Zero Trust is a networking architecture where you simply choose not to trust your underlying network. Instead, you install network encryption software on each device to control who is allowed to connect to whom.

In a traditional network, you generally have a big open network that you trust for use inside your company. You then use a firewall to protect that network from the outside world which you do not trust. If you are inside your trusted network, you generally have connectivity to everything.

You might have additional trusted networks to protect sensitive information like accounting, legal, etc. Then those will be firewalled off from the main company network. If you want to access accounting data, you need to be connected to the accounting network. In this traditional model, you generally trust everybody on that network.

But if you want to work remotely, it gets much more complicated. You can use a VPN to connect back to the office. But do you connect to the office network? Or the accounting network? And, depending on where you need to connect from, there could be different software configurations required. Traditional VPNs age complex to administer and have a poor reputation for reliability.

If you work as part of a remote team where multiple people are working from remote locations, it becomes difficult and inefficient to have everyone trying to collaborate by connecting back through the office network. You are forced to change the way you work in order to be remote.

There is another way. 

In a Zero Trust network, you install Mesh VPN software on each device. Then all traffic between any of those devices will be encrypted. You no longer need to trust the underlying network. Your devices will be secure regardless of whether you are inside the company network, sitting at home, or in another city. You then define your trust relationships in software. This is Zero Trust.

Zero Trust has many advantages. Your local network can be much simpler. It’s just a generic utility. You still want to have a firewall. But its configuration is very simple. Management is much easier and reliability increases. You also blur the distinction between your internal network and just any network. Whether you are in your office or sitting at home, the secure network looks the same and your connections are encrypted. You can roam from the office to home, to a client, etc. and the network looks the same.

The 2hO Network is Mesh VPN software that can be used to easily create Zero Trust networks. Once the 2hO software is installed on each device, all traffic between those devices is always encrypted. This happens whether they are on your local network, on the Internet, or straddling the two. You are securely connected to all the devices you need without the technical hassles. 

The 2hO software automatically manages all of the encrypted connections ensuring you always have connectivity to your other nodes, even when you roam. If your laptop moves from your office to a hotel, the 2hO software automatically reconfigures itself to keep you connected. If you can surf the web, your connections will be there.To learn more about how a Zero Trust Network can help you and your remote workers, see The 2hO Network. The 2hO Network is a totally transparent, always-on, often mobile, Mesh VPN. It’s like traveling the world and taking your local network with you. The 2hO Network is also free for non-commercial use.