Zero Trust before the Hype: Foundational Concepts and Early AI-Driven Implementations
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63282/3050-922X.IJERET-V4I4P106Keywords:
Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), Identity-Centric Security, Network Segmentation, Microservices Security, Secure Access Models, Cybersecurity Policy, Federated Identity ManagementAbstract
The dynamic cloud environment, mobility workforces and the continuously growing cyber threats have triggered a transition of perimeter-based defences to Zero Trust Architectures (ZTAs). This review presents a comprehensive analysis of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been integrated into early uses of Zero Trust. Such formative AI-ZT systems implemented mechanisms such as behavioural authentication, adaptive trust scores, federated learning and running smart contracts to generate flexible and situational access controls. We look into the current technological foundations behind the early AI-ZT, including edge computing, orchestration and training on decentralised model training over microservice autonomy. In particular, special attention is paid to the application of AI in the access pattern prediction, event tokenisation and risk-driven policy adaptation. The problem of data privacy, the security of models, and limitations in distributed systems are presented in terms of initial implementations. Basing its insights on them, the paper speculates on how the experience of AI-ZT systems contributed to the current security paradigm, estimating the integration of DevSecOps with AI, SecAI systems, and AI-facilitated context processing. Timelines and corresponding comparative tables have also been provided to visualise the development of AI-ZT models and other pitfalls that a variety of solutions face. Finally, other new trends that we discuss are Zero Trust agents, which are autonomous, harmonisation of world policies and AI ethics. This review aims to serve as a critical foundation for researchers and practitioners building the next generation of intelligent, resilient Zero Trust systems
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