Simply put, zero trust functions on the philosophy that because attackers can live both inside and outside the network, no identity should be automatically trusted even if they’ve authenticated themselves at the front door with a username and password.
Zero trust is the most effective security option for protecting the millions of employees and contractors who are now working remotely. Zero trust takes the same “never trust, always verify” mentality before granting access — regardless of where the employee is signing in from. Continuous endpoint authentication, or the requirement to address what happens between security checks, is a key component of the zero trust approach.
To lower the risk of unauthorized access to networks and sensitive data stored on company endpoints, companies should add continuous endpoint authentication on all their devices — especially those that are remote and out-of-sight.
Insider threats often result from employees being negligent, rather than attackers who maliciously target data, money, or other assets. Falling prey to a phishing attack or sharing devices with unauthorized users like household members or friends comes far too easily to employees working in a remote work environment. This is where a zero trust approach comes in handy.
One way to achieve continuous endpoint authentication is with facial recognition technology, but that’s quickly becoming unpopular due to the intrusive nature of a camera always watching you as you work. You can rely on fingerprint scanning technology, but fingerprint scanning on a computer requires expensive external hardware — not to mention frustrating your employees with requests to scan their fingerprint multiple times a day.
There is however a more friendly solution: typing biometrics technology which passively monitors how users type throughout the workday to ensure that only authorized users have access to company computers.
Learn more about continuous authentication with ActiveLock and how to reach your zero trust authentication goals.
