Zero Trust security: Overcoming common challenges

Zero Trust can't be ignored. Ransomware keeps getting faster. Attackers keep getting smarter. AI keeps getting smarter. The cyberattack landscape is evolving faster than ever before, and traditional security principles are completely outpaced.  

With so much on the line, implementing Zero Trust security is the only chance against tomorrow’s threats.

Migrating to Zero Trust architecture seems daunting at first. It demands a new way of thinking about security, challenging every aspect of a network’s security architecture. Traditional security controls add layers of defense on top of inherently open networks and endpoint operating systems. Firewall rules are added to open network gateways to keep out malicious traffic. Secure configurations are applied to insecure default local settings.  

Zero Trust flips this approach completely upside down.  

In the modern secure network, all entry points are closed by default. Access to a network or its endpoints is opened only under specific, well-defined conditions.

Migrating away from the tried-and-true, traditional security mindset seems like a tall order. It’s understandable to want to procrastinate implementing Zero Trust, especially for businesses with already established operating environments.  

Where do you start changing your entire security architecture? How will you convince your peers and leaders to accept this change? And who is going to pay for it?

These are legitimate roadblocks that deserve careful consideration, but they can all be managed with the right plan and tools.  

And there’s no time to lose. Zero-day exploits aren’t waiting around for networks to adopt Zero Trust. Every network will eventually be attacked; whether or not the attack will be effective depends on making the jump to Zero Trust.  

Roadblocks on the Zero Trust journey

Roadblocks, both technical and bureaucratic, will be present before and throughout implementing a Zero Trust model. Here are the most commonly encountered challenges and how ThreatLocker helps overcome them.

How can we avoid disrupting operations?

A Zero Trust approach requires securing endpoints from threats by blocking all applications by default, allowing only those that are explicitly needed to run. Denying everything by default is a core tenet of Zero Trust, but it can be frightening to imagine the consequences of blocking the wrong thing.

Avoiding disruption depends on first baselining normal business activities across all aspects of an application environment. Understanding the expected number of application executions and installations over a given period of time will inform critical decisions about which applications should remain unblocked by Zero Trust protections.

How ThreatLocker helps

With ThreatLocker, agents won’t start blocking applications until they’ve learned exactly what’s running on each endpoint through a comprehensive baselining process. Policies allowing applications are made automatically and are not enforced until told to.  

Every application execution and installation is tracked, showing what would have been otherwise denied by policy. Endpoints and users stay up and running while learning mode invisibly catalogs everything in the background.

We don’t have enough staff to support migration to Zero Trust.

Allocating available resources effectively is a difficult part of every IT implementation. Projects can drag out or be pushed aside in the face of competing priorities. Worse, stretching resources too thin invites the risk of a compromised Zero Trust deployment.

A practical way for small teams to deploy Zero Trust is through a phased rollout of lightweight security agents, starting with high-risk systems or user groups and expanding gradually as policies mature.

By introducing enforcement in controlled stages and centrally managing policies, organizations can strengthen security incrementally without overwhelming limited staff.

How ThreatLocker helps

A modern platform like ThreatLocker eliminates this risk through a phased, controlled rollout. Agent software can be deployed department by department, or even computer by computer, easing operations into a Zero Trust architecture through a rollout plan that fits business rhythms.  

Environments with remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools can even automate their agent deployment with the dozens of native integrations supported by ThreatLocker.

We don’t have the necessary technical support.

Not every enterprise will have the luxury of having its own IT or security experts on hand to plan and implement Zero Trust. Small-to-midsized businesses often outsource their IT and security needs to managed service providers (MSPs), whose contract agreements may not include the necessary support to implement or manage security services.

Organizations with limited support on hand can start with simple, high-impact principles, such as verifying every access request, enforcing least privilege, and protecting critical systems before others. Rolling out controls gradually can improve security without requiring deep technical specialization upfront.

How ThreatLocker helps

Every ThreatLocker deployment comes with a dedicated Solutions Engineer to help navigate the unique landscape of each customer environment. Each phase of deployment is planned over an onboarding period tailored to each organization. Every aspect, from agent installation to application learning to finally enforcing application blocking, is covered.

After onboarding is complete, knowledge gaps are filled thanks to 24/7 access to the Cyber Hero team. ThreatLocker customers enjoy support chat responses to every question or issue within a minute.

It’s too complicated to implement a Zero Trust model in our mixed environment.

Many small businesses hesitate to adopt Zero Trust because their environments are a patchwork of on-prem servers, cloud platforms, remote endpoints, and legacy systems that weren’t designed with modern security principles. The perception that Zero Trust requires a complete architectural overhaul often stalls progress before it begins.

In reality, Zero Trust can be applied consistently across hybrid environments without the need to rebuild or start over. Enforcing access controls based on identity and least privilege, rather than at traditional network boundaries, is a foundational Zero Trust security principle and precludes the need to redesign network infrastructure.

How ThreatLocker helps

Cloud environments and networks hosting many different OSes might seem too unwieldy to apply Zero Trust to, but the truth is, ThreatLocker products can be applied anywhere protection is needed. Agents deploy just as easily to cloud devices as to hardware, across Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.  

While ThreatLocker agents enforce Zero Trust controls against on-prem and cloud endpoints, ThreatLocker Cloud Control adds coverage to M365 infrastructure. With it, connection and authentication attempts into a cloud tenant are monitored and blocked unless they’re from explicitly trusted addresses.

Our different business areas have different security needs

Business structure can complicate any holistic technology implementation. One business area in an enterprise might not need the same Zero Trust protections as another. One client of an MSP might want to manage their security stack themselves, while others do not.

A simple way to deploy Zero Trust across business areas with different security needs is to establish clear logical boundaries between departments, limiting applicable security controls to the devices, users, and domains within each.

How ThreatLocker helps

ThreatLocker manages all organizational frameworks and requirements by separating Zero Trust products, policies, and billing methods over as many logical boundaries a network might need. Supporting every type of organization is thousands of built-in Windows, macOS, and Linux application definitions to match any application environment.

Can we stay compliant with federal security obligations?

Compliance frameworks and regulations include a lot of specific language about how to meet their included security requirements. Organizations can’t afford to fall out of compliance with their regulatory obligations, so do the tenants of Zero Trust still meet what those frameworks demand?

As the forefront of modern security architecture, adopting Zero Trust principles will likely bring a network closer to federal compliance compared to traditional security controls. Zero Trust intrinsically supports common compliance expectations, such as continuous access verification, least privilege, and access control, mandated by most federal security frameworks.

How ThreatLocker helps

The Zero Trust protection offered by ThreatLocker can help organizations comply with dozens of different security frameworks and has even been listed on the federal government’s FedRAMP marketplace.  

How can we convince our corporate leadership?

Leadership buy-in is a challenge that's rarely considered in implementation planning but has major consequences throughout. Major projects might not even make it past the drawing board without convincing the right C-levels. Key stakeholders and budget owners may ask “why spend on Zero Trust if we’ve never been breached?”  

It’s not a matter of if you’ve been breached, but when. It’s much cheaper to protect your network now than clean up the damage later. When it comes to cybersecurity, equating protection as an investment is key. Applying Zero Trust to a network is tantamount to lowering costs and improving optics and reputation with customers.

How ThreatLocker helps

ThreatLocker has made conversations with leadership easier, thanks to the value delivered to customers through a near-total reduction in addressable security incidents. This Forrester report shows the tangible ROI companies can achieve after deploying ThreatLocker Zero Trust protections.

Mindset change: The last roadblock

For many IT and security leaders, the biggest obstacle between them and Zero Trust isn’t deploying agents. It’s letting go of the security model they’ve spent their careers mastering. Change is tough, and it takes strength to find that willingness to adapt. ThreatLocker makes it easy to switch to Zero Trust, but it's up to the organization to make the decision.

See how Threatlocker can simply the transition to Zero Trust with a free 30-day trial.