What is Zero Trust Architecture and how does it apply to DevOps?

Zero Trust is a security model based on “never trust, always verify.” Traditional networks trusted everything inside the perimeter. Zero trust assumes the network is already compromised.

Zero Trust principles in DevOps:

• Identity-based access: Every service authenticates. No implicit trust based on network location.
• Least privilege: Minimal permissions for every identity, re-evaluated regularly.
• Micro-segmentation: Kubernetes NetworkPolicies and service meshes with mTLS between every service.
• Device trust: Verify developer machines with fleet management (Jamf, Intune) before allowing access to internal systems.
• Continuous verification: Short-lived credentials. Re-authenticate frequently.