The zero-trust model is a modern security strategy that assumes breach and verifies each request as though it originates from an open network. The main concept behind the zero-trust model is “never trust, always verify”, which means that users and devices should not be trusted by default, even if they are connected to a permissioned network such as a corporate LAN and even if they were previously verified12
One of the principles of the zero-trust model is to verify explicitly, which means to always authenticate and authorize based on all available data points, including user identity, location, device health, service or workload, data classification, and anomalies13 To achieve this, the zero-trust model recommends using multifactor authentication (MFA), which is a method of verifying a user’s identity by requiring two or more pieces of evidence, such as something the user knows (e.g., password, PIN), something the user has (e.g., token, smart card), or something the user is (e.g., fingerprint, face scan). MFA provides a higher level of security than using only a single factor, such as a password, which can be easily compromised or guessed. MFA also reduces the risk of unauthorized access to corporate applications and resources, which may contain sensitive or confidential information.
Therefore, the recommendation in a zero-trust model before granting access to corporate applications and resources is to use multifactor authentication, as it ensures that only verified and authorized users and devices can access the data they need, and nothing more13
References := 1: Zero Trust Model - Modern Security Architecture | Microsoft Security 2: Zero trust security model - Wikipedia 3: What is Zero Trust? | Microsoft Learn : Multifactor Authentication (MFA) | Cisco
