Telecom networks are everywhere. They keep the world moving — all the way from managing data, powering business, connecting people across continents and whatnot. For a long time, security in this space was pretty straightforward: build a wall, keep threats outside and trust everything inside. Back when networks were locked down and closed, that was enough.
But those days are over. Now, workloads sprawl across hybrid clouds, edge devices multiply and third-party vendors are everywhere. The old perimeter? It’s gone.
That’s where zero trust comes in. Not just the latest buzzword, but a must-have survival tool. The problem is, a lot of companies think zero trust is something you can just buy off the shelf. That’s not how it works.
The misunderstanding holding telecom back
Everywhere you look in telecom, “zero trust” pops up — in boardrooms, strategy docs and vendor pitches. But somewhere along the way, people lost sight of what it really means. Too many leaders treat it like a compliance box to tick or another software rollout.
The truth’s pretty stark: Zero trust is a mindset. It’s about swapping assumptions for constant proof. When that mindset becomes part of the culture, security finally stops being just another chore and becomes how you operate. But most telcos haven’t made that mental shift. They’re living with a false sense of safety and attackers are taking full advantage.
IT and OT: Impact is linked
Most OT attacks start in IT environments these days. Once attackers get hold of admin credentials or find a weak interface, they can jump straight into the network gear or base-station controllers.
Bridging this isn’t about shuffling org charts. It’s about seeing everything at once and building a single rulebook. Shared access policies, clear patch priorities and unified threat detection — when you get all that working together, zero trust finally turns into something real.
The real enemies: Persistence and patience
Telecom operators aren’t just up against lone hackers or ransomware gangs anymore. The big threat is patient, well-funded groups — nation-state actors who know how to stay invisible. Attacks like Salt Typhoon have proven these groups can live inside telecom networks for months, quietly stealing data with real geopolitical stakes.
CISA has flagged Volt Typhoon and other China-linked groups for breaking into telecom operators all over the world since 2021.
Building trust where none exists
Zero trust isn’t just a tech upgrade — it’s about habits. And three habits matter most: always verify, give only what’s needed and make sure problems can’t spread.
Always verify: Logging in isn’t the end of the check. Every person, device and system gets watched — where they’re connecting from, what they’re doing and if it all looks normal.
Least privilege: The less power someone or something has, the less damage they can do if things go sideways. Tightening that up slashes risk — no fancy new tools required.
Segment the network: Stop trouble from spreading. Slice networks into smaller, isolated zones — micro-segments. When networks are divided this way, potential breaches can be minimised.
The elephant in the room: legacy tech
Let’s be honest — legacy infrastructure isn’t going anywhere. Network hardware built decades ago still runs the show, designed for nonstop uptime when trust used to be automatic. Swapping it all out for something new? That’s a massive risk, not to mention wildly expensive. But pretending you can just leave everything as is — that’s worse.
So, what actually works? You wrap old systems in modern “security shells.” Think secure gateways, centralized authentication and session monitoring. These layers let you boost security now, without gambling with service outages.
Zero trust isn’t about chasing some perfect setup. It’s about uplifting security posture, step by step. Every verified connection, every workload you isolate, makes your network tougher.
Compliance that works across borders
Zero trust doesn’t toss out your compliance rules — it builds on them. Whether you’re dealing with ISO 27001, the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, the EU’s NIS2 Directive or any other local telecom regulation, the bottom line stays the same: keep checking your risks, control who gets in and prove you’re on top of it.
Once you bake zero trust into these frameworks, compliance stops being a headache. Instead of just ticking boxes, compliance becomes part of everyday security. As threats shift, your protections shift with them. No matter where your network lives, you’re covered and ready for inspection.
Measurable momentum: 6 KPIs for the first 180 days
Executives don’t want vague promises — they want proof. In the first six months of rolling out zero trust, here’s what you actually track:
You see fewer privileged accounts floating around.
Strange activity gets spotted faster.
Access approvals don’t drag on — governance finally moves at the speed of business.
More endpoints and workloads are under watch.
There’s a drop in hackers sneaking around your network.
IT and OT teams? They’re running real joint-response drills.
These aren’t just stats to show off. They prove zero trust isn’t hype — it works. Progress you can point to and build on.
From buzzword to baseline
Zero trust isn’t just talk anymore. It’s how you measure if a network’s really secure. For telecom, adopting it isn’t for show — it’s survival.
Gartner says that by 2027, 70% of organizations will start with zero trust for security. That’s up from less than 20% today.
If you’re still clinging to old perimeter defenses, you’re fighting yesterday’s battles. The leaders see zero trust as a journey. They’re building the networks we’ll all count on.
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