Authors: Amitav Ghosh
Abstract: In today’s rapidly evolving threat landscape, organizations face unprecedented challenges in securing their digital environments. Traditional perimeter-based security models have become inadequate in the face of sophisticated cyberattacks, increased mobility, and widespread cloud adoption. Zero Trust Security (ZTS) has emerged as a robust cybersecurity model that assumes no implicit trust within or outside the network, requiring continuous verification of users, devices, and workloads. In hybrid cloud environments—where private and public cloud infrastructures coexist and interoperate—the implementation of Zero Trust principles becomes crucial yet complex. This paper explores the strategic integration of Zero Trust Security in hybrid cloud architectures, focusing on identity and access management (IAM), microsegmentation, continuous monitoring, and adaptive policy enforcement. It examines the challenges and solutions for implementing ZTS across heterogeneous platforms, including legacy systems and modern cloud-native services. Case studies and real-world implementations underscore best practices and demonstrate measurable outcomes in risk reduction and operational resilience. With the increasing regulatory requirements and the critical need for data privacy, Zero Trust in hybrid cloud environments is not just a security enhancement but a strategic imperative for enterprises. This comprehensive review provides guidance for CISOs, cloud architects, and security professionals aiming to deploy scalable, resilient, and compliant Zero Trust frameworks across their hybrid infrastructure.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16751838
