Architecture Blueprint - Zero-Trust by Default
Assume Nothing, Verify Everything. Perimeter-based security is a relic of the monolith era.
In a zero-trust model, no request is inherently trusted — not from inside the network, not from a known service, not even from a user who authenticated five minutes ago. Every interaction is validated against identity, intent, and context.
Zero-trust by default means designing your services so they expect verification at every boundary. It's not just about MFA or TLS — it's about minimizing the implicit trust surface to the absolute minimum.
Why this matters - Every API endpoint is a possible doorway
Headless-first systems rely on APIs as the connective tissue between components. Each API endpoint is a possible doorway, and trust assumptions are the cracks that adversaries exploit.
Authentication at every boundary
Every inter-service call, regardless of its "internal" status, passes through authentication gates.
Authorization based on context
Not just "who" but "what are they trying to do" and "is this appropriate right now".
Reduced lateral movement
If one service is compromised, zero-trust boundaries prevent attackers from easily moving to other services.
The Rule - No service-to-service or user-to-service interaction bypasses identity verification
Trust must be earned and revalidated for every request.
EU AI Act: Maintains strict identity verification for services influencing AI outputs.
NIS2: Mitigates systemic compromise by enforcing authentication on all traffic.
ISO 27001: Implements access controls for all endpoints, not just public-facing ones.