CSA Exam CCSK Topic 1 Question 87 Discussion

Zero Trust (ZT) security architecture is a modern cloud security approach that operates on the principle of 'Never Trust, Always Verify.'

Primary Benefits of Zero Trust in Cloud:

Minimizes Attack Surface

Traditional security models assume trust within an internal network.

Zero Trust eliminates implicit trust and enforces continuous verification of user identities.

Reduces the risk of data breaches, insider threats, and lateral movement attacks.

Strong Authentication & Access Controls

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) & Just-in-Time (JIT) access are mandatory in Zero Trust models.

Uses context-based access policies (device, location, behavior analytics) to enforce adaptive security.

Micro-Segmentation & Least Privilege Access

Restricts access to only necessary applications, minimizing lateral movement in cloud environments.

Micro-segmentation isolates workloads, reducing the impact of breaches.

Cloud-Native Zero Trust Integration

Cloud providers (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) offer Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solutions.

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) continuously scans cloud environments for security compliance.

This aligns with:

CCSK v5 - Security Guidance v4.0, Domain 12 (Identity, Entitlement, and Access Management)

Zero Trust Cloud Security Architecture (CSA Zero Trust Working Group).