The core message of the session, "Zero Trust Warfare: Winning the Cybersecurity Battle with ZTNA + Microsegmentation," emphasized that data centers, whether physical or cloud-based (like AWS, Azure, or GCP), are constant battlegrounds against both external and internal threats. Protecting these environments and ensuring operational continuity is paramount.
The Two Pillars of a Stronger Defense
The presentation described the distinct yet complementary roles of Appgate ZTNA and ColorTokens' Xshield Enterprise Microsegmentation Platform.
Appgate's ZTNA: This solution focuses on securing external access to the data center. It ensures that only the right individuals, under the appropriate circumstances, can access specific assets, effectively keeping unauthorized users out. However, it was noted that ZTNA, by itself, does not prevent authorized users or compromised accounts from potentially moving laterally within the data center.
ColorTokens' Xshield Enterprise Microsegmentation Platform: This is where ColorTokens, highlighted as an "industry-leading microsegmentation vendor," steps in. Microsegmentation addresses the challenge of lateral movement by controlling traffic flow between internal assets. It prevents users, whether acting inadvertently or maliciously, and rogue code from unauthorized movement from one machine to another within the data center.
The "1 + 1 = 3" Synergy
The presentation highlighted the integration of these two capabilities, which work in concert to create a "1 + 1 = 3" scenario. Appgate ZTNA can query Xshield for real-time, pertinent information about the dynamic data center environment. This enables Appgate ZTNA to make highly informed access decisions based on metadata managed by Xshield, which acts as a trustworthy source about what assets exist, how they are defined, and their associated metadata.
Several real-world examples of this integration illustrate its effectiveness:
QA Teams: For QA teams, the ZTNA solution grants access to QA instances that are spun up dynamically, based on metadata from ColorTokens, which controls east-west traffic within that QA environment.
HR Personnel: An HR employee needs web access to specific HR applications and a CRM. Appgate ZTNA grants access only to these systems, and the existence of other systems (like finance or customer service) is obfuscated. Microsegmentation then prevents any lateral movement from the HR systems, even if initial access is legitimate.
Sales Executives: Similarly, sales executives receive access tailored to their specific application needs, and microsegmentation prevents movement to other data center segments.
System Administrators: Even highly privileged users like sysadmins, who typically have broad access (e.g., SSH, RDP), are managed effectively. Appgate ZTNA grants them the necessary access, while Xshield segments connections between systems. This prevents the use of one compromised machine as a jump host to others, even on a flat network.
Combating an Active Attack
In an attack scenario, this combined defense offers multiple layers of protection. Ideally, Appgate ZTNA prevents the initial breach by keeping attackers out. However, if an attacker does infiltrate the environment and enters a "lurk mode" to gather intelligence, microsegmentation significantly curtails their ability to explore the network, gather more data, or move to other systems. This creates a "complete defense-in-depth," addressing both inbound threats and internal lateral movement.
This comprehensive security approach is not limited to user-based access; it also applies to other network-connected devices, such as IoT devices, printers, webcams, and shop floor machinery.
By combining Appgate ZTNA with ColorTokens' microsegmentation, organizations can significantly minimize their attack surface and gain greater control over their network, effectively strengthening their defenses before an adversary can strike. As highlighted in the presentation, this integrated solution delivers a value greater than the sum of its parts, truly embodying the "one plus one equals three" principle in cybersecurity.
Watch the joint Appgate + ColorTokens webinar to discover best-of-breed strategies for end-to-end security.