Zero Trust and Access Control – The Future Security Model for Businesses

Zero Trust is no longer just a buzzword – it's the new standard for security. According to Gartner, over 85% of larger enterprises will have implemented parts of Zero Trust architecture by the end of 2025.

But what does Zero Trust mean for physical access control? And how can businesses implement this security model in practice?

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What is Zero Trust?

Zero Trust is a security model based on one simple principle:

"Never trust, always verify"

The Old Paradigm: "Trust but verify"

Traditional security was based on perimeter defense:

• If you're inside the firewall → you have access
• If you have a physical key → you can open the door
• If you're an employee → you're trusted

The problem:

• Attackers who breach the perimeter get full access
• Insider threats are ignored
• Stolen keys/credentials give unlimited access

The New Paradigm: Zero Trust

Zero Trust assumes that:

• Threats exist both outside and inside
• No user or device is automatically trusted
• Access must be verified continuously
• Minimal access is default (principle of least privilege)

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Zero Trust Principles Applied to Access Control

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Traditional vs. Zero Trust Access Control

Traditional Access Control	Zero Trust Access Control
Physical key gives permanent access	Digital key expires automatically after defined period
One key for many doors	Granular access per door and time window
Access verified once (at hiring)	Access verified continuously at each use
No logging or traceability	Complete audit trail with timestamps and context
Manual approval and key management	Automated workflow with approval chains
Same access 24/7/365	Time and context-based access (work hours, projects)
No integration with IT security	Full integration with SIEM, IAM, and cybersecurity
Reactive security (after incident)	Proactive security with events for your SIEM

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How SnapKey Implements Zero Trust

1. Continuous Verification

Traditional:

Employee gets key at hiring → uses it for years

SnapKey Zero Trust:

Each time the key is used, verification checks:

• Is the user still employed?
• Is the key within a valid time window?
• Does the location match the user's role?
• Are there suspicious access patterns?
• Is the device (smartphone) still trusted?

2. Principle of Least Privilege

Example: Cleaning Company

Traditional:
└─ Master key to entire building

SnapKey Zero Trust:
├─ Access to ONLY the 3 specified floors
├─ WHERE cleaning is necessary
├─ ONLY Monday-Friday 6:00pm-10:00pm
├─ AUTOMATIC expiration after contract period
└─ NO access to IT rooms or executive floor

3. Context-aware Access

How SnapKey uses context in access:

Location

• Remote locks can require the phone to be within a radius of the lock before they open from the app

Temporal Context

• Access only within the key's validity period and time windows

Device Trust

• The SnapKey app can be locked behind the phone's screen lock or biometrics (Face ID, fingerprint). Each user turns it on in the app; it is off by default and cannot be enforced centrally.

User Behavior

• SnapKey does not analyse behaviour. Anomaly detection belongs in your SIEM, which can receive SnapKey's events as webhooks

4. Micro-segmentation

Traditional model:

Employee → Company key → Access to everything

Zero Trust model:

Employee
├─ Role: IT technician
├─ Access to:
│   ├─ Server room A (24/7)
│   ├─ Server room B (daytime only)
│   └─ IT storage (work hours)
├─ NO access to:
│   ├─ HR department
│   ├─ Finance
│   └─ Executive floor
└─ Permissions reviewed quarterly

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Zero Trust in Practice: Use Cases

Use Case 1: Construction Site

Scenario: Temporary access for external contractors

Zero Trust implementation:

1. Contractor requests access via self-service portal
2. Project manager approves digitally
3. SnapKey generates key with:
   ├─ Start date: Project start
   ├─ End date: Project end + 1 week
   ├─ Time windows: Mon-Fri 07:00-17:00
   ├─ Zones: ONLY relevant building sections
   └─ Geofence: Within construction site area
4. Key expires automatically – no manual follow-up needed
5. If project delay: Easy extension with new approval

Use Case 2: Hospital

Scenario: Doctor needs access to medication depot

Zero Trust implementation:

Time-limited access and an alarm on critical locks:

During the shift (the key's time window):
├─ Doctor opens with their key
└─ Access granted

Outside the shift:
└─ The key does not work – the lock refuses access

The medication depot is marked as a critical lock:
└─ Security gets an alarm when the lock is used

Use Case 3: Data Centers

Scenario: External technician needs to service server

Zero Trust workflow:

1. Service request created in ticket system
2. The ticket system calls SnapKey's Public API
3. The ticket system pre-approves automatically if:
   ├─ Technician is on whitelist
   ├─ Service window is approved
   └─ Customer has active contract
4. Key generated with:
   ├─ Valid ONLY during service window (e.g., 2 hours)
   └─ Access to ONLY the relevant locks (e.g. a rack or cage)
5. Upon access:
   ├─ SOC team receives the event as a webhook
   └─ Your own systems can start video recording and extra logging
6. After service window:
   ├─ Key expires automatically
   └─ Report generated for compliance

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Compliance: Zero Trust + NIS2/CER

Zero Trust architecture helps meet NIS2 and CER requirements:

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FAQ

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Contact Us Today

Is your business ready to implement Zero Trust? SnapKey helps you build a modern, secure access control architecture.