Software-defined zero-trust network architecture : Evolution from Purdue model -based networking

Abstract

Digitalization has brought many technological developments which improve the business operations on many industries. In recent years, the drive towards service based solutions has superseded the locally managed solutions towards vendor managed solutions that are managed through the Internet. Unfortunately, the architecture, and the infrastructure which it is based on, have not developed at the same pace. This has led to organizations undermining the architecture and policies designed for it. Therefore, a modern architecture is needed with the capability of supporting these uprising technologies. The objective of this thesis was to find out if Purdue model works as a valid reference architecture for building networks in today’s standards, and if it needs to be replaced, what would be the alternatives. To answer the research question, it was first investigated whether Purdue model can be used for modern network architecture. After that, a literacy review was performed to see what some of the current and modern recommendations are. The literacy review also included research on what some of the current threats to digital platforms are, and how cybersecurity is engineered. It was discovered that zero trust architecture and software defined solutions enhance the overall security and management of the operating environments. The thesis concludes with a logical reference architecture for networks as a suggested solution. The suggested solution is a new network architecture that implements the elements of zero trust and uses software defined networking to manage the underlying infrastructure.