Zero Trust

Just as with any military base front-gate guard shack or agency office-lobby security desk, strong security requires users to authenticate they are who they say they are. The same requirements exist for users attempting to access public sector digital resources. They need to provide basic ID, as well as a bit of information that only they would know or have access to, such as a multifactor authentication (MFA) device, like a cell phone with an authentication app or a PIV card. Quest solutions enable federal agencies to properly authenticate users to support a Zero Trust and/or least-privilege model. 

Authentication is a critical component of any zero trust implementation which in part helps to protect systems and data from unauthorized access.  It serves as a key process in verifying the identity of every user or device. Incorporating a Quest solution to provide or enhance authentication provides several benefits for government agencies from increased security, reduced risk of cyber breaches, improved compliance, and improvements to the customer experience. We make it easier for the right users to access the right resources at the right time.  With Quest your organization can extend the compliance and security capabilities of Active Directory authentication across your entire agency. 

True governance is a challenge, particularly when you have, as do most federal agencies, a widely distributed, multi-environment, multi-platform infrastructure. Regulatory compliance, cybersecurity and smooth agency operations are much easier to achieve when you have the policies, workflows and tools that enable governance implemented. Quest’s solution portfolio and long-term expertise can help your agency implement and maintain IT governance. 

• Analyze unstructured data access requests to files, folders, NAS and SharePoint 
• Empower data owners to control access 
• Improve support for your Federal Data Strategy efforts 

The audit function requirement in Zero Trust is a vital aspect of a robust cybersecurity strategy that involves continuous monitoring and evaluation of an agency’s security landscape. It emphasizes maintaining accurate logs and records of system activities, which are crucial for investigations and compliance. By analyzing and correlating collected data, organizations can identify patterns and vulnerabilities, allowing them to proactively strengthen their security posture. Our solutions can play a critical role in your zero trust architecture and give your agency the ability to take quick and effective action against threats. Ultimately, the insights gained from our audit capabilities enable your agency to their security policies and practices while promoting adaptive security in a resilient Zero Trust environment. 

• Continuous Monitoring 
• Analysis and Correlation 
• Compliance Reporting 

In Zero Trust, the logging function plays a crucial role in maintaining detailed records of all network activities, including data access, system interactions, and user behavior. These logs are essential for ensuring accountability and tracking activities, while also assisting in identifying and mitigating security risks. Moreover, logs serve as a valuable resource for incident detection and response, as well as demonstrating compliance with industry regulations and best practices. Our log management solutions help optimize your current SIEM, accelerate search and troubleshooting, support large data sources, provide universal log collection and routing all in a secure data archive. 

• Optimizing SIEM 
• Rapid search and troubleshooting 
• Universal log collection and routing 

In the context of Zero Trust, session management is a crucial aspect of securely establishing, maintaining, and terminating connections between users, devices, and resources. It involves implementing granular access controls based on user identity, device security posture, and contextual information, as well as enforcing strong multi-factor authentication. The principle of least privilege is applied to ensure minimal access levels, while session encryption protects data integrity and confidentiality. Continuous monitoring and logging of session activities help in real-time threat detection and incident response, and sessions are automatically terminated under specific conditions to reduce risks. By incorporating these elements, agencies can effectively manage sessions and enhance their overall security posture. 

• Full session audit, recording and replay 
• Real-time alerting and blocking 
• Broad protocol support with full text search  

The need for authorization in Zero Trust is crucial for ensuring appropriate access to network resources based on user identity, role, and context. It involves implementing role-based access control, which assigns permissions to users based on their roles within the organization. Incorporating context-aware policies and applying the least privilege principle further enhances security by adapting access levels to the environment and limiting access to only what is needed. Regularly reviewing and updating authorization policies helps maintain a strong security posture, while centralized management enables a unified approach to access control and simplifies policy enforcement. By integrating these aspects, organizations can develop a capable and dynamic authorization system that safeguards against unauthorized access and data breaches from even the most persistent threat actors. 

• Leading Role-Based Access Control 
• Centralized Management 
• Comprehensive threat analytics