Google LLC said today it’s adding a bunch of new partners to its BeyondCorp Alliance, which brings together various security firms and data management providers to help extend its concept of the “zero-trust” security model.

BeyondCorp is a security framework that involves shifting access controls from the perimeter to individual devices and users, thereby enabling employees to work securely from any location without the need for a traditional virtual private network.

With BeyondCorp, access control is no longer based on whether users are requesting that access from inside or outside of the corporate network. Instead, under the zero-trust model, it’s assumed that users requesting access from inside the network are just as untrustworthy as those seeking remote access, so access requests are instead granted based on details about the particular users, their jobs and the security status of the device they’re using.

Google announced the BeyondCorp Alliance in April 2019 to help enterprises of all shapes and sizes embrace zero-trust security. The initiative brought together several trusted partners, including the likes of CheckPoint Software Technologies Ltd., Lookout Inc., VMware Inc., Palo Alto Networks Inc. and Symantec Corp., that Google said provide the tools necessary to create a reliable security framework.

Now, with COVID-19 forcing thousands of companies to adapt to remote work, Google said today there’s no better time to extend the BeyondCorp Alliance.

“As time has passed, it’s become clear that remote work will be a defining characteristic of the new normal, and modernizing security by fully embracing zero trust models is an imperative, not an option,” Sampath Srinivas, a director of product management at Google Cloud, said in a blog post. “We need to work to further democratize this technology, accelerate and ease its adoption to help organizations stay secure, agile, and productive.”

To that end, Google said it’s working with Citrix Inc. to bring Citrix Workspace into BeyondCorp. Citrix Workspace makes it possible for multiple users to remotely access and operate Microsoft Windows desktops running in a data center or a public or private cloud, via devices located elsewhere. The partnership will make it possible for customer’s applications to be exposed through Citrix Workspace with BeyondCorp’s access controls and policy enforcement, Google said.

“Users get a single pane of glass for all of their applications,” which can now be accessed from personal devices without the need for a virtual private network, Srinivas said.

Another new partner, CrowdStrike Holdings Inc., will deliver real-time endpoint posture assessments for devices, regardless of their location, network or user so BeyondCorp adopters can prohibit access from untrusted or compromised hosts as part of conditional access policies.

Meanwhile, Google said it’s working with Jamf Software LLC, which provides management tools for enterprise deployments of Apple devices. The partnership will enable BeyondCorp users to ensure that only trusted users from managed devices, using approved apps, can access their company data.

The last new member of the BeyondCorp Alliance is Tanium Inc., which will provide device identity information via its Tanium Endpoint Identity service so companies can better monitor and evaluate the health of various endpoints no matter where each device is located.

“Through the combined solution, coming soon, organizations will be able to ensure that devices connecting to network resources and applications are authorized, secured and up-to-date,” Srinivas said.

Analyst Holger Mueller of Constellation Research Inc. told SiliconANGLE that zero trust has become the key in security, spurred on by the demands of the pandemic economy and an increase in cyberattacks on enterprises.

“More intellectual property than ever before is now being distributed and discussed online, and chief information security officers need to react to this,” Mueller said. “Google has put forward an attractive offering with BeyondCorp, but it can’t do everything alone. It needs the help and support of partners, so this ecosystem play is a useful strategy.”

Image: Google