BackBox, a company that develops security-centric automation for network teams, introduced its Zero Trust Network Operations (ZTNO) service. This offering provides a “best practice” framework with six actionable pillars to automate cybersecurity considerations at the network layer for NetOps teams. To simplify ZTNO for network teams, BackBox has enhanced its Network Automation Platform with improved Privileged Access Manager, Network Vulnerability Management and Search.
BlackBox noted that – with federal agencies and their contractors facing a September 2024 mandate for Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) implementation – ZTNO offers a timely, efficient and comprehensive solution for transforming complex security requirements into simple, actionable solutions. This new offering aligns with the Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), as defined in NIST document 800-207, and addresses key NetOps challenges.
ZTNO’s six pillars include two for network admins and four for network devices:
- Whether accessing via API, WebURL or CLI, secure access needs to be provided. BackBox does this by integrating with different credential vaults and providing a secure API.
- When changes are made we should know where they’re done from, in an immutable log, and administrators should only have the permissions they need to get their jobs done. BackBox does this in a way that all logins are audited and recorded with privilege centrally controlled at the BackBox server.
- Device configurations must be remediated before device onboarding via policy enforcement that configures the appropriate configuration compliance.
- Devices must be evaluated for security risk before being onboarded and patched if the device is susceptible to known vulnerabilities.
- Over time, continuous configuration grooming and remediation must be used to ensure configuration compliance and OS versions in an ongoing manner.
- Rich reporting and visibility, including actionable data about the current vulnerability level of network devices.
“ZTNO makes zero trust actionable; NetOps teams can follow the framework to create a Zero Trust NetOps environment to complement the organization’s Zero Trust Architecture,” said Josh Stephens, BlackBox’s CTO. “It ensures the network remains secure without limiting a network engineer’s ability to get things done.”
BackBox’s ZTNO framework is uniquely positioned due to:
- Privileged access management, continuous compliance on discovery, and vulnerability management and mitigation.
- Integration with a range of network and security devices.
- No-code automation.
- Built for network and security devices.
- API-first approach to automation.
“BackBox’s introduction of Zero Trust Network Operations (ZTNO) marks a significant advancement in network security, aligning NetOps with Zero Trust principles in a user-friendly, efficient, and comprehensive manner,” said BackBox CEO, Andrew Kahl. “It stands as a testament to BackBox’s leadership and innovation in network automation.”
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