The Value of Microsegmentation in a Zero Trust Environment

Federal CIOs know the days of protecting a network perimeter are gone – firewalls were never designed to address edge computing, remote work, hybrid clouds, or multiple devices used by a single person. This is why all agencies were directed by Executive Order 14028 and the follow-up Office of Management and Budget memo laying out a Zero Trust Strategy to implement a Zero Trust architecture by the end of September 2024.

With that date fast approaching, many agencies have identified microsegmentation as a central element of implementing ZT. While system managers have used segmentation for years, microsegmentation is far more granular, well suited for today’s hybrid IT networks. These networks change all the time, so east-west and north-south ZT controls must be able to adapt and update policies in real time as the changes happen.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the vulnerabilities and risks to be countered in interior and perimeter networks
• Delineate the role of labeling workloads with contextual data as a way to enforce ZT policies
• Review the steps in implementing granular microsegmentation for effective protection of systems, data, and users