Zero Trust security protects hybrid teams by verifying users and devices before granting access to specific applications and resources. As businesses rely on cloud applications, remote access, and distributed infrastructure, this approach helps reduce unnecessary access and limit lateral movement.
For related Akamai security context, Akamai’s application security approach is useful background, while NIST’s Zero Trust Architecture guidance provides the broader security framework.
Let’s explore the core principles of Zero Trust security and how Akamai helps organizations secure users, applications, and workloads in hybrid work environments.
What Is Zero Trust Security?
Zero Trust security follows a simple principle: never trust automatically, always verify. Users and devices do not receive broad access simply because they are connected to a corporate network.
A zero-trust security model evaluates identity, device posture, context, and authorization before granting access to a specific resource. It also limits what an authenticated user can reach.
Akamai Zero Trust Security is a combination of security capabilities designed to protect users, applications, internet access, and workloads.
Rather than treating Zero Trust as one standalone product, Akamai brings together application access, strong authentication, secure internet access, and microsegmentation.
Why Zero Trust Security Matters for Hybrid Teams
Hybrid work changes where users, devices, and applications operate. Employees may connect from home, offices, or other locations, while applications can span cloud and on-premises environments.
Contractors and partners may also need access to selected systems.
A compromised account becomes more dangerous when network access is broader than the user’s actual needs. Zero Trust reduces this exposure by making access specific, controlled, and continuously evaluated.
3 Core Principles of a Zero Trust Security Model
Before selecting technology, organizations should establish the principles that will guide their access decisions. These three principles provide a practical foundation for a zero-trust security model:
- Verify explicitly: Validate identity, device, application, and other relevant signals before accessing.
- Apply least privilege: Give users only the permissions required for their role and task.
- Monitor continuously: Review activity and access decisions so suspicious behavior can be detected quickly.
How Akamai Zero Trust Security Works
Akamai combines several capabilities to address different parts of the Zero Trust model. Each capability supports a specific security requirement, while together they create a broader zero trust security solution for hybrid environments.
1. Zero Trust Network Access with Enterprise Application Access
Akamai Enterprise Application Access provides identity-based access to private applications without giving users access to the entire network.
Access decisions can use signals such as user identity, location, time, and device security.
The difference between broad VPN connectivity and application-level Zero Trust access can be summarized as follows:
| Traditional VPN | Akamai ZTNA |
| Network-level connectivity | Application-level access |
| Trust can expand after connection | Access remains policy-based |
| May expose unnecessary resources | Limits access to required applications |
| VPN infrastructure requires maintenance | Cloud-delivered application access |
2. Identity Protection with Akamai MFA
Akamai MFA supports phishing-resistant authentication based on FIDO2. MFA adds another verification layer, while least-privilege authorization determines what an authenticated user can actually access.
3. Secure Internet Access and Threat Protection
Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise helps inspect web requests and block threats such as malware, phishing, and data exfiltration. This extends Zero Trust controls beyond internal applications.
4. Microsegmentation with Akamai Guardicore Segmentation
Akamai Guardicore Segmentation provides visibility into application and workload communication and enables granular policies to restrict east-west traffic. Microsegmentation can therefore help reduce lateral movement when a system is compromised.
Akamai Zero Trust Security Solutions at a Glance
Organizations do not necessarily need every capability at the same stage. The right combination depends on the access risks, applications, workloads, and architecture that need protection.
This table connects common requirements with relevant Akamai capabilities:
| Security Requirement | Akamai Capability |
| Secure private application access | Enterprise Application Access |
| Strengthen user authentication | Akamai MFA |
| Protect web and internet access | Secure Internet Access Enterprise |
| Limit workload-to-workload communication | Akamai Guardicore Segmentation |
| Improve visibility and threat response | Integrated security monitoring and analytics |
Advantages of Akamai Zero Trust Security
The main advantage of Akamai’s approach is that it connects multiple controls around the user, application, and workload instead of relying on a single security layer.
For organizations moving toward Zero Trust, the practical benefits include:
- Reduced exposure from broad network access by providing access to specific applications.
- Stronger identity protection through MFA and phishing-resistant authentication.
- Lower risk of lateral movement through workload segmentation and east-west traffic controls.
- Better support for remote employees, contractors, and third-party users.
- Security controls that can operate across cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments.
- Greater visibility into application and workload communication for security teams.
- More consistent policy-based access decisions as business and user requirements change.
How to Implement Zero Trust Security with Akamai
Organizations asking how to implement Zero Trust security should avoid trying to change the entire environment at once. A phased rollout can reduce disruption, make policies easier to validate, and help teams understand application dependencies before enforcement.
A practical five-step approach is:
1. Map users, devices, applications, and workloads
Identify who needs access, what they need to access, and where those resources reside.
2. Replace broad network access with application access
Move suitable remote-access use cases toward application-specific policies instead of broad network connectivity.
3. Apply MFA and contextual verification
Strengthen authentication and, where possible, include device posture and other contextual signals.
4. Segment critical workloads
Restrict communication between systems that do not need to communicate by default. Begin with visibility or alert mode when dependencies are unclear.
5. Monitor, test, and refine policies
Review access logs, investigate anomalies, test policies, and update permissions as business requirements change.
Real-World Akamai Zero Trust Use Cases
Customer deployments provide practical examples of how Zero Trust controls can be applied without treating security as a theoretical exercise.
Three examples from Akamai’s deployments show different use cases:
- Times Internet used Enterprise Application Access to move away from broad VPN access. Within six months, it onboarded nearly 100 applications for more than 1,000 users and reported a nearly 90% reduction in help desk calls.
- SBI Holdings used Akamai Guardicore Segmentation to improve visibility across cloud and on-premises environments and control east-west traffic, supporting its Zero Trust strategy.
- Transcosmos used Enterprise Application Access and Secure Internet Access Enterprise to introduce Zero Trust while maintaining its existing network structure. It also used proof of concept before wider adoption.
Common Zero Trust Implementation Mistakes to Avoid
Technology alone does not create an effective Zero Trust strategy. Organizations can weaken their implementation when access policies, application discovery, or ongoing governance are overlooked.
Avoid these common mistakes:
- Treating Zero Trust as a single product rather than an architecture.
- Giving users broad access after successful authentication.
- Skipping application and workload discovery.
- Creating policies without understanding application dependencies.
- Focusing only on remote users while ignoring internal lateral movement.
- Deploying controls without measuring user experience.
- Failing to review permissions as roles and business requirements change.
How ZNetLive Can Support Your Zero Trust Journey
Implementing Zero Trust can involve requirements assessment, technology selection, integration, policy design, and ongoing operations.
ZNetLive provides cybersecurity and cloud technology services and offers Zero Trust use cases including secure remote access, VPN replacement, application control, third-party access, and secure cloud access.
For organizations that need to connect Zero Trust initiatives with wider cloud, infrastructure, and cybersecurity requirements, a structured assessment can help identify where to begin, and which controls should be prioritized.
Conclusion
Zero Trust security replaces implicit network trust with deliberate, policy-based access. For hybrid teams, the practical starting point is to identify high-value applications, reduce broad access, strengthen identity controls, and extend segmentation and monitoring across critical workloads.
Ready to strengthen your hybrid environment with Zero Trust security?
Talk to ZNetLive’s cybersecurity experts to assess your requirements and find the right Zero Trust security solutions for your business.
Akamai brings these capabilities together across application access, authentication, secure internet access, and microsegmentation.
