What is Zero trust?

A security approach that never assumes a request is safe just because it comes from inside the network.

In plain English

Older designs trusted anything inside the office network. Zero trust assumes an attacker may already be inside, so every request is checked: who is asking, from which device, and whether they should have this access right now. Common ingredients are strong identity checks, least privilege, device health checks and monitoring.

Example

An employee on the office Wi-Fi still has to sign in with MFA and can reach only the apps their role allows.

Easy to confuse with

• Least privilege: Zero trust is the overall approach. Least privilege is one rule inside it.

Where you will meet it

This idea belongs to the subject area of these practice tests. We do not publish or predict real exam questions.

• ISC2 CC practice tests
• Cisco CCST Cybersecurity practice tests
• KCSA practice tests

Related terms

• Least privilege: Give every person and system only the access they need to do their job, and nothing more.
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA): Proving who you are with two or more different kinds of evidence.
• CIA triad: Three goals of information security: confidentiality, integrity and availability.

Written and checked by the Be Ready Education team, last reviewed 2 November 2026. General study information, not professional advice. Providers change names and rules, so confirm details on the official documentation. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any certification vendor or exam body. Certification names, exam codes and product names are trademarks of their respective owners and are used only to identify the exam a practice product prepares for. Our questions are original and are not actual exam questions.