# Zero Trust

A security model that assumes no user or device should be trusted by default, even inside the network perimeter, and verifies every request.

**Zero trust[↗](/zero-trust)** is a security model built on the principle that no user or device should be automatically trusted, even if it's already inside the traditional network perimeter, every request for access must be verified based on identity, device health, and context, every time. This is a deliberate shift away from older "castle and moat" security models that trusted anything already inside the network by default.

In practice, zero trust means continuously verifying identity (often via multi-factor authentication[↗](/authentication)), granting only the minimum access needed for a specific task, and segmenting networks so that a breach in one area can't easily spread to others. The model has become especially important as remote work, cloud services, and personal devices have made the old idea of a single, defensible network perimeter increasingly unrealistic.