For Federal agencies, the ability to protect sensitive data is critical to safeguarding the nation’s security. Yet threats to data security and public trust are increasing rapidly. With an environment of cyber threats more advanced and menacing than ever, the Federal Government must take strong, decisive measures in not only guarding against data breaches and theft from malicious external actors, but in also protecting data from insider threats — including user errors and abuses, or inadvertent operational exposure.

To achieve these ends, the Federal Government is forging ahead with zero trust (ZT), a comprehensive strategy designed to help prevent breaches in security. ZT involves taking a “never trust, always verify” approach by authenticating and validating digital interactions with data at every phase.