Software-Defined Perimeter (SDP) and Zero Trust
What is SDP? Software Defined Perimeter (SDP) provides an integrated security architecture that is otherwise hard to achieve with existing security point products, such as NAC or anti-malware. It is designed to leverage proven, standards-based components, such as data encryption; remote attestation, mutual transport layer security, Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) and X.509 certificates. Incorporating these and other standards-based technologies ensures that SDP can be integrated with an organization’s existing security systems.
How are Zero Trust and SDP related? SDP can be used to implement zero trust networks. Since SDP is agnostic of the underlying IP-based infrastructure and hones in on securing all connections using said infrastructure - it is the optimal architecture for achieving zero trust.
How other organizations are using SDP
Companies like Coca-cola are implementing SDP research into their vending machines, and Mazda is using SDP for their connected vehicles. Building Intelligence Inc. uses SDP in their access points for visitors, loading docks, and freight entrances to prevent terrorist attacks and theft.
Security challenges SDP helps address.
The initial objective of this group was to develop a solution to stop network attacks, such as DDOS, against application infrastructure. With the adoption of cloud services the threat of network attacks against application infrastructure increases since servers can not be protected with traditional perimeter defense techniques.
This group is working to validate and protect the devices and connections on a network. The topics of group discourse are benefits, architectural references, and implementation of the SDP protocol.
Cloud Security Research for Software Defined Perimeter
CSA Research crowd-sources the knowledge and expertise of security experts and helps address the challenges and needs they’ve experienced, or seen others experience, within the cybersecurity field. Each publication is vendor-neutral and follows the peer review process outlined in the CSA Research Lifecycle. We recommend getting started by reading the following documents.
Software-Defined Perimeter (SDP) and Zero Trust
A Zero Trust implementation using Software-Defined Perimeter enables organizations to defend new variations of old attack methods that are constantly surfacing in existing network and infrastructure perimeter-centric networking models. Implementing SDP improves the security posture of businesses facing the challenge of continuously adapting to expanding attack surfaces that are increasingly more complex. This paper will show how SDP can be used to implement ZTNs and why SDP is applied to network connectivity, meaning it is agnostic of the underlying IP-based infrastructure and hones in on securing all connections using said infrastructure - it is the best architecture for achieving Zero Trust.
Software Defined Perimeter (SDP) Architecture Guide
This architecture guide leverages proven, standards-based components to stop network attacks against application infrastructure. This guide will help enterprises and practitioners understand the economic and technical benefits SDP can provide. It also assists users in implementing SDP in their organizations successfully. After reading this guide you will understand how SDP can be used in different environments, and be able to successfully deploy SDP solutions based on the architecture recommendations.
Software-Defined Perimeter as a DDoS Prevention Mechanism
Learn how to use SDP as a tool to prevent DDoS attacks. In this document we demonstrate its efficiency and effectiveness against several well known attacks, including HTTP Flood, TCP SYN, and UDP Reflection. The primary target audience for this document are people in security, enterprise architecture, and compliance roles within enterprises. These stakeholders will be largely for the evaluation, design, deployment, or operation of DDoS prevention solutions within their enterprise.
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Webinars & Resources
Software Defined Perimeter Architecture Guide
SDP combines well-proven technical and architectural components to protect networked applications and infrastructure, more efficiently and effectively than with traditional network security tools. This webinar explains SDP and it’s benefits, as well as provides a preview of the architecture guide.
SDP – The Yellow Brick Road to Zero Trust
In this webinar, you’ll learn how a Zero Trust implementation using SDP is applied to network connectivity, meaning it is agnostic of the underlying untrusted IP-based infrastructure, and hones in on securing connections. The webinar will delve into the steps to implement SDP and facilitate organizations to defend from new variations of old attack methods that are constantly surfacing in existing perimeter-centric networking and infrastructure models.
Why it's Time to Kill Your VPN
VPNs are dangerous and overly complex. So why are we still pretending that VPNs are an effective security technology? Join this webinar if you are responsible for implementing Zero Trust or managing complex VPN environments. You will learn why VPNs cannot support your move to Zero Trust. Why managing VPNs is too complex for delivering granular access to a mobile workforce. And how eliminating VPNs can deliver Zero Trust secure access to the cloud, DevOps and third parties.
Press Coverage
| Article Title | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing ZTNA vendors amid zero-trust confusion | TechTarget | October 27, 2020 |
| Understanding the zero trust-SDP relationship | TechTarget | October 29, 2020 |
| Malicious SharePoint and OneDrive links are a phishing scammer’s dream | SC Magazine | October 22, 2020 |
| Definition: software-defined perimeter (SDP) | SearchCloudSecurity | November 13, 2020 |
| Implementing an SDP architecture for added network security | Tech Target | November 20, 2020 |
| Bringing Zero Trust to Secure Remote Access | Dark Reading | January 12, 2021 |