern day cyber threats.

Zero trust flips the script by focusing on verifying every interaction –”never trust, always verify”– within an organization's ecosystem, regardless of its origin. An approachable way to tackle a zero trust project is to modularize the security perimeters and align tactical solutions to each component. 

Instead of relying on the  network, organizations can structure their zero trust approach into three critical components: the identity, the device, and the application. These dynamic perimeters emphasize trust at the intersection of who you are, what you use, and what you access. We will explore these perimeters on why they are important, the measures needed to secure them, and then tie it all together for an optimal zero-trust strategy.

The Identity Perimeter: Who’s Behind the Access Attempt?

The identity perimeter centers on the principle that every user, whether internal or external, must prove their legitimacy before accessing resources. Securing the identity perimeter is crucial because compromised credentials remain one of the most common entry points for cyberattacks (Verizon DBIR, 2025). Threat actors exploit weak credentials, weak MFA, and utilize phishing to gain unauthorized access, leading to data breaches, ransomware attacks, and other security incidents. 

Here’s what organizations need to focus on to secure the identity perimeter:

1. Phish-resistant Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): MFA adds an additional layer of security by requiring users to present two or more verification factors. But it’s important to note that the factors should be strong, phish-resistant factors such as biometrics or a hardware-backed key.
2. Identity Governance: Implement least-privilege access policies, ensuring that users only have access to the resources necessary for their role.
3. Single Sign-On (SSO): Streamline identity management while maintaining strong authentication mechanisms to enhance security without compromising user experience.

By securing the identity perimeter, organizations ensure that only authenticated and authorized users gain access to sensitive systems.

The Device Perimeter: What is Connecting to Your Environment?

In a zero trust model, the devices accessing your resources are as critical as the users operating them. Securing the device perimeter is important because compromised devices can serve as gateways for attackers to infiltrate an organization’s environment. An unprotected or non-compliant device may introduce malware, exploit vulnerabilities, or be used to exfiltrate sensitive data. 

As one of our customer likes to say, “I can protect identities all day but if one insecure device gets in, all my efforts go out the window.”

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By enforcing strong device security, organizations can significantly reduce their attack surface and ensure that only trusted devices are allowed to access critical resources.

Here’s what organizations need to focus on to secure the device perimeter:

1. Device Trust: Ensure devices meet security requirements such as updated software, active firewalls, and encryption before granting access. Only trusted devices should have access to your resources.
2. Endpoint Protection: Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor and mitigate potential threats on devices.
3. Continuous Monitoring: Regularly assess the health and compliance status of devices, revoking access for those that fall out of compliance.

By securing the device perimeter, organizations can reduce the risk of compromised or insecure devices being used as entry points for malicious actors.

The Application Perimeter: What Resource is Being Accessed?

Applications are where users interact with organizational data, making them a prime target for attackers. Securing the application perimeter is critical because vulnerable applications can be exploited to access sensitive data or disrupt business operations. Attackers frequently target applications to exploit vulnerabilities, inject malicious code, or misuse APIs. 

Here’s what organizations need to focus on to secure the application perimeter:

1. Application Access Controls: Enforce granular access policies based on roles, device compliance, and user identity.
2. API Security: Protect APIs from exploitation by implementing authentication, rate limiting, and monitoring.
3. Data Protection: Encrypt sensitive data in transit to safeguard it from unauthorized access.
4. Privileged Action Security: Safeguard critical application actions by implementing step-up authentication or leveraging the Shared Signals Framework (SSF) to ensure additional layers of verification and security.

Securing the application perimeter ensures that only authorized users and devices can interact with critical applications, limiting exposure to threats.

Tying It All Together

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While the zero trust model emphasizes multiple perimeters—identity, device, and application—identity is the foundation upon which everything else is built, enabling a consistent and unified approach to securing users, devices, applications, and data. Without a secure identity framework, device compliance and application security measures become unreliable, as they rely on the ability to validate who or what is attempting access. A robust identity system supports granular access controls, enforcing least-privilege principles and dynamically adapting to risk based on user behavior, location, or device posture. Moreover, identity drives contextual security by integrating seamlessly with device and application safeguards, ensuring that trust is continuously verified.

Without a secure and robust identity framework, device and application security measures are rendered ineffective.

What should you do next?

If implementing zero trust is a priority for your organization, we’re here to help.

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1. Learn More About Zero Trust: Explore the CISA Zero Trust Maturity Model to understand the key principles and frameworks for implementing zero trust effectively.
2. Assess Your Readiness: Take our Identity and Device Zero Trust Assessment to evaluate your organization's current posture and identify areas for improvement.
3. Talk to an Expert: Connect with a Beyond Identity representative to discover how our zero trust authentication solution can help secure your organization.

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Embark on your zero trust journey today!

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