Zero Trust: The $4.4 Million Password Problem

How much would you pay for a single password?

Hey friend,

Quick question: How much would you pay for a single password?

Colonial Pipeline found out in 2021 — $4.4 million in Bitcoin. One compromised VPN credential shut down a 5,500-mile fuel pipeline. No multi-factor auth. No device verification.

Just username + password = complete network access.

The craziest part? Once the attackers gained access through the VPN, they navigated Colonial's network as if they owned it. Because effectively, they did.

This is what we're discussing today: Zero Trust Networking — the industry's response to the "crunchy outside, gooey inside" security model that's failing everywhere.

But here's what the vendors selling you "Zero Trust solutions" won't say: True zero trust is basically impossible. What we're really doing is playing a game of trust reduction. And understanding that game might be the most critical security decision you make this year.

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The Castle That No Longer Exists

Remember the old security model?

Outside network = Bad guys
Firewall = Castle wall  
Inside network = Good guys (trust everyone!)

This worked great in 1995 when:

• Employees worked in offices

• Apps lived in your data center

• "The network" meant your network

Then three things broke everything:

1. Cloud happened → Your data lives in AWS/Azure/GCP now
2. SaaS exploded → 130+ apps per company, all outside your firewall
3. COVID hit → Every Starbucks WiFi became your corporate network

Suddenly, your "castle" has 50,000 doors, and your "moat" is the entire internet.