Zero Trust: Execution is now the standard
In January 2026, the National Security Agency released its first Zero Trust Implementation Guidelines (ZIGs). Their aim was to do something prior guidance intentionally avoided: move Zero Trust from architectural alignment to operational execution. That timing matters. Zero Trust has been a framework for years and rightly so. Like a quality standard, it is designed to evolve. The same tools, techniques, and skills shaping modern cyber defense are available to both friend and foe.