Zero Trust: Never assume, always verify

Our parents were right when they warned us as little kids not to talk to strangers. Stranger danger is a real thing, and it's still good advice today, when we’re thinking about protecting the network infrastructures we run our organizations on. Hybrid work, cloud adoption, and increasing reliance on third party applications have fundamentally changed how organizations approach trust and security.  Not everyone who wants to access our networks is a trusted friend, and so we must only grant access to identifiable users.

The shift of IT networks into the cloud can broaden access for data-driven enterprises, but it also widens the attack surface, thereby increasing the cybersecurity risk. To answer that challenge, and other growing trends such as hybrid and remote work, more organizations are taking up Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA).

ZTNA is part of a broader shift into Zero Trust architecture, where the focus of cybersecurity has shifted from the edge of the network to a sharpened focus on more individual users. In the ZTNA model, permission to access data and applications is no longer automatic, and neither is open access across the host network.  This model allows organizations to focus on reduced attack surface, better user experience, secure remote access and  improved regulatory compliance.

North America leads the world in ZTNA adoption

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is the U.S. standards and measurement agency that helps accelerate innovation, advance cybersecurity, and ensure trust in technology through widely adopted frameworks, research, and technical standards.  It explains that, ”Zero Trust assumes there is no implicit trust granted to assets or user accounts based solely on their physical or network location (i.e., local area networks versus the internet) or based on asset ownership (enterprise or personally owned).”

The ZTNA market is projected to grow rapidly over the next decade, driven by increasing cyber threats, rising cloud adoption, and the global shift toward secure, identity-based access models. Organizations are adopting ZTNA for its ability to provide secure, seamless, and adaptive access to applications and data, making it essential for modern digital environments.

North America leads global ZTNA adoption due to a unique combination of mature IT infrastructure, regulatory pressures, and widespread hybrid work implementations. Financial services, healthcare, and government sectors in North America are primary drivers of ZTNA investment, according to a June 2026 Markets and Markets report. That same report predicts a compound annual growth rate of the ZTNA market of 25.2% to 2030 in North America.

Benefits derived from ZTNA

Zero Trust architectures are a distinct improvement over other cybersecurity models by limiting access to where it is needed and can be best controlled and monitored. Every user, device, and application must be authenticated and authorized before gaining access to specific resources.  Zero Trust also improves visibility into who is accessing applications, when they are accessing them and from what device.

Zero Trust is an architectural model, not a single product or a discrete software purchase. Under this architecture, every access request is verified based on identity, device posture and context.

Every attempt to access a resource is treated as a potential threat until identity, device health and contextual factors are verified. This approach is central to harmonizing SASE and Zero Trust network access (ZTNA).

These are just some of the benefits of adopting a Zero Trust model, as explained by our partners at Fortinet:

Reducing the attack surface: By eliminating implicit trust, Zero Trust makes it significantly harder for attackers to penetrate the network and gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. 

Preventing lateral movement: Through microsegmentation and granular access control, Zero Trust limits the ability of attackers to move laterally within the network, even if they manage to compromise one segment. 

Improving security in the cloud: Zero Trust extends security controls to cloud environments, ensuring consistent protection for data and applications residing in the cloud.

Supporting remote work: Zero Trust enables secure access for remote workers without relying on traditional VPNs, which can be vulnerable to exploitation.   

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Spectrum Business can make network management and security easier with a complete solution that includes design, connectivity, configuration, equipment, installation and ongoing US-based support for all your locations nationwide. Our solutions are built on the Cisco, or Fortinet FortiGate and FortiCloud platforms — and all three of these platforms use AI in their cybersecurity features. And AI is used not as a standalone feature, but as a core capability that improves threat detection, response speed, operational efficiency, and overall security outcomes.

For a broader view of how Zero Trust, SASE and availability protection work together as a unified security framework, please see our SASE guide.

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