Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) to enhance security in cloud computing environments

Sequeira, Rithesh Clinton (2025) Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) to enhance security in cloud computing environments. Masters thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

As cloud computing becomes integral to enterprise infrastructure, traditional perimeter-based security models increasingly fall short in addressing evolving threats and distributed user environments. This project investigates the application of Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) within a cloud context to enhance security, based on the principle of “never trust, always verify.” The research involved designing and configuring a ZTA model using Amazon Web Services (AWS), incorporating Identity and Access Management (IAM), real-time activity monitoring through AWS CloudTrail, and security alerting via CloudWatch. By simulating real-world attack vectors such as unauthorized access and privilege escalation, the study measured improvements in threat detection, policy enforcement, and operational control. A comparative analysis with traditional access control models revealed that ZTA significantly reduces the attack surface, improves latency in security response, and ensures more granular access control. The report documents the implementation steps, security policy design, and evaluation outcomes, showing that ZTA effectively enhances visibility and accountability in cloud environments. The research provides a practical roadmap for ZTA deployment in cloud systems while acknowledging scalability, cost, and user experience complexity challenges.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Supervisors:	Name Email Pulido Gaytan, Luis Bernardo UNSPECIFIED
Subjects:	Q Science > QA Mathematics > Electronic computers. Computer science T Technology > T Technology (General) > Information Technology > Electronic computers. Computer science T Technology > T Technology (General) > Information Technology > Cloud computing
Divisions:	School of Computing > Master of Science in Cloud Computing
Depositing User:	Ciara O'Brien
Date Deposited:	30 Mar 2026 15:14
Last Modified:	30 Mar 2026 15:14
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/9261

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