CCZT Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) Question and Answers

Business continuity and disaster recovery are the activities of the ZT implementation preparation phase that ensure the resiliency of the organization’s operations in the event of disruption. Business continuity refers to the process of maintaining or restoring the essential functions of the organization during and after a crisis, such as a natural disaster, a cyberattack, or a pandemic. Disaster recovery refers to the process of recovering the IT systems, data, and infrastructure that support the business continuity. ZT implementation requires planning and testing the business continuity and disaster recovery strategies and procedures, as well as aligning them with the ZT policies and controls.

References =

• Zero Trust Planning - Cloud Security Alliance, section “Monitor & Measure”
• Zero Trust architecture: a paradigm shift in cybersecurity - PwC, section “Continuous monitoring and improvement”
• Zero Trust Implementation, section “Outline Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) implementation steps”

During the gap analysis phase of Zero Trust (ZT) planning, risk appetite is typically defined when determining the target state. This step involves setting the desired security goals and objectives, taking into account the organization's tolerance for risk. Defining the risk appetite helps in aligning the ZT initiatives with the organization's broader risk management strategy, ensuring that the security measures are both effective and aligned with business objectives​​.

A common activity in the scope, priority, and business case steps of ZT planning is to determine the organization’s current state. This involves assessing the existing security posture, architecture, policies, processes, and capabilities of the organization, as well as identifying the key stakeholders, business drivers, and goals for the ZT initiative. Determining the current state helps to establish a baseline, identify gaps and risks, and define the scope and priority of the ZT transformation.

References =

• Zero Trust Planning - Cloud Security Alliance, section “Scope, Priority, & Business Case”
• The Zero Trust Journey: 4 Phases of Implementation - SEI Blog, section “First Phase: Prepare”

The first step that organizations should take to strengthen access requirements and protect their resources from unauthorized access by potential cyber threats is to understand and identify the data and assets that need to be protected. This step involves conducting a data and asset inventory and classification, which helps to determine the value, sensitivity, ownership, and location of the data and assets. By understanding and identifying the data and assets that need to be protected, organizations can define the appropriate access policies and controls based on the Zero Trust principles of never trust, always verify, and assume breach.

References = Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) - Cloud Security Alliance, Zero Trust Training (ZTT) - Module 2: Data and Asset Classification

Policy is the element of ZT that focuses on the governance rules that define the “who, what, when, how, and why” aspects of accessing target resources. Policy is the core component of a ZTA that determines the access decisions and controls for each request based on various attributes and factors, such as user identity, device posture, network location, resource sensitivity, and environmental context. Policy is also the element that enables the ZT principles of “never trust, always verify” and “scrutinize explicitly” by enforcing granular, dynamic, and data-driven rules for each access request.

References =

• Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) prepkit, page 14, section 2.2.2
• What Is Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA)? - F5, section “Policy Engine”
• Zero Trust Architecture Project - NIST Computer Security Resource Center, slide 9
• [Zero Trust Frameworks Architecture Guide - Cisco], page 4, section “Policy Decision Point”

To detect and stop malicious access attempts in real-time within a Zero Trust Architecture, comprehensive audit logging and continuous monitoring are essential. These measures provide visibility into all access attempts and activities within the network, allowing for the early detection of suspicious behavior. By analyzing logs and monitoring network traffic, security teams can identify and respond to potential threats in real-time, preventing unauthorized access and minimizing the impact of any security incidents.

The policy engine (PE) is the component in a ZTA that is responsible for deciding whether to grant access to a resource. The PE evaluates the policies and the contextual data collected from various sources, such as the user identity, the device posture, the network location, the resource attributes, and the environmental factors, and then generates an access decision. The PE communicates the access decision to the policy enforcement point (PEP), which enforces the decision on the resource.

References =

• Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) prepkit, page 14, section 2.2.2
• What Is Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA)? - F5, section “Policy Engine”
• What is Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA)? | NextLabs, section “Core Components”
• [SP 800-207, Zero Trust Architecture], page 11, section 3.3.1

The rule-based security policies configured on the Policy Decision Point (PDP) are designed to define rules that specify how information can flow within an organization's network. These rules are integral to implementing the principle of least privilege and ensuring that data is accessed only by authorized entities under strict conditions. By controlling information flow, the PDP helps in mitigating the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access, reinforcing the Zero Trust model's emphasis on stringent access control and continuous verification of trust.

The essential components of an organization’s ongoing risk analysis are assessment frequency, metrics, and data. Assessment frequency refers to how often the organization conducts risk assessments to monitor and measure the effectiveness of the zero trust architecture and policies. Metrics refer to the quantitative and qualitative indicators that are used to evaluate the security posture, performance, and compliance of the zero trust architecture. Data refers to the information that is collected, analyzed, and reported from various sources, such as telemetry, logs, audits, and feedback, to support risk analysis and decision making.

References =

• Zero Trust Planning - Cloud Security Alliance, section “Monitor & Measure”
• How to improve risk management using Zero Trust architecture | Microsoft Security Blog, section “Monitoring and reporting”
• Zero Trust Adoption: Managing Risk with Cybersecurity Engineering and Adaptive Risk Assessment - SEI Blog, section “Continuous Monitoring and Improvement”

Optimal compliance posture in a Zero Trust environment is primarily achieved through rigorous authentication and authorization of all networked assets. Zero Trust operates on the principle of "never trust, always verify," which necessitates robust authentication mechanisms to verify the identity of users and devices. Following authentication, authorization ensures that each authenticated entity has explicit permission to access only the resources necessary for its function, aligning with the principle of least privilege. These practices ensure a secure and compliant posture by minimizing the attack surface and reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

 The protect surface in a ZTA is the collection of sensitive data, assets, applications, and services (DAAS) that require protection from threats1. One benefit of the protect surface in a ZTA for an organization implementing controls is that it allows the controls to be moved closer to the asset and minimize risk. This means that instead of relying on a single perimeter or boundary to protect the entire network, ZTA enables granular and dynamic controls that are applied at or near the DAAS components, based on the principle of least privilege2. This reduces the attack surface and the potential impact of a breach, as well as improves the visibility and agility of the security posture3.

References =

• Zero Trust Architecture | NIST
• Zero Trust Architecture Explained: A Step-by-Step Approach - Comparitech
• What is Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA)? - CrowdStrike

SPA is a security protocol that prevents device impersonation attacks in a ZTA by hiding the network infrastructure from unauthorized and unauthenticated users. SPA uses a single encrypted packet to convey the user’s identity and request access to a resource. The SPA packet must be digitally signed and authenticated by the SPA server before granting access. This ensures that only authorized devices can send valid SPA packets and prevents spoofing, replay, or brute-force attacks12.

References =

• Zero Trust: Single Packet Authorization | Passive authorization
• Single Packet Authorization | Linux Journal

ZTA planning can improve the developer experience by streamlining access provisioning to deployment environments. This means that developers can access the resources and services they need to deploy their applications in a fast and secure manner, without having to go through complex and manual processes. ZTA planning can also help to automate and orchestrate the access provisioning using dynamic and granular policies based on the context and attributes of the developers, devices, and applications.

References = Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) - Cloud Security Alliance, Zero Trust Training (ZTT) - Module 10: ZTA Planning and Implementation

To ensure that only legitimate users can access Software as a Service (SaaS) or Platform as a Service (PaaS) in a Zero Trust framework, implementing robust authentication mechanisms is crucial. Enforcing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Single Sign-On (SSO) are effective strategies. MFA adds layers of security by requiring users to provide multiple pieces of evidence to verify their identity, making unauthorized access significantly more challenging. SSO simplifies the user experience by allowing users to access multiple services with one set of credentials while maintaining high security standards, particularly when combined with MFA. These measures align with the Zero Trust principle of "never trust, always verify," ensuring that access is granted only after thorough verification of the user's identity.

Asset owners are the ones who will determine valid users, roles, and privileges for accessing data as part of data governance. Asset owners are responsible for defining the data classification, sensitivity, and ownership of the data assets they own. They also have the authority to grant or revoke access to the data assets based on the business needs and the Zero Trust policies.

References = Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) - Cloud Security Alliance, Zero Trust Training (ZTT) - Module 2: Data and Asset Classification