As businesses and government continue to contend with escalating cyberattacks and data breaches, many organizations are quickly adopting Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) strategies to fortify their network infrastructures and repel threats. ZTNA is based on the concept that any device, application, or service that touches a network is a potential threat, and that users and devices are, by definition, risks to maintaining a secure infrastructure. A ZTNA environment continuously re-verifies devices and applications before granting them access to the network, thus significantly reducing attack vectors and creating more cohesive, robust security environments.
GXC’s ONYX 5G private cellular network solution is ideally suited to support ZTNA strategies, particularly in those industries where cyberattacks can cause widespread social, safety, and health impacts, like government, utilities, transportation, food production, and manufacturing and logistics. Data breaches in these sectors can have catastrophic consequences, so it is absolutely critical for organizations to deploy the right network to fulfill their ZTNA objectives.
Security at the Heart of the Network
At its foundation, GXC’s ONYX is designed to satisfy the complex security requirements of enterprises, and already incorporates many of the features defined within ZTNA best practices. As a private cellular network, ONYX is demonstrably more secure than Wi-Fi technology, using end-to-end encryption, point-to-point connectivity, and strict permission policies through eSIM/SIM management. These core features virtually eliminate the risk of Man-in-the-Middle attack vectors and create a more holistic approach for fortifying the network.
The GXC ONYX 5G platform also supports network slicing to enhance segmentation of critical and delay-sensitive traffic. Through network slicing, a fixed amount of network capacity is walled-off from all other traffic, creating a secure pathway between two defined endpoints across which sensitive or critical data is not impacted by other network traffic or accessible at intermediate points within the network. Critical data within a network slice is managed by the associated secure endpoints, vastly reducing breach vectors.
ONYX Advantages
A successful ZTNA implementation is built not just around superior technology, but also a strict adherence to firm processes and protocols that are designed to keep the network secure. The GXC ONYX platform enables customers to achieve their ZTNA goals through several critical capabilities.
These include:
Granular access control: GXC ONYX complies with ZNTA granular access control recommendations with administration capabilities that enable dynamic assignment of network and resource permissions at the eSIM/SIM level, granting access to users based on their specific needs. This capability allows organizations to strictly verify and grant appropriate permissions to those entities that should enter the network, while preventing unwanted intrusions and reducing the threat of data breaches.
Continuous monitoring: GXC ONYX continuously monitors network performance and activity, enabling it to detect unusual or anomalous conditions and threats in real time. This feature is an essential component of ZTNA practices, which mandate that all network users and devices should be frequently verified and authenticated. The platform also enables on-demand and policy-based permission adjustments in real-time in response to threats.
Adaptive policies: The ONYX platform supports flexible security policies that can adjust permissions based on several factors, such as the device’s location and performance characteristics, as well as the sensitivity of the data that is being accessed.
Conclusion
The concept of Zero Trust Network Access is rapidly gaining momentum among larger organizations for its foundational approach of regularly verifying and authenticating users, devices, and services, and strictly controlling access to the network.
GXC’s ONYX 5G solution is an ideal network to support ZTNA initiatives. Built with security as its foundation, GXC ONYX contains the key characteristics and functionalities that are required for proper ZTNA deployments. Through ONYX’s granular access control, continuous monitoring, adaptive policies, and application segmentation, customers can confidently leverage a high-performance state-of-the-art 5G network that is perfectly aligned with ZTNA practices.
