Gartner® | Strategic Roadmap for Zero-Trust Security Program Implementation

“Gartner® says adopting a strong zero trust strategy is key to modern information security programs. Cybersecurity leaders must align the strategy with business objectives and focus on risk mitigation to ensure procedural, policy or tactical decisions are made in the context of a zero-trust strategy.”

Key findings:

◼️ Zero trust is a strategic business approach that drives project-oriented tactical actions. It should be adopted as a long-term initiative to address specific risks by understanding key assets and user dynamics, and implementing policies that align with broader access and security goals.

◼️ Prioritizing project-based tactics and indiscriminately applying zero-trust principles results in a complex architecture — escalating operational and financial costs without clear organizational justification or alignment with evolving priorities.

◼️ Zero-trust demands ongoing strategic adaptation and enhancement to effectively manage the dynamic landscape of explicit access, which is driven by an organization’s changing priorities and the threats and risks it encounters.

*Gartner, Strategic Roadmap for Zero-Trust Security Program Implementation, Dale Koeppen, John Watts, Wayne Hankins, Manuel Acosta, Tiffany Taylor. 27 March 2025. *GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.