What is Zero Trust?

Zero Trust is a security model based on "never trust, always verify." Instead of trusting users inside your network, every request (internal or external) must be authenticated, authorized, and encrypted. Assumes breach—no implicit trust based on network location. Key principles: verify identity, least privilege access, assume breach, inspect all traffic.

When Should You Use This?

Implement Zero Trust when building enterprise SaaS, handling sensitive data (healthcare, finance), or scaling teams where you can't trust "the network." Use tools like Cloudflare Access, Tailscale, or AWS IAM to enforce Zero Trust. For startups, start with basics: require authentication for all API calls, use RBAC, encrypt traffic with HTTPS/TLS. Full Zero Trust is overkill until you have enterprise customers.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• •Trusting internal traffic—attackers inside your network are as dangerous as external ones
• •Skipping encryption for internal APIs—use TLS everywhere, even for service-to-service calls
• •Not logging access attempts—Zero Trust requires visibility; log all authentication and authorization events
• •Over-complicating early—Zero Trust is a journey; start with strong auth, RBAC, and encryption
• •Forgetting user experience—don't force users to re-auth constantly; use session management, device trust

Real-World Examples

• •Google BeyondCorp—pioneered Zero Trust by removing VPNs, requiring device verification for all access
• •Cloudflare Access—enforces Zero Trust for internal apps (admin panels, databases) without VPNs
• •Tailscale—Zero Trust VPN alternative that authenticates every device and user
• •AWS—IAM enforces Zero Trust by requiring explicit permissions for every API call