Which security model emphasizes strict access controls and does not trust insiders by default?

Which security model emphasizes strict access controls and does not trust insiders by default?

• A. Zero Trust Security
• B. Perimeter-Based Security
• C. Layered Defense
• D. Identity and Access Management

Answer: (A)

Zero Trust Security centers on enforcing strict access controls and not trusting users or devices by default. In this approach, every request to access resources is treated as potentially hostile and must be authenticated, authorized, and continually validated, no matter where the access is coming from. It relies on least-privilege access, device posture checks, micro-segmentation, and ongoing monitoring to limit what anyone can do and quickly detect anomalies. This mindset assumes a breach could be present anywhere and works to minimize the blast radius by denying wide access and continuously verifying each interaction. Perimeter-based security, in contrast, builds a strong boundary and often grants implicit trust to users and devices once they’re inside that boundary. Layered defense adds multiple protective measures across different layers but doesn’t inherently require not trusting insiders by default. IAM is essential for managing identities and who’s allowed to do what, but it’s a component within a broader zero-trust philosophy rather than the defining model itself.

Zero Trust Security centers on enforcing strict access controls and not trusting users or devices by default. In this approach, every request to access resources is treated as potentially hostile and must be authenticated, authorized, and continually validated, no matter where the access is coming from. It relies on least-privilege access, device posture checks, micro-segmentation, and ongoing monitoring to limit what anyone can do and quickly detect anomalies. This mindset assumes a breach could be present anywhere and works to minimize the blast radius by denying wide access and continuously verifying each interaction.

Perimeter-based security, in contrast, builds a strong boundary and often grants implicit trust to users and devices once they’re inside that boundary. Layered defense adds multiple protective measures across different layers but doesn’t inherently require not trusting insiders by default. IAM is essential for managing identities and who’s allowed to do what, but it’s a component within a broader zero-trust philosophy rather than the defining model itself.