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Coalition Partner Information Sharing
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Revolutionizing Coalition Security: How Zero Trust is Transforming Defense Collaborations

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HANSANG BAE
January 24, 2025 - 4 min read

Creating a mission partner environment (MPE) necessitates a delicate balance between the need to know and the need to share. In today’s complex threat landscape, coalition warfare has become imperative, prompting a fundamental shift in network infrastructure towards a zero trust model.

Network vs. Zero Trust

The stark reality is that traditional networks are ill-equipped to implement zero trust principles. The underlying TCP/IP cannot facilitate the level of inspection and control intrinsic to zero trust. The reason is simple: When TCP/IP was created, the concept of “Trust boundary” was vastly different.  Typically, when you click on an application, it connects you to the network, akin to a stranger knocking on a door. With TCP/IP, the door has to be opened, and only at that point can you be identified as legitimate or not via application level authentication. This approach is the only practical solution, but it falls short when dealing with zero-day threats, where there is no prior indication that the incoming traffic is malicious.

Zero trust, in contrast, never opens the network door. Instead, it only permits approved access to the specific requested application. This is achieved through robust identity and endpoint management. However, a fundamental challenge in creating a mission partner environment is the absence of a shared identity provider for all coalition partners. Each partner typically has its own - often multiple - identity provider. What is necessary is an identity repository that can route access requests through a sophisticated workflow, creating a unique identity for the application and allowing the requester access solely to the application they need.

Zero Trust and MPE: The Perfect Couple

Whether we like to admit it or not, enabling partners to access resources at the edge often involves compromising on security. This should not be the case, but it is the current reality required to meet mission objectives. In the less controlled environment of the edge, the importance of utilizing zero trust is even more pronounced. Zero trust helps to:

  1. Remove the attack surface: By minimizing the exposure of applications and data to potential attackers, zero trust significantly reduces the number of potential entry points for malicious actors.
  2. Prevent compromise: Zero trust ensures that every access request is fully authenticated and authorized, thereby preventing unauthorized access and potential breaches.
  3. Stop lateral movement: By segmenting access and ensuring that users can only access the applications they need, zero trust stops attackers from moving laterally within the network if they manage to gain initial access.  More importantly, coalition forces can be isolated from each other as necessary.
  4. Protect data: Zero trust safeguards sensitive data by ensuring that it is only accessible to authorized users and applications.

In a zero trust model, when a joint or coalition user attempts to access an MPE application, the user’s identity and device posture are verified via a zero trust exchange. The user remains within the exchange – think of it as a waiting room or lobby – and the application is delivered to them via the closest instance. This prevents lateral movement within the network and is one of the most significant returns on investment for zero trust.

Stop Deploying Networks, Start Deploying Zero Trust

The traditional approach of deploying extensive networks and depending on IP based Access Control List is no longer viable in the face of modern threats. Instead, organizations should focus on deploying zero trust architectures. For more detailed insights into the deployment of zero trust for mission partner environments, check out our recent webinar, DoDIIS Webinar Series 2024: Empowering Secure Partnership with Allies, where I elaborate on how future security for partner collaborations will be independent of location, device, and network.

You can also download our whitepaper: Coalition Information Sharing in the Age of Great Power Competition and visit our DoD web page.

By embracing zero trust, we can empower secure partnerships with allies, ensuring that our mission-critical operations remain safeguarded against evolving threats. This approach not only enhances security but also fosters greater collaboration and efficiency among coalition partners, enabling them to focus on their shared objectives without compromising on security.

 

 

 

Photo Credit: Tai Doick, U.S. Army Cyber Command

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