Perimeter defenses no longer hold. Attackers slip past firewalls using stolen credentials and misused privileges. That problem is a rising concern in North Africa, where critical industries face high-stakes risks.
The numbers underline the urgency.
- In early 2024, Morocco saw 61,000 DDoS attacks, the most in the region;
- Kaspersky detected 131.5 million web threats across Africa in 2024, with 12.6 million attempts aimed at Morocco alone;
- Spyware attacks rose 14%, and password stealers surged 26%.
Sofiya Alexandrovskaya, Regional Sales Manager EMEA, explains:
For CISOs in the region, Zero Trust has stopped being abstract. Faced with escalating threats and tightening regulation, it has become a practical framework for building stronger defenses.
The Zero Trust security model explained
Zero Trust rests on one principle: “never trust, always verify.” No user or device is trusted by default, whether inside or outside the network. Every request requires strict identity verification and least-privileged access.
The model is built on five foundational pillars that collectively enhance an organization’s security posture:
- Identity Verification: Verifying the identity of users, devices, and services before granting access. This includes strong methods like multi-factor authentication (MFA).
- Device Security: Ensuring devices meet security policies and health checks. Non-compliant devices are blocked or given restricted access.
- Network Segmentation: Using micro-segmentation to isolate network zones. This limits attackers’ ability to move laterally if one segment is breached.
- Application Security: Protecting applications with access controls, whitelisting, and runtime safeguards so only authorized users can interact with them.
- Data Protection: Encrypting data at rest and in transit, classifying by sensitivity, and enforcing strict need-to-know access rules.
This model reduces the chance and impact of breaches while securing modern environments — from cloud platforms and IoT to remote workforces. It also simplifies infrastructure, cuts costs, and improves user productivity with direct app connectivity.
In short, Zero Trust shrinks attack surfaces, blocks lateral movement, enforces least privilege, and verifies access continuously — lowering breach costs and strengthening resilience.
Zero Trust vs. traditional perimeter security
The difference comes down to trust:
| Aspect | Traditional Perimeter Security | Zero Trust |
| Trust model | Assumes insiders are safe once inside the network. | Assumes no one is trusted by default, whether inside or outside. |
| Focus | Guards the border with firewalls, VPNs, and gateways. | Verifies every request based on identity, device health, and context. |
| Access control | Grants broad access after initial entry. | Grants minimal rights and continuously rechecks access requests. |
| Architecture | Castle-and-moat approach focused on perimeter defense. | Uses microsegmentation to isolate zones and limit lateral movement. |
| Breach response | Attackers move freely once inside the perimeter. | Closely monitors activity, flags anomalies, and limits attacker movement. |
| Adaptability | Struggles with cloud, hybrid, and remote environments. | Designed for decentralized, modern IT environments. |
In essence, Zero Trust replaces implicit trust with continuous verification, strict access controls, and segmented architecture that reflect today’s threat landscape.
Challenges of Zero Trust and How Axidian products helps
Zero Trust sounds elegant. Implementation isn’t. It demands new tools, cultural change, and integration across legacy systems. No model guarantees 100% safety.
Still, IAM and PAM can help to close the gap. Axidian Access and Axidian Privilege provide the building blocks to make this framewor real in day-to-day operations.
Axidian Access (IAM): MFA with smart cards, tokens, and the Axidian Key app. Web and Enterprise SSO. Support for SAML, OIDC, and RADIUS. Even context from physical access controls.
Axidian Privilege (PAM): Credential vaulting, password rotation, granular policies. Session monitoring, command filtering, and real-time oversight — keeping privileged accounts from becoming a backdoor.
Together, they give companies the tools to enforce Zero Trust principles: verifying identities, restricting privileges, and monitoring sessions.
How to implement a Zero Trust framework: a roadmap
- Assess access: Inventory identities, services, and privileges. Remove stale or over-extended accounts.
- Deploy MFA: Start with domain controllers, VPNs, email, and financial systems.
- Limit privileges: Enforce least privilege and monitor admin activity for accountability.
- Layer IAM and PAM: Use IAM for authentication and SSO; use PAM for high-risk accounts and sensitive operations.
How to strengthen security in North African companies
North Africa’s threat and regulatory climate leaves little room for perimeter defenses. Zero Trust provides a modern, identity-first framework that helps companies raise their security baseline, comply with regulation, and withstand sophisticated threats.
Ready to move from theory to practice? Book a demo with the Axidian team to see how Axidian Access and Axidian Privilege help turn Zero Trust into reality.
