Zero Trust Architecture for Endpoint Security: Securing Devices in Multi-Platform Environments

Anjan Gundaboina

Abstract: In the constantly shifting world of enterprise IT, most conventional security perimeters are becoming more and more relevant when IT threats occur at various endpoints spanning multiple platforms. Concerning Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, iPhone, Android, and IoT systems, this paper outlines how ZTA offers a solid solution for securing endpoints. Emphasizing the concept never trust, always verify, ' ZTA moves the trust from network perimeters to identity protection, constant verification, and risk assessment. This paper looks at the key areas of ZTA: identity management minimized privileged access, device or endpoint check, and micro - segmentation. The traditional architecture based on PDPs, PEPs, and telemetry - based enforcement allows dynamic access control and granularity in the context of endpoints, including the heterogenic ones. In addition, this paper deals with the issues related to the different platforms, policy management across multiple platforms, and threat identification mechanisms concerning SIEM & EDR systems. These results indicate that the application of Zero Trust results in moderate system overhead, a considerably improved identification of threats, a decrease in the possibility of lateral movement, and an overall positive shift in the security status. Thus, evaluating the scalability, flexibility, and robustness of the ZTA, the paper proves that this model is crucial for protecting the modern enterprise environment against threats.

Keywords: Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), Endpoint Security, Multi - Platform Environments, Identity Verification, Least Privilege Access, Micro - Segmentation, BYOD, Threat Detection, Policy Enforcement