The modern workplace is more connected than ever and so are the risks. As organisations move to hybrid work models, cloud environments, and distributed teams, traditional perimeter-based security models are no longer enough. This is where Zero Trust can help. 

Zero Trust is not a single product or solution. It’s a security framework built on the principle of “never trust, always verify.” Every user, device, and application must be authenticated, authorised, and continuously validated before being granted access to data or systems.  

In this article we cover some of the key steps you should follow when creating your Zero Trust strategy.

The core of Zero Trust – Security policy enforcement 

At the centre of any Zero Trust architecture is security policy enforcement. All critical components such as identities, devices, applications, data, infrastructure, and networks all work together to provide end-to-end protection. This layered approach helps ensure that security is applied consistently across your entire digital estate. 

Using this model, protection is applied at every layer by: 

  • Verifying user and device identities with strong authentication and granting least-privilege access. 
  • Monitoring endpoint health and compliance to ensure only secure devices connect to the network. 
  • Classifying, labelling, and encrypting data to restrict access based on sensitivity. 
  • Controlling application access and permissions and discovering unauthorised apps. 
  • Ensuring devices meet minimum security baselines, including up-to-date patches and configuration compliance. 
  • Preventing lateral movement within networks through segmentation, encryption, and continuous threat detection.

The six foundational elements of Zero Trust 

A comprehensive Zero Trust strategy secures six pillars within your environment:  

  • Identities – Protecting users and services through multi-factor authentication, conditional access, and continuous validation. 
  • Devices – Securing laptops, mobiles, servers, and IoT devices, ensuring compliance and integrity before granting access. 
  • Applications – Protecting SaaS, on-premises, and cloud apps with least-privilege access, monitoring, and in-app controls. 
  • Data – Applying consistent classification, labelling, and encryption to protect sensitive information wherever it resides. 
  • Infrastructure – Securing networks, servers, and hybrid cloud environments through patch automation, configuration controls, and monitoring. 
  • Networks – Implementing VLAN segmentation, encrypting traffic, detecting threats, and preventing lateral movement. 
  • Each element must be secured, monitored and continuously validated to maintain strong Zero Trust posture.

Steps to building your Zero Trust strategy 

Creating an effective Zero Trust strategy starts with understanding your organisation’s unique environment and risks. A practical roadmap typically includes: 

  • Assessing your current state – Map your users, devices, data, and applications. Identify where sensitive assets live and where gaps exist. 
  • Define your protect surface – Focus on the critical data, assets, applications, and services that require the highest protection. 
  • Establish strong identity controls – Implement MFA, single sign-on, and conditional access policies. 
  • Secure endpoints and devices – Enforce compliance, manage updates, and monitor device health. 
  • Protect data everywhere – Apply classification and encryption, and control sharing across environments. 
  • Segment networks and limit access – Use micro-segmentation and policy-based access to contain potential breaches. 
  • Enable continuous monitoring and response – Use analytics, AI, and threat detection tools to adapt security policies dynamically.

Visualising your Zero Trust model  

Once you’ve assessed your environment, mapping out how these components connect helps to visualise where vulnerabilities exist and where security controls need to be strengthened. Zero Trust is not a one-time project, it’s an ongoing journey of refinement, monitoring, and enforcement.

Zero Trust is about building security from the inside out and protecting every identity, device, app, and network connection. By implementing the right policies and tools across these layers, organisations can significantly reduce their risk surface and respond faster to threats in an ever-changing digital landscape.

To find out more about how to keep your organisation protected contact our team who can help.