Automation and Orchestration of Zero Trust Architecture: Potential Solutions and Challenges

Zero trust architecture (ZTA) is a paradigm shift in how we protect data, stay connected and access resources. ZTA is non-perimeter-based defence, which has been emerging as a promising revolution in the cyber security field. It can be used to continuously maintain security by safeguarding against attacks both from inside and outside of the network system. However, ZTA automation and orchestration, towards seamless deployment on real-world networks, has been limited to be reviewed in the existing literature. In this paper, we first identify the bottlenecks, discuss the background of ZTA and compare it with traditional perimeter-based security architectures. More importantly, we provide an in-depth analysis of state-of-the-art AI techniques that have the potential in the automation and orchestration of ZTA. Overall, in this review paper, we develop a foundational view on the challenges and potential enablers for the automation and orchestration of ZTA.