October 24, 2024

Implementing Zero Trust security in Government

Shaun Moran

Cyber Security & Risk Partner - Business Aspect

Connect

Having a plan doesn’t make it happen

This isn’t another “what is zero-trust” article – I think we can all agree that we’ve moved beyond that as we know it isn’t a product, it’s not a replacement for firewalls or VPNs, and it’s not something you do and then move on.

However, it is essential and appears in some form on virtually every government department’s cybersecurity strategic plan. Some departments and agencies have made progress and implemented elements of the zero-trust model within their environment, but not at a broad enough level to provide the promised levels of protection. Hence, despite the plan, they’re still vulnerable to a cyber-attack.

If zero trust is essential and part of a plan, why are government departments and agencies struggling to implement it? This post will explore that question.

The Government Zero Trust Paradox

The imperative to adopt zero-trust security has never been clearer for government departments and agencies. In an era of remote work, cloud-based services, and increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, zero-trust is an additional, identity-based layer that reduces the reliance on increasingly ineffective perimeter defences.

Driven by mandates from federal, state, and local authorities (such as the new Cyber Security Bill 2024), and the recognition that a new security model is needed, government entities are eager to embrace the principles – but reality on the ground tells a different story. Despite the strategic importance of zero trust, many government entities are struggling to turn that vision into tangible action for a number of reasons.

For one, government IT environments are notoriously complex, with a patchwork of legacy systems, disparate data centres, and siloed operations. Trying to implement a cohesive zero-trust architecture across this fragmented landscape is a daunting challenge.
Adding to the complexity is the lack of clear, practical guidance on how to actually deploy zero trust. While vendors and industry experts extol the virtues of the model, the specifics of how to get there are often murky. Government security teams are left to navigate a sea of conflicting information and vendor claims, unsure of where even to begin.
Then there’s the ever-present spectre of risk and disruption. Government agencies operate in a high-stakes environment where any misstep can severely affect critical public services. The fear of inadvertently compromising operations or exposing sensitive data can paralyse even the most well-intentioned security initiatives.

As a result, many government organisations find themselves stuck in a paradoxical situation. They know zero trust is where we all need to be, but the path remains elusive. Instead of bold action, their security roadmaps remain tactical and address the next pressing need rather than being a strategic, long-term plan that is continuously checked and aligned to.

In a recent discussion with a financial industry CISO, they revealed that these pitfalls are all too common. Despite an acknowledgement of the need for zero trust in their cybersecurity plan, and a multi-million dollar investment, they also:

underestimated the complexity of turning zero trust into a practical working reality
were unable to translate the high-level principles into a concrete plan of action and a starting point
failed to mitigate the risks of potential disruptions, finding themselves stuck in a state of decision paralysis
made little to no progress on their zero-trust goals, unable to turn their strategic intention into tangible results.

Breaking free of this paradox requires a fundamental shift in mindset and approach. Rather than viewing zero trust as a product- or tool-based, all-or-nothing proposition, government agencies must embrace a more strategic, process-driven incremental path forward. They can chart a course towards zero trust success by focusing on their most critical assets, prioritising use cases, and partnering with experienced advisors who take this process-driven approach.

A Practical Roadmap for Zero Trust Success

Without trivialising the difficulties of implementing zero trust, there are some principles to consider:

Change Your Thinking
Consider a different label, such as “Dynamic Trust”, especially for people outside of IT. This might seem unimportant, but conveying a message that trust needs to be actively managed based on context can foster a more positive narrative.
Identify Critical Assets
Think “Protect Surfaces”, not “Attack Surfaces”. The reality is that anything network-connected is a potential attack surface, so shift the focus from all potential attack surfaces to protecting what’s most critical. Think about protecting surfaces by creating a micro-perimeter around the most critical, valuable areas e.g. Do this by conducting an audit to pinpoint the most sensitive data, applications, and systems requiring the highest level of protection. Then, identify your Protect Surface DAAS elements – Data, Applications, Assets, Services.

Understand your Readiness Perform a readiness assessment to
- Identify business risks and pressures
- Determine the overall security benefit
- Identify current technology capabilities
- Understand which specific areas will receive the most benefit from zero trust.
  
  This helps show which area you should begin your journey to feed into roadmap planning, and allows you to better choose solutions that meet your organisation’s needs.
Develop a Zero Trust Roadmap
Create a phased implementation plan that outlines the specific steps, timelines, and resources required across Define, Design, Formulate and Deploy stages. Ensure the roadmap aligns with your department’s broader security and IT strategies.

Pilot and Iterate
Start with a small-scale pilot project to test your zero-trust approach and gather feedback. Use the lessons learned to refine your plan and prepare for broader deployment.
Secure Executive Sponsorship
Gain buy-in and support from department leadership to ensure the necessary resources and commitment. Demonstrate the tangible benefits of zero-trust in terms of risk reduction, cost savings, and operational efficiency.

Working With Partners & Vendors

While tools and solutions are a component of the zero-trust model, they too often become the focus of government security teams looking for tangible ways to move forward. While tools can provide valuable data points, implementing zero trust effectively requires a more holistic, process-driven approach. Simply relying on a tool to assess one’s zero-trust posture is insufficient.

That’s why working with experienced advisors like Data^#3 and Business Aspect, who can guide you through a comprehensive readiness assessment and the development of a practical zero-trust roadmap, is critical. This process-oriented approach, rather than a tool-centric one, can ensure that government entities have a clear understanding of their current state, their priorities, and the steps needed to achieve their zero trust goals.

This includes:

Helping navigate complexity and avoid pitfalls by bringing years of experience to the table
Accelerating time-to-value by identifying the most impactful use cases to initially implement
Aligning with, or modifying, existing security solutions and IT strategies in order to maximise return on investment
Accessing specialised expertise across a diverse range of skills from security architecture to change management
Developing business cases to help secure executive buy-in
Ongoing support and optimisation to adapt as government needs and the threat landscape evolve.

The final factor is understanding the vendor landscape. Vendor solutions are a critical implementation component, and aligning the right vendor solution is easier for a partner like Data^#3, with its extensive vendor relationships and accreditations.

For example, government entities that have made significant investments in Cisco networking could use Data^#3’s 25+ year relationship with Cisco to access their extensive security portfolio and zero-trust capabilities.

Conclusion

Implementing zero trust is a marathon, not a sprint. Government entities can chart a course toward a more secure, adaptable, and future-proof security architecture by taking a phased, strategic approach—identifying critical assets, assessing current capabilities, and partnering with experienced advisors. If you would like to discuss further please reach out to me using the contact button below or contact your account manager.

Interested in a hands-on opportunity to evaluate your cybersecurity maturity?

Data^#3, in partnership with Cisco, will be hosting Security Resilience Assessment Workshops in 2025. These workshops will guide you through a self-assessment of your security posture using the updated CISA Zero Trust Model.