IT Glossary
Zero Trust is a security model built on "never trust, always verify." Learn its core principles, how it works, and how access control fits in.
July 3, 2026
Zero Trust is a security model based on the principle "never trust, always verify." It assumes that no user, device, or request is trustworthy by default, even inside the corporate network, and requires continuous verification of identity, device posture, and context before granting access to each resource. Least privilege and micro-segmentation are core components of a Zero Trust architecture.
Zero Trust and the traditional perimeter model differ fundamentally. Zero Trust trusts nothing and always verifies, makes continuous and context-aware access decisions, and contains risk through segmentation if a breach occurs. The perimeter model trusts everything inside the network, makes a one-time decision at the perimeter, and allows easy lateral movement once breached.
A distributed company drops the "trusted internal network" assumption: every app access is verified by identity, MFA, and device posture, regardless of where the user sits. For SaaS, Zero Trust starts with knowing which apps exist, who can reach them, and whether access is still justified. Without that inventory, Zero Trust has blind spots, which is where SaaS discovery and access governance feed the model.
It means no user or device is trusted by default, and every access request is verified continuously using identity, device, and context signals.
No. Zero Trust is a security model and architecture. It is implemented through a combination of identity, access control, device, and network controls.
Zero Trust depends on knowing every app, identity, and permission. Access governance and SaaS discovery provide that inventory and keep access least-privileged.
