Zero Trust Networking: How Network Teams Support Cybersecurity

Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) conducted research that explores how network teams contribute to zero trust projects. Based on a survey of 270 IT professionals, this research identifies the technology requirements network teams have for enabling technology. It also identifies the challenges that these groups encounter when partnering with cybersecurity on zero trust.

Check out these webinar research slides to discover key findings from this new research, including:
- How network teams protect user experience and network performance as they implement zero trust
- What technology and solution requirements network teams have for modernization of secure remote access
- Where and how zero trust network segmentation is implemented
- How network teams apply key technologies in their toolkits, including network observability solutions and DNS infrastructure, to execute zero trust

1. @ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
Sponsored by
Zero Trust Networking
How Network Teams Support
Cybersecurity
Shamus McGillicuddy
Vice President of Research
Enterprise Management Associates (EMA)
Network Infrastructure and Operations

2. @ema _resea rch
| @ema_research 2
Watch the On-Demand Webinar
•Zero Trust Networking: How Network Teams Support Cybersecurity
On-Demand Webinar: https://info.enterprisemanagement.com/zero-
trust-networking-cybersecurity-webinar-ss
•Check out upcoming webinars from EMA here:
https://www.enterprisemanagement.com/freeResearch
© 2023 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc.

3. @ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
@ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
Featured Speaker
Shamus is a Vice President of Research at EMA,
where he leads the network infrastructure and
operations practice. He has nearly two decades of
experience in the IT industry. His research focuses on
all aspects of managing enterprise networks,
including network automation, AIOps-driven network
operations, multi-cloud networking, and WAN
transformation.
© 2024 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 3
Shamus McGillicuddy
Vice President of Research
Network Infrastructure and Operations
Enterprise Management Associates (EMA)

4. @ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
@ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
Sponsors
© 2024 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 4

5. @ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
Research Goals &
Methodology

6. @ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
@ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
Job Titles
14.4% Engineers
3.7% IT-related business analysts
6.7% Architects
12.2% Project managers
18.5% Managers/Supervisors
18.9% Directors
8.5% Vice presidents
17% CIOs/CTOs/CISOs
IT Groups
20.7% IT executive suite
20.4% Cybersecurity
18.9% Cloud architecture/engineering
15.9% Network/IT operations
10.4% Network engineering
7.8% IT architecture
5.9% Security operations
Top Industries
24.4% Manufacturing
17.4% Retail/Wholesale/Distribution
12.6% Finance/Banking/Insurance
11.9% Professional services
7.4% Health care/Hospitals
5.9% Construction
5.6% Oil/Gas/Chemicals
Geography
68.1% North America
31.9% Europe
Company Size (Employees)
48.9% Midsized enterprise (1,000 to 4,999)
35.1% Large enterprise (5,000 to 19,999)
15.9% Very large enterprise (20,000 or more)
Survey of 270 IT Decision-Makers in Companies with Zero Trust Programs
© 2024 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 6

7. @ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
@ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
Goal: Understand How Network Teams Enable Zero Trust
© 2024 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 7
Best practice
What role does your company’s network team play in
zero trust security strategy?
To what extent do your company’s network team and
cybersecurity/IT security team collaborate on zero trust security?

8. @ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
@ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
Why is the Network Team Critical to Zero Trust Strategy?
© 2024 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 8
Network engineering has
expertise and ownership of
enabling technology
•Secure remote access
•Network segmentation
•Network observability
Factors that influence zero trust implementation
Eliminating unauthorized access (63%)
Impact on network performance (60%)
Management simplicity (49%)
Architectural flexibility (45%)
Eliminating lateral movement (43%)
1
2
3
4
5
97% say network performance influences zero trust decisions

9. @ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
The Role of Network
Observability

10. @ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
@ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
NetOps Teams Apply Observability to Zero Trust
© 2024 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 10
96% of network teams have
network observability tools that
are at least somewhat important
to supporting zero trust
What do they observe?
36% DNS queries
33% Source & destination Ips
32% Bandwidth utilization
32% User behavior
Top use cases
39% Threat detection & response
27% Policy enforcement
26% Performance management

11. @ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
@ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
DNS Monitoring in Detail
© 2024 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 11
Other ways network teams are exploring
DNS-based zero trust solutions
56% DNS-based policy enforcement
55% Enhanced device authentication
55% Reduced attack surface with secure DNS tech
53% DNS-based segmentation
How might real-time analysis of DNS traffic help support your
zero trust security strategy?

12. @ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
Zero Trust and
Secure Remote
Access

13. @ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
@ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
94% are Modernizing Secure Remote Access to Address Zero Trust
© 2024 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 13
Which of the following are the most important requirements of a secure remote access
solution that supports your zero trust goals?
More important to larger enterprises
56%: “Very important that my secure remote access solution can terminate access in response to observed activity.”

14. @ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
@ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
ZTNA 66%
SASE 56%
VPN 55%
VDI 35%
SDP 34%
Zero Trust Access Solutions
© 2024 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 14
What are the best technologies for applying zero trust to remote access?
What’s your current
engagement with ZTNA?
31% In production
61% Implementing
8% Researching/Evaluating
1
2
53
4
Hybrid cloud and cloud-only enterprises prefer ZTNA and SASE
Data center-only enterprises prefer SDP

15. @ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
Zero Trust
Segmentation

16. @ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
@ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
Zero Trust Segmentation Plans
© 2024 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 16
Primary targets for segmentation
60% Data centers
60% Public clouds
58% SaaS applications
Segmentation technologies
58% Security appliances
48% Layer 3 technology – routing zones/ACLs
48% Hypervisor-based microsegmentation
46% Host-based microsegmentation

17. @ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
Zero Trust Outcomes

18. @ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
@ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
Only 35% of Zero Trust Strategies are Complete Successes
© 2024 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 18
Secure remote access
issues
Segmentation
issues
39% Budget
34% Personnel/Skills gaps
33% Conflicts/Collaboration issues with cybersecurity
Overall business
challenges
Overall technical
challenges
40% Risk of compromised credentials
39% Adapting legacy technology
39% Device diversity – clients, OT
38% High volume of changes/exceptions
34% Inconsistent segmentation capabilities across different networks
40% Integration with infrastructure
34% Poor network observability
Zero Trust
Pitfalls

19. @ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
@ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
Benefits of Zero Trust
© 2024 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 19
Aside from improved security, what other benefits do you expect your
zero trust security strategy to provide to your company?
85% say zero trust implementation
has made networking and security
easier to manage
50% have automated zero trust
tools and workflows

20. @ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
@ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
Final Thoughts
© 2024 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 20
Zero trust is more effective when network teams are equal partners
with cybersecurity.
Network performance impacts are key criteria when planning and
implementing.
As secure remote access is modernized, ZTNA engagement is high,
especially among cloud adopters.
Zero trust segmentation is mostly based on legacy technology
like firewalls and routing. Many see DNS as an opportunity.

21. @ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
@ema _resea rch
| @ema_research
The Zero Trust Networking Report is Now Available!
© 2024 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 21
Learn more and download:
https://bit.ly/zero-trust-networking