Zero Trust in Action: Practical Security Modernization for Today’s Mission

Cybersecurity modernization is no longer a theoretical discussion. For federal agencies, commercial enterprises and the partners who support them, the work is happening now.

During a recent videocast conversation with Cisco, I had the opportunity to discuss how organizations are putting Zero Trust into action and what it takes to scale security priorities across both the public and private sectors. The discussion reinforced something I see every day with Red River customers: security leaders are not short on mandates, tools or urgency. What they need is a practical path forward.

Organizations are dealing with increasingly distributed environments, hybrid workforces, cloud adoption, unmanaged devices, third-party access, operational technology and a threat landscape that continues to grow in both volume and sophistication. At the same time, security teams are often managing tool sprawl, skills shortages and pressure to protect data wherever it lives.

For federal agencies, those challenges are compounded by specific Zero Trust requirements, post-quantum cryptography considerations, legacy system modernization mandates and a growing need to demonstrate measurable progress. The focus has shifted from planning to accountability.

Identity Must Come First

One of the most important lessons I have learned through years of cybersecurity architecture work is that identity has to be foundational.

Too often, organizations begin their Zero Trust journey by focusing first on devices, network segmentation or data security. Those areas matter, but if identity is not mature enough, the program eventually has to circle back and address gaps that should have been resolved at the beginning.

In a modern environment, “users” are more than people. They include devices, applications, APIs, workloads and increasingly AI agents. Every one of those identities needs to be understood, authenticated, authorized and monitored in context.

This is especially important in federal environments, where Executive Order 14028 and OMB M-22-09 have established Zero Trust as a federal cybersecurity priority. Guidance from CISA, NIST and DISA has also made identity a foundational pillar of Zero Trust maturity. To make meaningful progress, agencies need clear visibility into every user, device and machine identity, strong least-privilege controls and the ability to adjust access continuously based on risk.

Data Is Now the Foundation of Security

Zero Trust has also evolved to place stronger emphasis on data.

Recent guidance and Zero Trust maturity models make clear that data cannot be treated as an afterthought. Agencies and enterprises need a full understanding of where their data resides, how it is classified, who can access it, how it moves and how it is protected throughout its lifecycle.

This is where shadow AI has quickly become one of the most urgent concerns.

Many organizations believe they are not using AI because they have not formally approved an AI platform. In reality, employees may already be using public or unsanctioned AI tools to support their daily work. That creates risk when sensitive, regulated or mission-critical data is shared into environments the organization does not control.

The answer is not always to block AI outright. In many cases, employees are using these tools because they are helping solve real business or mission problems. Security teams need visibility first. Then they can determine which tools should be blocked, which should be governed and which use cases should be brought into compliance.

Security Needs to Be Simpler

Another major theme from the discussion was complexity.

Over the years, organizations have added security tools to address new threats, new use cases and new compliance requirements. The result is often a crowded environment with overlapping capabilities, disconnected telemetry and too many dashboards for already-stretched teams to manage.

I have seen environments where multiple tools perform similar functions, yet none of them provide a complete picture. That creates blind spots, slows troubleshooting and makes it harder to advance cybersecurity maturity.

This is why the industry has moved toward more integrated, platform-based security architectures. Gartner has referred to this concept as cybersecurity mesh architecture: a more composable, scalable way to extend security controls across assets while improving integration and resiliency.

At Red River, we have seen this approach gain traction across federal, military, civilian and commercial environments. Customers want fewer disconnected tools and more solutions that work together. They want open integration, shared telemetry, policy consistency and security architectures that can adapt as their mission changes.

Cisco has been a strong partner in this area because its security portfolio allows customers to consolidate capabilities while still meeting complex requirements. Cisco Secure Access, Cisco Identity Services Engine, Cisco SD-WAN, ThousandEyes, Cisco AI Defense and related capabilities can all play a role in helping customers move toward a more unified Zero Trust architecture.

Start Where You Are

Zero Trust does not have to be a rip-and-replace effort.

In fact, one of the most effective approaches is to help customers understand the technology they already have and how it can be used more effectively. Many agencies and enterprises have existing Cisco investments that are underutilized. For example, Cisco Identity Services Engine is often viewed narrowly as a network access control tool, but it can also serve as a powerful Zero Trust policy engine.

At Red River, our Zero Trust Accelerator is designed around this idea. We help customers assess where they are, identify what they already own, determine how those capabilities map to Zero Trust requirements and create a practical roadmap for closing gaps.

That brownfield approach matters. Agencies and enterprises have limited resources, limited staff and real operational constraints. If they can make significant progress by enabling features they already own or integrating existing platforms in smarter ways, that is often the fastest path to measurable improvement.

Practical Use Cases Drive Momentum

One of the best pieces of advice for any organization starting or advancing a Zero Trust journey is to begin with specific use cases.

Trying to do everything at once can create frustration and delay. Instead, organizations should identify high-value, achievable use cases that can generate quick wins and build momentum.

In the podcast, we discussed several areas where customers are seeing impact:

• Securing access to private, cloud and SaaS applications
• Modernizing VPN and remote access
• Improving branch connectivity and user experience
• Discovering and governing shadow AI usage
• Applying data loss prevention controls to AI and SaaS activity
• Strengthening identity-based access across users, devices and applications
• Reducing tool sprawl in the security operations environment

One example I shared involved government customers that discovered employees were using commercial AI tools with government data. By piloting Cisco Secure Access capabilities with AI guardrails and data movement controls, they were able to detect risky activity in flight and begin shifting from unmanaged usage to governed usage.

That is the kind of practical progress organizations need. It is not about saying “no” to innovation. It is about enabling innovation securely.

User Experience Matters

Security cannot succeed if it creates unnecessary friction.

One of the most powerful outcomes I have seen with Zero Trust Network Access is the improvement in user experience. When users can sit down, authenticate and get to work whether they are at home, in a branch office, at a satellite location or in the main office, security becomes an enabler rather than an obstacle.

That improved experience can also create cultural change. When users see that security helps them work more effectively, they become more open to conversations about other security priorities. That matters when tackling complex issues such as AI usage, data protection and modernization.

Zero Trust should improve security, but it should also make access more consistent, more intuitive and more resilient.

Compliance and Modernization Are Converging

For federal agencies, compliance and modernization are increasingly connected.

Agencies are being asked to address unsupported systems, strengthen phishing-resistant multifactor authentication, advance micro-segmentation, prepare for post-quantum cryptography and mature Zero Trust capabilities. These are not isolated efforts. They are all part of a broader shift toward resilient, modern security architecture.

Cloud-delivered security capabilities can help agencies reduce the burden of maintaining legacy infrastructure, improve scalability and support more continuous approaches to authorization and compliance. That is especially important as security teams face limited staffing and growing mission demands.

The key is to avoid treating compliance as a paperwork exercise. Compliance should be an outcome of good architecture, strong identity, clear data governance, integrated controls and continuous visibility.

My Advice to Security Leaders

For organizations working through Zero Trust and cybersecurity modernization, I recommend starting with three questions:

• First, do you understand what is being asked of you? That includes mandates, mission requirements, risk exposure and operational expectations.
• Second, do you know where you are today? That means understanding your current architecture, existing tools, identity maturity, data landscape and gaps.
• Third, do you know what to do next? A roadmap is essential. It should prioritize practical use cases, leverage existing investments and identify the right partners and platforms to help close gaps over time.

Zero Trust is a journey, but it does not have to be overwhelming. With the right strategy, the right architecture and the right partners, organizations can simplify complexity, improve security outcomes and enable their workforce to operate with greater confidence.

At Red River, our role is to help customers make that journey practical. We meet organizations where they are, help them understand what they already have and guide them toward a more mature, resilient and mission-ready security posture.

Zero Trust is no longer just a framework. It is in action, and for many organizations, now is the time to accelerate.