Hardware Security: Closing the Backdoor of Zero Trust
Hardware Security - Zero Trust (ZT) is one of the cyber world’s current buzzwords.
A security concept based on the principle of “never trust, always verify”, ZT eliminates the component of trust that was once automatically given to enterprise users and devices.
Instead, with the ZT model, a dynamic policy and security protocols restrict access to resources to eliminate threats – external and internal.
But, to determine who can access what, a requesting asset’s identity must be authenticated and authorized – that applies to users, workloads, and devices.
Exclusive entry
Every access request is evaluated and determined by a dynamic policy that relies on various data sources to provide real-time information. From here, the Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) makes access decisions and grants restricted access based on the principle-of-least-privilege (PLP) – permitting access only to those resources necessary to carry out the job.
Micro-segmentation implements further restrictions whereby the network is split into smaller, more granular sections, preventing lateral network movement. All that free roaming around attackers love to do? With micro-segmentation, it is no longer possible. Sounds like the perfect security model, right? Not exactly…
There’s always a backdoor
What if real-time information is inaccurate? Well, naturally, access decisions will be, too. But this is not a hypothetical scenario; device information is often incomplete, and this is a real, very serious, blind spot that provides attackers with backdoor access. The security software tools providing the ZTA with device information do not cover the Physical Layer, resulting in a lack of complete asset visibility.
In other words, Rogue Devices – malicious hardware attack tools – go undetected as they operate on the Physical Layer. As such, a compromised device can bypass ZT security protocols and gain network access by spoofing a legitimate, trusted device or hiding its presence entirely.
And not only can attackers covertly infiltrate an organization, but bypassing security protocols means operating with the highest privileges, accessing all resources and moving laterally across the network. Such deep infiltration is highly worrying as hardware-based attacks are no joke. Rogue Devices can carry out a variety of attacks, ranging from a data breach and reconnaissance to man-in-the-middle (MiTM) attacks and ransomware injection.
The consequences of such attacks come in financial costs, reputational damage, loss of customers, among others. Ransomware, specifically, is so harmful that it has become a threat to national security.
So, all an organization needs is Physical Layer visibility? Yes, but such visibility is only achieved with hardware security, an aspect of cybersecurity that remains sorely neglected. As a result, organizations remain completely exposed to hardware-based attacks without even realizing it.
Hardware security is becoming increasingly important as not only are hardware-based attacks occurring more frequently, but the increasing number of devices in use provides attackers with more access points, thereby expanding the attack surface significantly. So, while ZT is undoubtedly a valuable security concept, a lack of hardware security means a backdoor remains open that is far too wide.
Closing the door
Hardware Security - zero trust. The answer to the problem is simple: Sepio System’s Hardware Access Control (HAC-1) solution. The HAC-1 solution provides Physical Layer visibility; identifying, detecting and handling all peripherals whether it is a managed or unmanaged IT, OT or IoT device. Using Physical Layer fingerprinting technology and Machine Learning, HAC-1 not only calculates a digital fingerprint of all hardware assets but instantly detects vulnerable devices and switches present within the organization. Relaying this information to the ZTA allows for accurate access decisions, thereby enabling a more comprehensive application of the ZT security model.
Moreover, HAC-1’s policy enforcement mechanism means that unapproved or Rogue hardware is blocked instantly – Spoofed Peripherals can no longer impersonate legitimate HIDs, and Network Implants will not be able to slip under the radar. And, HAC-1 is deployed extremely fast, all while using minimal resources – no need for hardware or traffic monitoring. Think of HAC-1 as the virtual security guard keeping the backdoor closed.
(Ok, cybersecurity can never be 100% foolproof, so the door is not entirely closed – but it is less open than it was before!).
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Hardware Security: Closing the Backdoor of Zero Trust
