A security framework requiring strict identity verification for every person and device trying to access resources.
Zero Trust Architecture is an enterprise cybersecurity philosophy predicated on the principle: "Never trust, always verify."
Unlike traditional perimeter-based security (the "castle and moat" model), Zero Trust assumes that threats exist both inside and outside the network, so it requires continuous, strict identity verification and device authorization for every access request, regardless of origin.
Zero Trust is a baseline requirement for securing distributed data architectures and preventing data exfiltration when deploying internal AI systems.
See also Data Exfiltration, Air-Gapped Environment and Role-Based Access Control.