Every CISO we speak with has "zero trust" on their strategic roadmap, but few have a sequenced plan that balances risk reduction with budget reality.
Phase 1: Identity foundation (months 1–3) Implement MFA everywhere, consolidate identity providers, and establish privileged access management. Identity is the new perimeter.
Phase 2: Network micro-segmentation (months 3–6) Move from flat networks to segmented zones. Start with your most sensitive workloads - payment systems, PHI, IP repositories.
Phase 3: Device trust (months 6–9) Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR), enforce device compliance policies, and integrate with your identity platform.
Phase 4: Continuous verification (months 9–12) Implement continuous access evaluation, behavioral analytics, and automated policy enforcement based on risk signals.
Pietecx's Security Baseline Program packages phases 1–2 into a 6–8 week engagement, giving security teams a concrete starting point with measurable outcomes.