In a recent conversation I participated in with CISOs from diverse industries, a clear theme emerged: Zero Trust is no longer just a buzzword or a vendor pitch. It's a strategic framework reshaping how security leaders think about access, risk, and the evolving perimeter.
What follows is a synthesis of the challenges, priorities, and pragmatic advice shared during that session, off the record, but straight from the front lines.
Zero Trust Is a Journey, Not a Destination
The CISOs agreed: Zero Trust is not a product you can buy. It's a journey grounded in continuous risk assessment, not a one-time deployment. Many organizations were pushed toward it following security incidents, but what keeps the momentum going is its alignment with modern business realities, cloud-first environments, hybrid workforces, and identity-centric threats.
Identity Is the Control Plane
Identity management surfaced as a foundational concern. CISOs discussed how employee and contractor roles change frequently, creating permission creep and inconsistent access across environments. A consistent theme was the need to tie access decisions to job requisitions and implement strict controls over privileged access. The complexity only deepens when factoring in third-party admins, SaaS platforms, and shadow IT.
Security Friction Isn't Always a Bad Thing
While there was broad agreement that security should avoid unnecessary friction, the discussion highlighted a more nuanced view: friction, when designed well, builds trust. CISOs emphasized that users feel safer when visible controls, like step-up MFA or conditional access, protect sensitive actions. Conversely, clunky VPN logins and inconsistent authentication experiences often lead to pushback.
ZTNA Over VPNs
There was consensus that traditional VPNs no longer serve the needs of agile, cloud-based organizations. Most CISOs are either actively moving to Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) or have already done so. Secure browsers, VDI, and identity-aware proxies were all named as enablers for granular, context-driven access without exposing networks to unnecessary risk.
Cultural Alignment Is Critical
Several CISOs pointed out that Zero Trust isn’t just a tech problem, it’s a cultural one. The most successful rollouts happen when security is brought in early, not after business units have already selected and implemented tools. Security by design, not by default, was a shared mantra.
Risk ownership also emerged as a key topic. Increasingly, CISOs are working to shift certain risk decisions to business leaders, with appropriate documentation and governance in place. Security’s role, they agreed, is to advise, not to quietly absorb unaccepted risk.
Tool Rationalization Post-M&A
Organizations undergoing acquisitions face another challenge: overlapping tools and inconsistent policies. Rationalizing security stacks was seen not just as a way to save money, but as a critical step in improving control effectiveness. CISOs noted that integration partnerships between vendors, particularly in identity, endpoint, and access control, can accelerate this consolidation.
Start Small, Show Value, and Scale
Every leader emphasized the importance of picking focused use cases to demonstrate Zero Trust value early on. Whether securing third-party access, protecting sensitive data, or enabling remote development teams, these targeted wins can help build momentum across the organization. Executive buy-in and close coordination with communications and HR teams were flagged as key success factors.
Security as a Business Enabler
What unified the discussion was a shared belief that security should not slow the business, it should enable it. CISOs stressed the importance of aligning security initiatives with business speed and innovation, especially when new SaaS platforms or customer-facing applications are launched rapidly.
CISOs United
We concluded that Zero Trust isn’t a future vision, it’s an active, evolving strategy. While the road is complex and full of organizational challenges, they’re advancing it through practical implementation, cultural change, and a relentless focus on business alignment. The tools matter, but mindset, leadership, and execution make all the difference.
