What is the zero trust security model?

Zero trust is a security architecture that eliminates implicit trust based on network location and instead requires continuous verification of every user, device, and connection before granting access. Its core principle is "never trust, always verify." Key components include strong identity verification through multi-factor authentication, least privilege access, micro-segmentation of networks, device health validation, continuous monitoring and analytics, and encryption of all data in transit. Zero trust assumes that threats exist both outside and inside the network perimeter.