A fintech enterprise is redesigning its transactional API gateway and core internal services to align with Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) principles. Under the legacy model, any service deployed within the internal management network zone was implicitly trusted to execute database queries. Which of the following access enforcement strategies best reflects the core Zero Trust principle of explicit verification for internal service communication?
- Requiring every service transaction to be explicitly authenticated, authorized, and encrypted using context-aware inspection regardless of network locationAnswer
- BGranting database privileges automatically to any internal request originating from a recognized management VLAN subnet
- CTreating user identity authentication as sufficient confirmation for system-level data access permissions without evaluating contextual authorization policies
- DReclassifying internal access enforcement mechanisms as post-incident detective controls to avoid latency during API execution
Answer
Requiring every service transaction to be explicitly authenticated, authorized, and encrypted using context-aware inspection regardless of network location
Zero Trust Architecture operates on the core principle of 'never trust, always verify.' In a ZTA model, network location provides no inherent trust. Every access request—even those originating within internal subnets—must be explicitly authenticated, authorized against context-aware policy, and encrypted end-to-end.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Explicit verification and removal of implicit network perimeter trust in Zero Trust Architecture
Estimated Time:1m 30s