Zero Trust assessment and progress tracking resources

Zero Trust is a new security model that assumes breach and verifies each request as though it originated from an uncontrolled network. Regardless of where the request originates or what resource it accesses, the Zero Trust model teaches us to "never trust, always verify."

As an IT architect or implementer, you can use the assessment and progress tracking resources in this article to:

• Assess your infrastructure’s readiness for Zero Trust, including discovering which elements are already in place or can be easily strengthened or improved.
• Track the progress of the necessary Zero Trust security improvements in your environment for both business leaders and your IT departments.

Progress tracking resources for the adoption framework business scenarios

The Zero Trust adoption framework documentation set helps security and technology teams collaborate with business leaders on Zero Trust by providing:

• Recommended Zero Trust objectives for business leaders across organizations.

• A methodical and phased approach to implementing a Zero Trust architecture.

• A systematic way to track progress on objectives, scoped to business leaders.

• A systematic way to track progress on objectives and their tasks, scoped to IT leads and implementers.

• Curation of the most relevant resources for adoption of Zero Trust including:

  • PowerPoint slides that are ready to present to business leaders.
  • Excel worksheets to assess your current status and to track progress.
  • Technical implementation guidance and user infographics.

This Zero Trust adoption guidance recommends building a Zero Trust strategy and architecture through these business scenarios:

• Rapidly modernize your security posture
• Secure remote and hybrid work
• Identify and protect sensitive business data
• Prevent or reduce business damage from a breach
• Meet regulatory and compliance requirements

Each business scenario describes how to advance the required technical work through each of the lifecycle phases (Define strategy, Plan, Ready, Adopt, and Govern and manage), starting with building the business case.

For each business scenario, you can use the following progress tracking resources.

At-a-glance blueprint for Zero Trust

Adoption Scenario Plan Phase Grid

Easily understand the security enhancements for each business scenario and the level of effort for the stages and objectives of the Plan phase.

For business scenario project leads, business leaders, and other stakeholders.

Download — Visio file or PDF

Business leader tracker for Zero Trust

Zero Trust adoption tracker

Track your progress through the stages and objectives of the Plan phase.

For business scenario project leads, business leaders, and other stakeholders.

Download — PowerPoint slide deck

Implementer tracker for Zero Trust

Business scenario objectives and tasks

Assign ownership and track your progress through the stages, objectives, and tasks of the Plan phase.

For business scenario project leads, IT leads, and IT implementers.

Download — Excel workbook

In-product dashboard for Zero Trust

Zero Trust initiative in the Microsoft Defender portal (might require sign-in with a user account that has Microsoft Defender portal privileges)

Also see Microsoft Security Exposure Management initiatives.

See current status, security metrics, and recommendations for the adoption framework business scenarios.

For business scenario project leads, IT leads, and IT implementers.

Assessment resources

To understand where your organization is on its Zero Trust journey, use these assessment resources.

Microsoft Zero Trust Security Posture Assessment

Evaluate your Zero Trust security posture and maturity level.

For IT department project leads and implementers.

Microsoft Zero Trust Security Posture Assessment

Zero Trust Assessment strategy workshop

Evaluate your Zero Trust security posture and maturity level.

For IT department project leads and implementers.

Zero Trust Assessment strategy workshop downloadable Excel workbook at https://aka.ms/ztworkshop

Recommended training

Training	Introduction to Zero Trust
	Use this module to understand the Zero Trust approach and how it strengthens the security infrastructure within your organization.

Start >

Training	Introduction to Zero Trust and best practice frameworks
	Use this module to learn about best practices that cybersecurity architects use and some key best practice frameworks for Microsoft cybersecurity capabilities. You also learn about the concept of Zero Trust, and how to get started with Zero Trust in your organization.

Start >

Additional Zero Trust resources

Use additional Zero Trust content based on a documentation set or the roles in your organization.

Documentation set

Follow this table for the best Zero Trust documentation sets for your needs.

Documentation set	Helps you...	Roles
Adoption framework for phase and step guidance for key business solutions and outcomes	Apply Zero Trust protections from the C-suite to the IT implementation.	Security architects, IT teams, and project managers
Concepts and deployment objectives for general deployment guidance for technology areas	Apply Zero Trust protections aligned with technology areas.	IT teams and security staff
Zero Trust for small businesses	Apply Zero Trust principles to small business customers.	Customers and partners working with Microsoft 365 for business
Zero Trust Rapid Modernization Plan (RaMP) for project management guidance and checklists for easy wins	Quickly implement key layers of Zero Trust protection.	Security architects and IT implementers
Zero Trust deployment plan with Microsoft 365 for stepped and detailed design and deployment guidance	Apply Zero Trust protections to your Microsoft 365 tenant.	IT teams and security staff
Zero Trust for Microsoft Copilots for stepped and detailed design and deployment guidance	Apply Zero Trust protections to Microsoft Copilots.	IT teams and security staff
Zero Trust for Azure services for stepped and detailed design and deployment guidance	Apply Zero Trust protections to Azure workloads and services.	IT teams and security staff
Partner integration with Zero Trust for design guidance for technology areas and specializations	Apply Zero Trust protections to partner Microsoft cloud solutions.	Partner developers, IT teams, and security staff
Develop using Zero Trust principles for application development design guidance and best practices	Apply Zero Trust protections to your application.	Application developers

Your role

Follow this table for the best documentation sets for your role in your organization.

Role	Documentation set	Helps you...
Security architect IT project manager IT implementer	Adoption framework for phase and step guidance for key business solutions and outcomes	Apply Zero Trust protections from the C-suite to the IT implementation.
Member of an IT or security team	Concepts and deployment objectives for general deployment guidance for technology areas	Apply Zero Trust protections aligned with technology areas.
Customer or partner for Microsoft 365 for business	Zero Trust for small businesses	Apply Zero Trust principles to small business customers.
Security architect IT implementer	Zero Trust Rapid Modernization Plan (RaMP) for project management guidance and checklists for easy wins	Quickly implement key layers of Zero Trust protection.
Member of an IT or security team for Microsoft 365	Zero Trust deployment plan with Microsoft 365 for stepped and detailed design and deployment guidance for Microsoft 365	Apply Zero Trust protections to your Microsoft 365 tenant.
Member of an IT or security team for Microsoft Copilots	Zero Trust for Microsoft Copilots for stepped and detailed design and deployment guidance	Apply Zero Trust protections to Microsoft Copilots.
Member of an IT or security team for Azure services	Zero Trust for Azure services for stepped and detailed design and deployment guidance	Apply Zero Trust protections to Azure workloads and services.
Partner developer or member of an IT or security team	Partner integration with Zero Trust for design guidance for technology areas and specializations	Apply Zero Trust protections to partner Microsoft cloud solutions.
Application developer	Develop using Zero Trust principles for application development design guidance and best practices	Apply Zero Trust protections to your application.