---
title: "Zero Trust security"
description: "Adopt a security model that assumes breach and verifies every request."
canonical: "https://www.cerbos.dev/features-benefits-and-use-cases/zero-trust-security"
source: "https://www.cerbos.dev/features-benefits-and-use-cases/zero-trust-security"
---

# Zero Trust security

Adopt a security model that assumes breach and verifies every request.

## What is Zero Trust?

Zero Trust is not just a security model; it's a strategic approach to cybersecurity that operates on the principle of "never trust, always verify." It shifts the focus from traditional perimeter-based security models to one that continuously authenticates and authorizes every access request, regardless of its origin. At its core, Zero Trust relies on three foundational principles: verify explicitly, enforce least privilege access, and assume breach. This approach ensures that security is integrated into the design process, making it an inherent part of the IT management and development lifecycle.

### Zero Trust with Cerbos

Cerbos streamlines the integration of roles, permissions, and access control mechanisms, crucial for implementing a Zero Trust architecture. Whether in monolithic systems or microservices, Cerbos simplifies and secures authorization across different parts of your tech stack. It differentiates between authentication (AuthN) and authorization (AuthZ), focusing on the latter to control permissions within the system dynamically.

- **Flexibility and scalability:** Easily adapts to organizational growth and the evolving complexity of roles and permissions.
- **Granular control:** Fine-grained authorization controls facilitate implementing least privilege access, a key Zero Trust principle.
- **Unified authorization layer:** Across monolithic and microservice architectures, ensuring consistent and secure access control.
- **DevOps integration:** Manage policies with standard software development tools, enhancing agility and security by design.
- **Stateless and scalable:** Designed to fit into various deployment models, be it on-prem or in the cloud, using Kubernetes or bare-metal installations, ensuring high performance and scalability.

### Implementing Zero Trust

Cerbos centralizes authorization decisions, making them accessible across your environment—from backend services to frontend applications. With YAML policies and Google's Common Expression Language (CEL), Cerbos offers a clear, human-readable format for complex authorization logic. This not only makes authorization transparent and testable but also decouples it from core application code, aligning with DevOps practices for policy management.

## Explore Zero Trust further

- [Cerbos: Why and what](https://www.cerbos.dev/blog/cerbos-why-and-what) — Learn how Cerbos can help you solve your authorization headache
- [Importance of data security for startups](https://www.cerbos.dev/blog/the-importance-of-data-security-for-startups) — Startups are being exposed to increasing cyber threats, learn how to safeguard your business
- [Community discussions on Zero Trust](https://community.cerbos.dev/?_gl=1*5ozo82*_ga*MTk1NjcwNzQ1MC4xNjY2Mjc5NjI2*_ga_8G3G3MS838*MTY5NDE5MTE5Ny41MjcuMS4xNjk0MTkyNzgyLjIwLjAuMA) — Join the conversation and share experiences with other Cerbos users