C-suite and other executives at organizations adopting zero trust say complexity and compatibility issues with legacy systems and environments pose the greatest challenge to adoption (44.6 percent), according to a Deloitte poll.
"Adopting Zero Trust can help organizations secure both legacy and modern applications, data, networks, and devices, which can help effectively manage an increasingly complex cyber threat landscape," said Andrew Rafla, Deloitte Risk & Financial Advisory's Zero Trust offering leader and a principal, Deloitte & Touche LLP. "While legacy environments can challenge Zero Trust adoption, they are also a primary driver for transformation. You cannot replace a mainframe over night, but you can rapidly change how that environment is accessed to significantly reduce risk. It is also possible to reduce friction for end users by limiting disruption to their native experiences and enhancing IT operational efforts associated with the adoption of modernized controls."
Within Zero Trust adoption programs, respondents are most likely to prioritize enhancements focused on data security (26.1 percent) and identity and access management (21.5 percent)— outlining the importance of responsibly handling data, protecting privacy and implementing modernized access controls within the enterprise.
"Zero trust managed services and solutions can help organizations replace virtual device infrastructure (VDI) for third-party access, enable data security for both local applications and SaaS solutions, embrace a flexible bring your own device paradigm and help realize material cost savings," said Chalan Aras, a Deloitte Risk & Financial Advisory managing director focusing on Zero Trust, Deloitte & Touche LLP. "Working with a managed service provider can help enable accelerated and efficient zero trust transformation by combining advanced technological capabilities with deep functional and industry knowledge — allowing organizations to confidently operate amidst an evolving threat landscape."
