Cloud Security Alliance CCZT Dumps

In a ZTA, the logical combination of both the policy engine (PE) and policy administrator (PA) is called the policy decision point (PDP). The PE is the component that evaluates the policies and the contextual data collected from various sources and generates an access decision. The PA is the component that establishes or terminates the communication between a subject and a resource based on the access decision. The PDP communicates with the policy enforcement point (PEP), which enforces the access decision on the resource.

References =

• Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) prepkit, page 14, section 2.2.2
• Zero Trust Architecture Project - NIST Computer Security Resource Center, slide 9
• What Is a Zero Trust Security Framework? | Votiro, section “The Policy Engine and Policy Administrator”
• Zero Trust Frameworks Architecture Guide - Cisco, page 4, section “Policy Decision Point”

ABAC is an access control method that uses attributes of the requester, the resource, the environment, and the action to evaluate and enforce policies. ABAC allows for fine-grained and dynamic access control based on the context of the request, rather than predefinedroles or privileges. ABAC is suitable for SaaS and PaaS, where the features within a service may vary depending on the customer’s needs, preferences, and subscription level. ABAC can help implement ZT by enforcing the principle of least privilege and verifying every request based on multiple factors.

References =

• Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) Definition
• General Access Control Guidance for Cloud Systems
• A Guide to Secure SaaS Access Control Within an Organization

To respond quickly to changes while implementing ZT Strategy, an organization requires a mindset and culture of continuous risk evaluation and policy adjustment. This means that the organization should constantly monitor the threat landscape, assess the security posture, and update the policies and controls accordingly to maintain a high level of protection and resilience. The organization should also embrace feedback, learning, and improvement as part of the ZT journey.

References =

• Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) prepkit, page 7, section 1.3
• Cultivating a Zero Trust mindset - AWS Prescriptive Guidance, section “Continuous learning and improvement”
• Zero Trust architecture: a paradigm shift in cybersecurity - PwC, section “Continuous monitoring and improvement”

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

The essential components of an organization’s ongoing risk analysis are assessment frequency, metrics, and data. Assessment frequency refers to how often the organizationconducts 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”

In a ZTA, a policy decision point (PDP) is a logical component that evaluates the incoming signals from an entity requesting access to a resource against a set of access determination criteria, such as identity, context, device, location, and behavior1. A PDP then makes a decision to grant or deny access, or to request additional information or verification, based on the policies defined by the policy administrator1. A policy enforcement point (PEP) is a logical component that uses the incoming signals from the PDP to open or close a connection between the entity and the resource1. A PEP acts as a gateway or intermediary that enforces the decision made by the PDP and prevents unauthorized or risky access2.

References =

• Zero Trust Architecture | NIST
• Policy Enforcement Point (PEP) - Pomerium

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”

During the define requirements step of ZT planning, the organization will define its risk appetite, which is the amount and type of risk that it is willing to accept in pursuit of its objectives. Risk appetite reflects the organization’s risk culture, tolerance, and strategy, and guides the development of the ZT policies and controls. Risk appetite should be aligned with the business priorities and needs, and communicated clearly to the stakeholders.

References =

• Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) prepkit, page 7, section 1.3
• Risk Appetite Guidance Note - GOV.UK, section “Introduction”
• How to improve risk management using Zero Trust architecture | Microsoft Security Blog, section “Risk management is an ongoing activity”

The first step for an organization in defining priorities for ZT planning is to determine the current state of its network, security, and business environment. This involves conducting a comprehensive assessment of the existing IT infrastructure, systems, applications, data, and assets, as well as the threats, risks, and vulnerabilities that affect them. The current state analysis also involves identifying the gaps, challenges, and opportunities for improvement in the current security posture, as well as the business goals, objectives, and requirements for ZT implementation12. By determining the current state, the organization can establish a baseline for measuring the progress and impact of ZT, as well as prioritize the most critical and urgent areas for ZT adoption.

References =

• Planning for a Zero Trust Architecture: A Planning Guide for Federal Administrators | CSRC Publications NIST
• Zero Trust Architecture Explained: A Step-by-Step Approach - Comparitech

Rule-based security policies are a type of attribute-based access control (ABAC) policies that define rules that control the entitlements to assets, such as data, applications, or devices, based on the attributes of the subjects, objects, and environment. The policy decision point (PDP) is the component in a zero trust architecture (ZTA) that evaluates the rule-based security policies and generates an access decision for each request.

References =

• Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) prepkit, page 14, section 2.2.2
• A Zero Trust Policy Model | SpringerLink, section “Rule-Based Policies”
• Zero Trust architecture: a paradigm shift in cybersecurity - PwC, section “Security policy and control framework”

ZTA models in terms of access decisions are based on the principle of “never trust, always verify”, which means that each access request is handled just-in-time by the policy decision points. The policy decision points are the components in a ZTA that evaluate 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 generate an access decision. The access decision is communicated to the policy enforcement points, which enforce the decision on the resource. This way, ZTA models apply a consistent access model throughout the environment for all assets, regardless of their location, type, or ownership.

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 security model - Wikipedia, section “What Is Zero Trust Architecture?”
• Zero Trust Maturity Model | CISA, section “Zero trust security model”

Network access control (NAC) typically operates at layer 2, the data link layer, of the open systems interconnection (OSI) model. The data link layer is responsible for transferring data between adjacent nodes on a network, such as switches and endpoints. NAC operates at this layer by inspecting and controlling the access of devices to the network based on their MAC addresses, device profiles, security posture, and compliance status.

References = Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) - Cloud Security Alliance, Zero Trust Training (ZTT) - Module 6: Micro-segmentation

ZT project implementation requires prioritization as part of the overall ZT project planning activities. One area to consider is prioritization based on risks, which means that the organization should identify and assess the potential threats, vulnerabilities, and impacts that could affect its assets, operations, and reputation, and prioritize the ZT initiatives that address the most critical and urgent risks. Prioritization based on risks helps to align the ZT project with the business objectives and needs, and optimize the use of resources and time.

References =

• Zero Trust Planning - Cloud Security Alliance, section “Scope, Priority, & Business Case”
• The Zero Trust Journey: 4 Phases of Implementation - SEI Blog, section “Second Phase: Assess”
• Planning for a Zero Trust Architecture: A Planning Guide for Federal …, section “Gap Analysis”

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

ZTA using enhanced identity governance is an approach to ZTA that strongly emphasizes proper governance of access privileges and entitlements for specific assets. This approach focuses on managing the identity lifecycle, enforcing granular and dynamic policies, and auditing and monitoring access activities. ZTA using enhanced identity governance helps to ensure that only authorized and verified entities can access the protected assets based on the principle of least privilege and the context of the request.

References = Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) - Cloud Security Alliance, Zero Trust Training (ZTT) - Module 5: Enhanced Identity Governance

Log collection is an essential component of ZTA, as it provides the data needed to monitor, audit, and improve the security posture of the network. By collecting logs from different sources, such as devices, applications, firewalls, gateways, and policies, ZTA can support various functions, such as:

• Change management: Logs can help track and document any changes made to the network configuration, policies, or resources, and assess their impact on the security and performance of the network. Logs can also help identify and revert any unauthorized or erroneous changes that may compromise the network integrity1.
• Incident management: Logs can help detect and respond to any security incidents, such as breaches, attacks, or anomalies, that may occur in the network. Logs can provide the evidence and context needed to investigate the root cause, scope, and impact of the incident, and to take appropriate remediation actions2.
• Visibility and analytics: Logs can help provide a comprehensive and granular view of the network activity, performance, and behavior. Logs can be used to generate dashboards, reports, and alerts that can help measure and improve the network security and efficiency. Logs can also be used to apply advanced analytics techniques, such as machine learning, to identify patterns, trends, and insights that can help optimize the network operations and security3.

References =

• Zero Trust Architecture: Data Sources
• Zero Trust Architecture: Incident Response
• Zero Trust Architecture: Visibility and Analytics

Micro-segmentation is a vital ZTA component that enhances network security and simplifies management by creating boundaries between resources in the same network zone. Micro-segmentation divides the network into smaller segments or zones based on the attributes and context of the resources, such as data sensitivity, application functionality, user roles, etc. Micro-segmentation helps to isolate and protect the resources from unauthorized access and lateral movement of attackers within the same network zone.

References = Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) - Cloud Security Alliance, Zero Trust Training (ZTT) - Module 6: Micro-segmentation

According to NIST, the key mechanisms for defining, managing, and enforcing policies in a ZTA are the policy decision point (PDP), the policy enforcement point (PEP), and the policy information point (PIP). The PDP is the component that evaluates the policies and the contextual data collected from various sources and generates an access decision. The PEP isthe component that enforces the access decision on the resource. The PIP is the component that provides the contextual data to the PDP, such as the user identity, the device posture, the network location, the resource attributes, and the environmental factors.

References =

• Zero Trust Architecture Project - NIST Computer Security Resource Center, slide 9
• What Is Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA)? - F5, section “Policy Engine”
• Zero Trust Frameworks Architecture Guide - Cisco, page 4, section “Policy Decision Point”

One of the core principles of Zero Trust (ZT) is to “never trust, always verify” every request for access to a resource, regardless of where it originates or what resource it accesses1. This means that ZT does not rely on implicit trust based on network perimeters, device types, or user roles, but rather on explicit verification based on multiple data points, such as user identity, device health, location, service, data classification, and anomalies1.

References =

• Zero Trust Architecture | NIST
• Zero Trust Model - Modern Security Architecture | Microsoft Security
• How To Implement Zero Trust: 5-steps Approach & its challenges - Fortinet

When preparing to implement ZTA, some changes may be required in the organization’s governance, compliance, risk management, and operations. These components are essential for ensuring a successful implementation of ZTA, as they involve the following aspects12:

• Governance: This refers to the establishment of a clear vision, strategy, and roadmap for ZTA, as well as the definition of roles, responsibilities, and authorities for ZTA stakeholders. Governance also involves the alignment of ZTA with the organization’s mission, goals, and objectives, and the communication and collaboration among ZTA teams and other business units.
• Compliance: This refers to the adherence to the relevant laws, regulations, standards, and policies that apply to the organization’s ZTA. Compliance also involves the identification and mitigation of any legal or contractual risks or issues that may arise from ZTA implementation, such as data privacy, security, and sovereignty.
• Risk management: This refers to the assessment and management of the risks associated with ZTA implementation, such as technical, operational, financial, or reputational risks. Risk management also involves the development and implementation of risk mitigation strategies, controls, and metrics, as well as the monitoring and reporting of risk status and performance.
• Operations: This refers to the execution and maintenance of the ZTA processes, technologies, and services, as well as the integration and interoperability of ZTA with the existing IT infrastructure and systems. Operations also involve the optimization and improvement of ZTA efficiency and effectiveness, as well as the resolution of any operational issues or incidents.

References =

• Zero Trust Architecture: Governance
• Zero Trust Architecture: Acquisition and Adoption

The scope of the target state definition in Zero Trust planning is significantly influenced by an organization's risk appetite. This entails a strategic evaluation of the level of risk an organization is willing to accept in pursuit of its objectives. Continuous authentication and authorization, integral to Zero Trust, adapt to the dynamic state of threats and the organization's risk posture, ensuring that authorization decisions align with the prevailing risk appetite and the changing security landscape​​.

In a Zero Trust Architecture, the Policy Decision Point (PDP) is the primary entity responsible for crafting and maintaining policies, especially those that enforce the principle of least privilege for network access. The PDP evaluates all relevant information about an access request—including the identity of the requester, the context of the request, and the requested resource—and makes a decision on whether to grant or deny access based on predefined policies. This process ensures that access rights are strictly aligned with the necessity of the role and the minimum access required to perform a function, thereby adhering to the principle of least privilege​​.

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

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 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”

In a ZTA, the logical combination of both the policy engine (PE) and policy administrator (PA) is called the policy decision point (PDP). The PE is the component that evaluates the policies and the contextual data collected from various sources and generates an access decision. The PA is the component that establishes or terminates the communication between a subject and a resource based on the access decision. The PDP communicates with the policy enforcement point (PEP), which enforces the access decision on the resource.

References =

• Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) prepkit, page 14, section 2.2.2
• Zero Trust Architecture Project - NIST Computer Security Resource Center, slide 9
• What Is a Zero Trust Security Framework? | Votiro, section “The Policy Engine and Policy Administrator”
• Zero Trust Frameworks Architecture Guide - Cisco, page 4, section “Policy Decision Point”

One of the key purposes of leveraging visibility & analytics capabilities in a ZTA is to continually evaluate user behavior against a baseline to identify unusual actions. This helps to detect and respond to potential threats, anomalies, and deviations from the normal patterns of user activity. Visibility & analytics capabilities also enable the collection and analysis of telemetry data across all the core pillars of ZTA, such as user, device, network, application, and data, and provide insights for policy enforcement and improvement.

References =

• Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) prepkit, page 15, section 2.2.3
• Zero Trust for Government Networks: 4 Steps You Need to Know, section “Continuously verify trust with visibility & analytics”
• The role of visibility and analytics in zero trust architectures, section “The basic NIST tenets of this approach include”
• What is Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA)? | NextLabs, section “With real-time access control, users are reliably verified and authenticated before each session”

Data sources are the ZT element that provide information that providers can use to keep policies dynamically updated. Data sources are the inputs that feed the policy engine and the policy administrator with the relevant data and context about the entities, resources, transactions, and environment in the ZTA. Data sources help to inform the policy decisions and actions based on the current state and conditions of the ZTA. Data sources can include identity providers, device management systems, threat intelligence feeds, network monitoring tools, etc.

References = Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT) - Cloud Security Alliance, Zero Trust Training (ZTT) - Module 3: ZTA Architecture and Components

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.

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

In a ZTA, automation and orchestration can increase security by using the following means:

• Infrastructure as code (laC): laC is a practice of managing and provisioning IT infrastructure through code, rather than manual processes or configuration tools1. laC can increase security by enabling consistent, repeatable, and scalable deployment of ZTA components, such as policies, gateways, firewalls, and micro-segments2. laC can also facilitate compliance, auditability, and change management, as well as reduce human errors and configuration drifts3.
• Identity lifecycle management: Identity lifecycle management is a process of managing the creation, modification, and deletion of user identities and their access rights throughout their lifecycle4. Identity lifecycle management can increase security by ensuring that users have the appropriate level of access to resources at any given time, based on the principle of least privilege5. Identity lifecycle management can also automate the provisioning and deprovisioning of user accounts, enforce strong authentication and authorization policies, and monitor and audit user activity and behavior6.

References =

• What is Infrastructure as Code? | Cloudflare
• Zero Trust Architecture: Infrastructure as Code
• Infrastructure as Code: Security Best Practices
• What is Identity Lifecycle Management? | One Identity
• Zero Trust Architecture: Identity and Access Management
• Identity Lifecycle Management: A Zero Trust Security Strategy

SDP mitigates the risk of broken access control by mandating micro-segmentation and implementing least privilege. Micro-segmentation divides the network into smaller, isolated segments that can prevent unauthorized access and contain lateral movement. Least privilege grants the minimum necessary access to users and devices for specific resources, while hiding all other assets from their view. This reduces the attack surface and prevents attackers from exploiting weak or misconfigured access controls

SDP features, like multi-factor authentication (MFA), mutual transport layer security (mTLS), and device fingerprinting, protect against phishing attacks by verifying the identity and authenticity of both the user and the device before granting access to a resource. Phishing attacks are attempts to trick users into revealing their credentials or other sensitive information by impersonating a legitimate entity or service1. SDP features can prevent phishing attacks by:

• MFA: MFA is a security mechanism that requires a user to provide more than one piece of evidence to prove their identity, such as a password, a one-time code, a biometric factor, or a physical token2. MFA can protect against phishing attacks by making it harder for attackers to access a resource even if they manage to obtain the user’s password or other credentials2.
• mTLS: mTLS is a security protocol that enables mutual authentication and encryption between two parties, such as a client and a server3. mTLS can protect against phishing attacks by ensuring that both the client and the server have valid and trusted certificates, and by preventing attackers from intercepting or modifying the communication between them3.
• Device fingerprinting: Device fingerprinting is a technique that identifies and verifies a device based on its unique characteristics, such as its operating system, browser, IP address, or hardware configuration4. Device fingerprinting can protect against phishing attacks by allowing only authorized devices to access a resource, and by detecting any anomalies or changes in the device’s attributes that may indicate a compromise4.

References =

• What is Phishing? | How to Identify & Prevent Phishing Attacks | Cloudflare
• What is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)? | Cloudflare
• What is Mutual TLS (mTLS)? | Cloudflare
• What is Device Fingerprinting? | Cloudflare

In a continual improvement model, policy administrators are the ones who maintain the ZT policies. Policy administrators are ZTA policy entities that are responsible for crafting and maintaining the policies that govern the access to resources in a ZT environment1. Policy administrators define the rules and conditions that specify who, what, when, where, and how an entity can access a resource, based on the principle of least privilege2. Policy administrators also update and review the policies periodically to ensure they are aligned with the changing business and security requirements3.

References =

• Zero Trust Architecture | NIST
• Zero Trust Architecture: Policy Engine and Policy Administrator
• Zero Trust Architecture: Policy Administration

ZTA is based on the principle of never trusting any user or device by default, regardless of their location or ownership. ZTA policies can use various methods to verify the identity and context of third-party users and devices, such as tokens, certificates, multifactor authentication, device posture assessment, etc. ZTA policies can also enforce granular and dynamic access policies that grant the minimum necessary privileges to third-party users and devices for accessing specific resources, while hiding all other assets from their view. This reduces the attack surface and prevents unauthorized access and lateral movement within the network.