In the vast, complex, and somewhat terrifying landscape of cybersecurity, few topics generate as much buzz (and confusion) as Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA). These two acronyms are often tossed around in boardrooms and tech meetings as if everyone knows exactly what they mean. But let’s be honest—if you’re not an IT professional who eats, sleeps, and breathes network security, these terms might as well be Greek. So, let’s break them down, shall we?

The Basics: What Are SASE and ZTNA?

Let’s start with the basics. Think of SASE as the Swiss Army knife of network security. It’s an all-in-one framework that combines wide area networking (WAN) capabilities with comprehensive security functions. The goal? To deliver secure access to applications and data no matter where your users or resources are located—whether in the cloud, on-premises, or somewhere in between.

ZTNA, on the other hand, is more like a highly specialized scalpel. It’s a specific security concept within the broader zero-trust architecture that ensures users can only access the specific applications or services they’re explicitly authorized to use. ZTNA operates on a principle that, frankly, could use some more application in daily life: trust no one. Not even users inside your network. Everyone has to prove their identity and authorization before gaining access to anything.

In short, SASE is a comprehensive security framework, while ZTNA is a focused strategy within that framework. One could say SASE is the peanut butter to ZTNA’s jelly—though both can, theoretically, be enjoyed on their own, they’re better together.

The Primary Roles of SASE and ZTNA

Now that we’ve covered the basic definitions, let’s delve into the primary roles of these technologies.

SASE’s Role:

SASE’s main gig is to bring together the best of networking and security into a single cloud-delivered service. This makes it a favorite for organizations that have scattered, hybrid, or remote workforces—a reality that became all too common in the post-pandemic world. SASE converges several security functions, including:

• SD-WAN: It optimizes traffic routing for performance and cost-effectiveness.
• Secure Web Gateway (SWG): It protects against malicious web traffic.
• Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB): It ensures secure access to cloud resources.
• Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS): A cloud-based firewall that scales with your business.
• ZTNA: Yes, ZTNA is a part of SASE, ensuring that only authenticated users access specific services.

ZTNA’s Role:

ZTNA’s job is to enforce the “never trust, always verify” mantra. Whether you’re inside or outside the network, ZTNA requires constant authentication and authorization checks. It minimizes the risk of lateral movement—a fancy way of saying that even if a bad actor gets in, they won’t be able to hop from one system to another like a kid in a candy store.

Primary Use Cases

SASE Use Cases:

SASE is ideal for organizations that need to secure a diverse, geographically distributed workforce. Some primary use cases include:

1. Hybrid Work Environments: With employees working from various locations, SASE ensures consistent security policies across all access points.
2. Cloud Migration: SASE supports organizations moving their applications and data to the cloud, providing security without the need for traditional, hardware-based solutions.
3. Digital Transformation: Companies embracing digital transformation can rely on SASE to secure their new, more complex IT environments.

ZTNA Use Cases:

ZTNA is the go-to solution for organizations that need granular access control. Its primary use cases include:

1. Remote Access: ZTNA is perfect for securing remote access to internal applications without exposing the entire network.
2. Third-Party Access: When vendors or contractors need access to specific parts of your network, ZTNA ensures they only get what they need—nothing more.
3. Protecting High-Sensitivity Data: ZTNA is crucial in environments where highly sensitive data is involved, providing strict access control at all times.

Benefits and Weaknesses

SASE Benefits:

• Simplicity: SASE consolidates multiple security functions into a single service, reducing complexity.
• Scalability: As a cloud-native solution, SASE scales effortlessly with your business needs.
• Performance: By integrating SD-WAN, SASE optimizes traffic and improves application performance.

SASE Weaknesses:

• Complex Implementation: Despite its goal to simplify, implementing SASE can be complex and requires a solid understanding of your network architecture.
• Vendor Lock-In: Given its comprehensive nature, SASE often ties you closely to a specific vendor, which might not be ideal for everyone.

ZTNA Benefits:

• Enhanced Security: ZTNA’s granular control ensures that only the right people get access to the right resources.
• Reduced Attack Surface: By hiding resources from unauthorized users, ZTNA significantly reduces the potential for attacks.
• Flexible Deployment: ZTNA can be deployed on-premises or in the cloud, making it adaptable to various environments.

ZTNA Weaknesses:

• Limited Scope: ZTNA is focused on access control and doesn’t provide the broader security coverage that SASE does.
• Potential Latency: Continuous authentication checks can introduce latency, impacting user experience.
• Complex Management: Implementing and managing ZTNA across a large organization can be challenging.

Potential Vulnerabilities

SASE Vulnerabilities:

• Given its all-in-one nature, a vulnerability in the SASE platform could potentially expose multiple layers of your security infrastructure. Also, the reliance on a single provider could be a risk if that provider suffers an outage or breach.

ZTNA Vulnerabilities:

• While ZTNA reduces the attack surface, it’s not immune to zero-day vulnerabilities or sophisticated phishing attacks that target user credentials. If an attacker gains access to the ZTNA system itself, they could potentially bypass security controls.

Conclusion

While SASE and ZTNA are both crucial in the modern cybersecurity landscape, they serve different, yet complementary, roles. SASE offers a comprehensive security framework ideal for distributed networks, while ZTNA provides granular access control within that framework. Whether you choose one, the other, or both, remember: in the world of cybersecurity, it’s always better to be paranoid than to be the headline of the next breach. And let’s be honest, who needs that kind of stress?

With Conditional Access for Applications, Portnox delivers a unified solution for zero trust access control.

Austin, TX – Aug. 30, 2024—Portnox, a leading provider of cloud-native, zero trust access control solutions, today announces that Portnox has been recognized as a 2024 SC Award finalist in the Trust Award category for Best Authentication Technology. The company entered its Conditional Access for Applications product, which launched in March. Conditional Access helps distributed, heavily SaaS-reliant organizations combat the rise in device-based attacks against enterprise applications through a risk-based approach that works lockstep with infrastructure and network security efforts.

This announcement was made on Thursday, August 29, 2024, as part of SC Media’s 2024 SC Awards coverage. The SC Awards recognize the solutions, organizations, and individuals that have demonstrated exceptional achievement in advancing the security of information security. Find Portnox and the complete list of finalists here.

“The finalists for the 2024 SC Awards truly represent the forefront of cybersecurity innovation and leadership,” said Tom Spring, Editorial Director at SC Media. “These solutions, organizations, and professionals have demonstrated outstanding capabilities in addressing today’s complex and ever-changing threat landscape. We are proud to recognize their contributions to the cybersecurity community.”

This year, the SC Awards received a remarkable number of entries across 34 specialty categories. Entries were evaluated by a distinguished panel of judges, including cybersecurity professionals, industry leaders, and members of the CyberRisk Alliance community from sectors such as healthcare, financial services, education, and technology.

“Complete cybersecurity protection goes well beyond just controlling access; IT teams must meet ever-evolving security compliance requirements. That means they need to be able to monitor and mitigate the risk every connected endpoint poses — including managed devices, unmanaged BYOD, and insecure IoT,” said Denny LeCompte, Portnox CEO. “With Portnox, the endless list of enterprise applications no longer serves as a directory of easily targeted access attack vectors.”

Winners of the 2024 SC Awards will be announced on September 17, 2024.

About CyberRisk Alliance

CyberRisk Alliance provides business intelligence that helps the cybersecurity ecosystem connect, share knowledge, accelerate careers, and make smarter and faster decisions. Through our trusted information brands, network of experts, and more than 250 innovative annual events we provide cybersecurity professionals with actionable insights and act as a powerful extension of cybersecurity marketing teams. Our brands include SC Media, the Official Cybersecurity Summits, Security Weekly, InfoSec World, Identiverse, CyberRisk Collaborative, ChannelE2E, MSSP Alert, LaunchTech Communications and TECHEXPO Top Secret. Learn more at www.cyberriskalliance.com.

The Importance of Upgrading 

When thinking about keeping your network safe, upgrading networking hardware is often overlooked. It’s hard enough to get everything to play nicely together, and once it does, the last thing you want to do is disrupt that delicate balance. Plus, there’s a lot of planning, a lot of meetings, and probably a lot of money to spend. No wonder just the thought of upgrading infrastructure makes most admins want to run and hide.

Not upgrading, though, can put you at risk in a variety of ways.

EOL?  EOE?  EOS? SOL!

Nothing gold can stay, and that is as true for networking hardware as much as anything else.  As vendors develop new and exciting feature sets, old hardware gets strained more and more until, finally, it just can’t keep up.  You might not necessarily be interested in those new features – as long as the packets are flowing, who needs the latest and greatest?  And that makes sense – there’s a lot to be said for not being an early adopter.  As cool as cutting-edge innovation often sounds, it sometimes fails to deliver on its promises  (Look at the ill-fated Lily Drone, the Juicero Juicer, and the Cisco Umi – all products that showed great promise, but fell far short of expectations.)

We all understand how important it is to at least keep up with security updates, but products don’t get updates forever.  Watch out for these 3 phases of the product life cycle signify it’s time to get ready for replacements:

EOE: End of Engineering

No new features or fixes will be developed during this phase, although critical security fixes might still be released, and you can still get support….although the answer to most of your support questions will probably be “Upgrade.”

EOS: End of Support

There is no support and probably no security fixes (although if a critical vulnerability is uncovered, you might get a patch). For all intents and purposes, the product is dead. You might be able to get support assistance to upgrade, or they might help you if you run into an already-known bug.

EOL: End of Life

Stick a fork in it; it’s done – no support, no patches, no nothing.  For all intents and purposes, this product no longer exists.

Still Lurking Out There

Why does it matter if something still has vendor support?  Well, just because the vendor has seemingly forgotten about these devices does not mean hackers have.  Here’s an example:  In 2021, six years after Western Digital ended support for their My Drive line of external hard drives, a remote code execution bug resulted in many users losing all of their data.  The worst part is the vulnerability was reported to Western Digitial in 2018, a full three years before the bug was exploited, but since support for the drives had already ended Western Digital chose not to fix it.  

Sometimes those new features become default standards.  Devices in the late 90’s that shipped with 802.1a or 802.1b wireless networks were quickly rendered obsolete when a critical design flaw was found in  WEP.  Anyone not wanting a laughably easy to hack wireless password had to get completely new hardware.  Now all networking hardware ships with some form of WPA enabled.  

If you’re still not covinced, consider this: you could run afoul of the law if you use out-of-date hardware.  Many regulatory standards like GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS and more require organizations to take reasonable steps to protect sensitive information.  If you are the victim of a data breach, you will have a hard time justifying the use of old hardware.  It could also impact your certifications – if you maintain SOC 2 or ISO 27001, EOL hardware might put you out of compliance.   

Upgrading networking may not be the most exciting prospect, but as technology evolves and grows, it’s crucial to ensure you’re not falling behind. Proactive upgrades not only enhance your ability to stay secure, but they also keep you safe from regulatory and legal penalties in the case of a data breach.  Investing in the future by keeping your network infrastructure current will ensure you can support your organization’s goals for security, growth, and innovation going forward.  

Cybersecurity roles and responsibilities are in a constant state of flux. Just as the defenders adapt, so do the adversaries. Enter the latest evolution in the cybersecurity workforce: the Zero Trust Program Manager. If you’ve been in the cybersecurity field for more than a hot minute, you’re likely aware that “Zero Trust” has become a buzzword so pervasive that it’s now almost as ubiquitous as the phrase “we take your security seriously” in every corporate breach apology letter. But unlike the latter, Zero Trust is more than just lip service. It’s a paradigm shift in how we think about securing our digital environments. And it’s precisely this shift that has given rise to the need for a dedicated role to manage it.

What Exactly is a Zero Trust Program Manager?

At its core, the Zero Trust Program Manager (ZTPM) is the strategic leader responsible for implementing and overseeing an organization’s Zero Trust architecture. This role isn’t just about managing technology; it’s about orchestrating a cultural shift in how an organization approaches security. The ZTPM is tasked with ensuring that no entity—be it user, device, or application—is inherently trusted, whether inside or outside the organization’s perimeter. Instead, everything and everyone must be continuously authenticated and authorized.

This role is a blend of project management, cybersecurity expertise, and change management. The ZTPM must work closely with various stakeholders across the organization, from IT and security teams to business leaders, to ensure that the principles of Zero Trust are understood, embraced, and effectively implemented. They are the evangelist, the educator, and the enforcer of this new security mindset.

Why Does This Role Exist Today?

The rise of the ZTPM is not just a random blip on the cybersecurity radar; it’s a direct response to the changing threat landscape and the realization that traditional perimeter-based security models are no longer sufficient. The days when securing the castle walls could keep the bad guys out are long gone—primarily because the castle doesn’t even have walls anymore. Today, organizations operate in a borderless environment where users and data move fluidly across cloud services, mobile devices, and remote locations. The traditional model of “trust but verify” has been replaced with “never trust, always verify.”

Moreover, the acceleration of digital transformation, spurred on by global events like the COVID-19 pandemic, has further blurred the lines between internal and external networks. As organizations rapidly adopted remote work models and cloud services, the attack surface expanded exponentially. In this new reality, the concept of a trusted internal network is not just outdated; it’s downright dangerous.

Enter Zero Trust—a model that doesn’t assume that anything or anyone is trustworthy just because they’re inside the network. Every request, every access attempt, every interaction is scrutinized. This approach requires a fundamental shift in how security policies are designed, enforced, and managed. And that’s where the ZTPM comes in. Their role is to steer this transformation, ensuring that Zero Trust principles are not just a checkbox on a compliance form, but a living, breathing part of the organization’s security fabric.

Scope of Responsibilities

The responsibilities of a Zero Trust Program Manager are as wide-ranging as they are critical. Here’s a closer look at what this role entails:

1. Strategy Development and Implementation: The ZTPM is responsible for developing a comprehensive Zero Trust strategy that aligns with the organization’s business objectives. This includes defining the scope, setting milestones, and ensuring that all security policies and technologies are aligned with Zero Trust principles.
2. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Implementing Zero Trust is not a one-department job. The ZTPM must work closely with IT, security, compliance, and business units to ensure that the Zero Trust framework is understood and adopted across the organization. This includes leading workshops, training sessions, and regular check-ins to ensure alignment.
3. Technology Oversight: While the ZTPM isn’t necessarily the person configuring firewalls or deploying MFA solutions, they are responsible for overseeing the technology stack that supports the Zero Trust model. This includes evaluating and selecting the right tools, ensuring they are properly integrated, and monitoring their effectiveness.
4. Change Management: Moving to a Zero Trust model is as much about changing mindsets as it is about changing technology. The ZTPM must manage the human side of this transformation, addressing resistance, ensuring proper training, and fostering a culture that supports continuous verification.
5. Risk Management and Compliance: The ZTPM plays a crucial role in identifying and mitigating risks associated with the transition to Zero Trust. They must ensure that the organization remains compliant with relevant regulations and industry standards while adopting this new security model.
6. Continuous Improvement: Zero Trust is not a set-it-and-forget-it approach. The ZTPM is responsible for continuously assessing the effectiveness of the Zero Trust framework, making adjustments as needed, and staying ahead of emerging threats.

Qualifications and Skills

Given the breadth of responsibilities, the ideal ZTPM is a cybersecurity Renaissance person—a Jack or Jill of many trades, with a deep understanding of security principles and a knack for project management. Key qualifications might include:

• Experience: A strong background in cybersecurity, with experience in implementing security frameworks and leading cross-functional teams.
• Certifications: Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CISM, or specific Zero Trust certifications can be a strong indicator of expertise.
• Communication Skills: The ability to articulate complex security concepts to non-technical stakeholders is crucial.
• Leadership: Proven leadership skills, particularly in driving organizational change, are essential.
• Strategic Thinking: The ZTPM must be able to see the big picture, aligning security initiatives with broader business goals.

Zero Trust, the ZTPM & Network Access Control (NAC)

One of the critical areas where the Zero Trust Program Manager (ZTPM) must exert influence is in the realm of Network Access Control (NAC). NAC plays a pivotal role in the enforcement of Zero Trust principles, acting as one of the frontline defenses against unauthorized access. In the context of Zero Trust, NAC is not merely a gatekeeper that decides who gets in; it is a dynamic system that continuously assesses and verifies the trustworthiness of every device and user attempting to access the network.

The ZTPM must work closely with network administrators and security teams to ensure that NAC solutions are tightly integrated into the broader Zero Trust architecture. This involves configuring NAC policies to align with the Zero Trust mantra of “never trust, always verify.” For example, NAC policies may need to be updated to enforce strict access controls based on user roles, device health, and contextual factors such as the location and behavior of the device. The ZTPM oversees this integration, ensuring that the NAC system not only blocks unauthorized devices but also actively participates in the continuous monitoring and assessment of devices already within the network.

Furthermore, the ZTPM must consider how NAC fits into the overall user experience. While security is paramount, the role requires balancing stringent access controls with the need for operational efficiency. Implementing NAC in a Zero Trust environment is not just about adding layers of security; it’s about creating an adaptive, intelligent system that can respond to threats in real-time without unnecessarily hindering legitimate business activities. This means the ZTPM must ensure that NAC is fine-tuned to minimize disruptions while still providing robust protection, making it an essential tool in the Zero Trust toolkit.

By effectively managing NAC within a Zero Trust framework, the ZTPM helps to create a more resilient and responsive security posture, one where access is always under scrutiny and never taken for granted.

In the shadowy world of cybersecurity that faces off with cyber criminals head-on, there exists a unique breed of professionals who spend their days playing high-stakes games with some of the most dangerous people on the planet. No, these folks aren’t undercover agents or secretive hackers—they’re ransomware negotiators. If you’ve ever imagined what it’s like to haggle with a digital pirate who just locked up your company’s crown jewels, you’re not far off. Let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of ransomware negotiation, a job that’s part therapist, part tactician, and wholly unpredictable. 

The Art of the Deal: How Ransomware Negotiation Works

Ransomware negotiation is a delicate dance, one that requires a mix of psychology, strategy, and sheer nerve. The first step in this dance often starts with the arrival of a chilling message: “Your files have been encrypted. Pay $X in Bitcoin, or say goodbye to your data.” At this point, a business has two options—try to restore from backups and hope for the best, or engage with the attackers and negotiate.

When a company chooses to negotiate, that’s when the ransomware negotiator steps in. The role isn’t about simply agreeing to a price. Oh no, it’s much more complex. These professionals assess the situation, gather intelligence on the ransomware group, and try to understand their motivations. Are they in it purely for the money? Are they likely to leak the data if they don’t get what they want? How reliable are they in actually decrypting files after payment?

Negotiators will often start by stalling for time, trying to learn as much as possible while also assessing the victim’s willingness and ability to pay. Then, they’ll typically make a counteroffer—usually lower than the ransom demand but not so low as to insult the cybercriminal’s delicate sensibilities. From there, it’s a back-and-forth, a digital haggling session that might resemble negotiating the price of a used car, if the used car dealer were holding your company’s secrets hostage.

Success Rates: The Good, the Bad, and the Encrypted

You might be wondering—how often do these negotiations actually work? The answer is, frustratingly, “it depends.” Some ransomware groups have a twisted sense of honor and will decrypt files once paid, while others may take the money and run. Negotiators generally aim to minimize the financial damage and ensure the company can get back on its feet as quickly as possible, but the outcome is never guaranteed.

However, ransomware negotiation can be surprisingly successful. Some studies suggest that negotiation can reduce ransom payments by up to 50%, and there’s often a better chance of getting files decrypted if you play your cards right. That said, even a successful negotiation is bittersweet. Paying a ransom, after all, doesn’t just make the problem go away—it can also fund future attacks, perpetuating the cycle.

Surprising Aspects of the Job: More Than Just Haggling

While the essence of the job is negotiation, the reality is that ransomware negotiators do much more than just talk numbers. They are crisis managers, often dealing with companies at their most vulnerable. Part of the job involves calming down panicked executives, explaining complex technical details to people who don’t speak “geek,” and sometimes even playing the role of an ad-hoc therapist. One negotiator might spend their morning haggling with a hacker in Eastern Europe and their afternoon explaining the concept of Bitcoin wallets to a CFO who still thinks cryptocurrency is Monopoly money.

Another surprising aspect is the ethical tightrope that negotiators must walk. There’s always the question of whether to pay or not to pay, a moral dilemma that’s about as clear-cut as a foggy morning. On one hand, paying the ransom might be the quickest way to get a company back on track. On the other hand, it’s essentially funding criminal activity. Negotiators often find themselves in the unenviable position of having to recommend the lesser of two evils, knowing that whichever path they choose, someone is going to be unhappy.

Then there’s the psychology of it all. Negotiators need to understand the mindset of the attackers. These aren’t your average criminals—they’re often highly organized and operating as part of a professional syndicate. Some even have customer support teams (yes, really) to ensure that their “clients” can navigate the payment process smoothly. Negotiators must be adept at reading between the lines, recognizing bluff from bluster, and figuring out what really motivates their counterparts.

The Final Word: A Job Like No Other

Ransomware negotiation isn’t a job for the faint of heart. It’s stressful, unpredictable, and often frustrating. But for those who thrive in high-pressure situations, it can be incredibly rewarding. There’s a certain satisfaction in outmaneuvering a criminal and helping a company recover from what could have been a devastating blow.

So, next time you think your job is stressful, spare a thought for the ransomware negotiators. They’re the unsung heroes (or antiheroes, depending on your perspective) of the digital age, navigating the murky waters of cybercrime with a steady hand and a sharp mind. And who knows—maybe one day, they’ll get their own action movie. After all, “Die Hard: Ransomware Edition” has a certain ring to it, doesn’t it?