Zero Trust is a security model that requires strict identity verification for every person and device trying to access resources on a private network, regardless of whether they are inside or outside the network perimeter. Unlike the traditional trust model, which assumes that users and devices inside the network can be trusted by default, Zero Trust replaces this with a model that assumes no implicit trust and requires continuous verification of all entities.

A recent study by the Cloud Security Alliance found that many organizations struggle to implement Zero Trust effectively due to gaps in device identity. These gaps can lead to security incidents such as unauthorized access and data breaches, which compromise organizational assets. Robust device identity management is essential to enhance security within a Zero Trust security framework.

Introduction

Zero Trust has become the gold standard in cybersecurity – a model built on the principle of “never trust, always verify.” Yet, despite its adoption across enterprises worldwide, a critical gap remains: device identity.

A recent study by the Cloud Security Alliance revealed that nearly 1 in 5 organisations have suffered a security incident related to non-human identities (devices, applications, workloads). Even more concerning, only 15% of organisations expressed confidence in their ability to secure these identities. Without robust device identity management, even the most sophisticated Zero Trust framework can be undermined.

Introduction to Zero Trust Security

Zero Trust security is a comprehensive approach to protecting an organization’s data and resources by assuming that no user or device, inside or outside the network, should be automatically trusted. Instead, the Zero Trust architecture requires continuous verification of user identities and device health before granting access to resources.

This Zero Trust security model is designed to defend against modern cyber threats by ensuring that access to sensitive data is always limited and monitored. By adopting a trust security model that continuously verifies every access request, organizations can significantly strengthen their security posture, prevent unauthorized access, and reduce the likelihood of data breaches. The Zero Trust framework ensures that only users and devices that meet strict authentication and health criteria are allowed to access critical assets, making it a vital component of any modern trust architecture.

The Role of Device Identity in Zero Trust Architecture

Zero Trust isn’t just about users. Modern enterprises rely on a hyper-connected network of:

• IoT devices (medical, industrial, automotive)
• Operational Technology (OT) systems
• Cloud workloads and APIs
• Software-defined vehicles and edge devices

A robust identity infrastructure is essential to support device identities in a Zero Trust model, ensuring that each device is uniquely recognized and managed according to security policies.

Each of these must be uniquely identified, authenticated, and continuously verified. Without this, attackers can exploit weak points to gain privileged access, launch ransomware attacks, or exfiltrate sensitive data. Zero trust identity and identity providers play a critical role in authenticating and authorizing devices, ensuring only trusted entities are granted access.

Device identity acts as the foundation of Zero Trust by:

• Ensuring machine-to-machine trust across environments.
• Automating authentication and authorisation for unmanaged devices.
• Managing device identities, including service accounts, to enforce strict access controls and policies as part of the Zero Trust approach.
• Enabling compliance with regulations like NIST, the EU Cyber Resilience Act, and WP.29. Integrating identity solutions helps organizations meet these requirements by providing secure, auditable identity management.

To maintain security, organizations must continuously verify and continuously monitor device and user identities, ensuring ongoing oversight and rapid response to emerging threats.

Security Benefits of Zero Trust

The zero trust security model delivers a range of security benefits that help organizations stay ahead of evolving cyber threats. By rigorously verifying user identities and device health, zero trust ensures that only authorized users can access sensitive data and company resources. This approach enables robust access management and privilege access controls, allowing organizations to grant access only to the resources necessary for each user’s job functions, an essential principle known as least privilege.

Enhanced security is further achieved through continuous authentication and real-time monitoring, empowering security teams to detect and respond to threats quickly. The trust security model also reduces the attack surface by preventing lateral movement within the network, even if a security incident occurs. Ultimately, zero trust security provides organizations with the tools to enforce only authorized users’ access, protect sensitive data, and maintain a strong security posture in the face of persistent cyber threats.

The Risks of Ignoring Device Identity and Cyber Threats

Failing to integrate device identity into Zero Trust leaves organisations exposed to significant risks. Effective access decisions are crucial to ensure access is limited only to necessary and sensitive resources, reducing the likelihood of breaches.

1. Unmanaged Device Blind Spots
   Rogue or shadow IoT devices often bypass IT visibility, creating exploitable attack surfaces. Insider threats can exploit these blind spots to move laterally or access sensitive resources undetected.
2. Credential Theft & Misuse
   Weak or static credentials stored on devices can be stolen, leading to compromised credentials. Attackers can use these compromised credentials to gain access to sensitive resources, bypassing traditional security controls.
3. Compliance Failures
   Regulations increasingly mandate strong machine identity management. Gaps risk not only breaches but also fines and reputational damage.
4. Healthcare & Critical Infrastructure Attacks
   As seen in the 2025 healthcare IoT breach, millions of exposed devices leaked sensitive medical records. Device identity failures played a key role.

How Device Authority’s KeyScaler 2025 Closes the Gap

To make Zero Trust effective, organisations must adopt automated identity lifecycle management for all connected devices. This is where KeyScaler 2025 delivers:

• Automated Discovery – Detect unmanaged devices and vulnerabilities in real time.
• Dynamic Certificate Management – Issue, rotate, and revoke machine credentials automatically.
• Policy-Based Access Control – Enforce Zero Trust policies across IoT, OT, and cloud ecosystems, enabling zero trust authentication and trust authentication for devices to control access and ensure users and devices can access only the resources necessary.
• Regulatory Alignment – Out-of-the-box support for frameworks like WP.29, NIST, and the EU CRA.

Risk based authentication is used to dynamically adjust access requirements based on device and user context, further strengthening security.

By embedding device identity into Zero Trust, enterprises can achieve continuous compliance and resilience while reducing operational overhead. KeyScaler ensures secure access and zero trust access to only the resources required, helping organizations control access to access resources in line with Zero Trust principles and limit exposure.

Challenges and Considerations

While the zero trust security model offers significant advantages, implementing it requires careful consideration of several key elements. Organizations must address user identity, device health, and access privileges to ensure that only authorized users and devices can access sensitive data. Integrating zero trust security with existing systems and legacy systems can be complex, especially when meeting compliance requirements and industry regulations.

Continuous monitoring and event management are essential to maintain visibility and control over users and devices, ensuring that access is always limited to those who meet strict authentication protocols. Robust identity governance, multi-factor authentication, and continuous authentication are critical components for preventing unauthorized access and reducing the risk of cyber threats.

By prioritizing these elements and maintaining a proactive approach to access controls, organizations can overcome the challenges of zero trust implementation and achieve an enhanced security posture that protects against both internal and external threats.

Best Practices for Securing Device Identity and Access Control in Zero Trust

1. Inventory Every Device – Use discovery tools to uncover unmanaged devices, including those used by remote users and devices connecting from cloud environments.
2. Automate Identity Provisioning – Eliminate manual certificate management to reduce errors.
3. Adopt Lifecycle Security – Secure devices from onboarding to decommissioning.
4. Integrate with Compliance – Align device identity with regulations and internal audits.
5. Leverage AI & Automation – Detect anomalies in device and user behavior for proactive response.
6. Manage User Attributes and Privileged Users – Continuously monitor and validate user attributes, and implement granular access controls for privileged users to ensure secure access to critical resources.

Conclusion

Zero Trust is not complete without device identity. As machine identities outnumber human ones, enterprises must ensure every device is visible, authenticated, and managed across its entire lifecycle.

With KeyScaler, Device Authority provides the tools to turn Zero Trust from theory into practice delivering resilience, compliance, and trust for the connected future.