Top Cybersecurity News Stories From March 2025

Cybersecurity is evolving quickly, and organizations must adapt in real time.  

Whether you're looking to refine your Zero Trust strategy, better understand emerging workforce trends, or see how organizations are collaborating to strengthen resilience, the latest updates offer valuable takeaways.  

This month’s news features insights from top security experts on:

• Securing modern SaaS with a shift-left mindset and Zero Trust strategy
• Why federal cybersecurity experts are moving to state government roles
• What organizations are getting wrong when building Zero Trust
• CRN’s 5-star rating of the Illumio Enlighten Partner Program

Why Zero Trust is essential for modern SaaS security

SaaS development is moving at breakneck speed — and keeping up with security can feel overwhelming.  

Ben Verghese, CTO at Illumio, lays it out in his Forbes article, How To Balance Security And Rapid Innovation In SaaS Development. While SaaS has opened the floodgates for rapid innovation, it’s also opened new attack surfaces that we can’t afford to ignore.  

“SaaS developers must be more proactive and vigilant about security throughout the entire software lifecycle,” Verghese says.

If you’re building fast, you had better be securing smart. In traditional on-premises setups, you had fortress-like data center firewalls guarding your crown jewels. But in SaaS you have to leave some doors open for remote access, which means “some of the protection offered by traditional data center firewalls is lost,” explains Verghese. 

That’s where Zero Trust comes in. Ben compares it to a hotel — not every key opens every door.

“The cleaning staff can only enter rooms during specific hours, maintenance personnel require prior authorization, and guests have unrestricted access to their rooms,” he says. That’s the kind of granular, context-aware access control we need baked into modern SaaS.

But Verghese points out that open-source software development complicates this effort. It’s the lifeblood of modern development, letting developers easily and quickly assemble apps. With that convenience comes risk.  

“Newer versions often present more issues due to limited exposure,” Verghese says. Vulnerabilities in third-party modules often don’t show their faces until you’re already live. That’s why security can’t just be tacked on at the end. “One bad decision or shortcut can have detrimental effects.”

What’s the solution? Build security into your infrastructure as code. That means defining not just what gets deployed, but who can access it and how. As Verghese puts it, “When adding a new service, developers should evaluate, ‘Who depends on this service? Whom does this service depend on?’ and modify the security specifications accordingly.”  

It’s about shifting left — embedding Zero Trust into your architecture from day one, not scrambling after a breach. Do that, and you won’t just keep up with innovation; you’ll secure it.

Inside the cyber talent tug-of-war between states and feds

The gloves are off in the cybersecurity talent war. Now, states are going head-to-head with the federal government.  

InThe Wall Street Journal’s article States Vie for Federal Cyber Workers, Angus Loten talks with Illumio Federal Field CTO Gary Barlet about how state governments are aggressively recruiting cyber pros from federal agencies.  

One of the biggest shifts is remote work. States can now go after experienced federal cybersecurity talent without worrying about geography. And federal security experts — burned out by red tape and drawn to faster-moving roles — are taking the call.  

“It’s become really attractive to look at jobs outside of the Beltway,” says Barlet. “And states are finally in a position to compete.”

Barlet makes it clear that it’s not just about who can pay more, though states are trying. It’s about impact and autonomy. “People want to make a difference, and they’re realizing they can do that at the state level — without all the bureaucracy,” Barlet explains.  

This trend is especially concerning for federal agencies, which have spent years building cyber workforces only to see top talent walk out the door.

Barlet, who previously worked as an inspector general and federal CISO, knows this pain firsthand. He warns that the federal government needs to rethink how it attracts and retains cyber talent. “If they don’t modernize hiring and promotion systems, they’ll keep losing people to jobs where they can move faster and have more control,” he says.

The fight for cyber talent is no longer just federal versus private sector. It’s federal versus everyone. As cyber threats grow more complex, the public sector’s ability to defend itself may hinge on whether it can keep its best people from jumping ship.

Zero Trust is a mindset, not a tech stack

Zero Trust is now a mainstream security approach. But many are still getting it wrong.  

Infosecurity Magazine’s recent deep dive on the topic, Zero Trust’s Reality Check: Addressing Implementation Challenges, makes it clear that Zero Trust isn’t a product, a checkbox, or a cybersecurity silver bullet.  

“Any business or vendor that claims to have a Zero Trust product is either lying or doesn’t understand the concept at all," says John Kindervag, the creator of Zero Trust and chief evangelist at Illumio.”

The shift to remote and hybrid work, along with regulatory drivers like Biden’s Executive Order 14028 and the EU’s NIS2 directive, has accelerated the push toward Zero Trust. But misconceptions remain.

Many companies are putting a “Zero Trust” label on their solutions and strategies and calling it a day. In reality, it’s a mindset shift, not just a tech stack update. As Trevor Dearing, Illumio’s industry solutions marketing director, explains: “Zero Trust isn’t an end in itself. It’s a good way to boost resilience and keep you in business.”

Zero Trust is about resilience, not invincibility. It’s inevitable that attackers are getting better at bypassing identity controls. But Zero Trust is about limiting the blast radius when a breach does happen.  

“There has to be a rule in place that says someone is allowed to access one area,” Kindervag explains. “If that rule isn’t in place, it doesn’t matter how sophisticated the attack is, because the rule just doesn’t allow it to happen.”

What does Zero Trust implementation look like? Start with what matters: your “protect surface.”

“Do it one protect surface at a time,” Kindervag says. That makes it iterative, non-disruptive, and easier to manage.  

If you think you can buy your way into Zero Trust, you’re already behind. You need the right mindset, foundational controls, and a willingness to treat security like a living, breathing part of your infrastructure. Or as Dearing says — Zero Trust won’t just help you survive. Done right, it’s what’ll keep your business thriving.

Illumio earns a 5-star rating in the 2025 CRN Partner Program Guide

We’re thrilled that CRN has recognized the Illumio Enlighten Partner Program with a five-star rating in its new 2025 Partner Program Guide.

It’s a major testament to the work we’re doing with our partners and how seriously we take building strong, strategic relationships across the channel.  

With ransomware and lateral movement threats continuing to rise, segmentation isn’t just a “nice-to-have” anymore — it’s a must-have. And we’re trying to make it easier than ever for our partners to deliver that value.

We’ve designed the Illumio Partner Program to be simple, flexible, and supportive of our partners’ growth. From deal registration and enablement to co-marketing and hands-on training, we’re all in on making sure our partners are set up to win.

CRN’s recognition validates what we hear every day from our partners. Illumio isn’t just helping organizations contain breaches. We’re helping our partners build momentum, deliver value, and win more business. And we’re just getting started!

Contact us today to learn how Illumio can help you contain the spread of breaches and ransomware attacks.