Zero Trust Architecture: A Systematic Literature Review

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Gambo, Muhammad Liman, Almulhem, Ahmad
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Gambo, Muhammad Liman
Almulhem, Ahmad
author_facet Gambo, Muhammad Liman
Almulhem, Ahmad
contents The increasing complexity of digital ecosystems and evolving cybersecurity threats have highlighted the limitations of traditional perimeter-based security models, leading to the growing adoption of Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA). ZTA operates on the principle of "never trust, always verify", enforcing continuous authentication, conditional access, dynamic trust evaluation, and the principle of least privilege to enhance security across diverse domains. This study applies the PRISMA framework to analyze 10 years of research (2016-2025) on ZTA, presenting a systematic literature review (SLR) that synthesizes its applications, enabling technologies, and associated challenges. It provides a detailed taxonomy that organizes ZTA's application domains, together with the emerging technologies that facilitate its implementation, and critically examines the barriers to ZTA adoption. Additionally, the study traces the historical evolution of ZTA alongside notable events and publications trends while highlighting some potential factors for the surge over the past few years. This comprehensive analysis serves as a practical guide for researchers and practitioners seeking to leverage ZTA for stronger, more adaptive security frameworks in a rapidly shifting threat landscape.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_11659
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Zero Trust Architecture: A Systematic Literature Review
Gambo, Muhammad Liman
Almulhem, Ahmad
Cryptography and Security
The increasing complexity of digital ecosystems and evolving cybersecurity threats have highlighted the limitations of traditional perimeter-based security models, leading to the growing adoption of Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA). ZTA operates on the principle of "never trust, always verify", enforcing continuous authentication, conditional access, dynamic trust evaluation, and the principle of least privilege to enhance security across diverse domains. This study applies the PRISMA framework to analyze 10 years of research (2016-2025) on ZTA, presenting a systematic literature review (SLR) that synthesizes its applications, enabling technologies, and associated challenges. It provides a detailed taxonomy that organizes ZTA's application domains, together with the emerging technologies that facilitate its implementation, and critically examines the barriers to ZTA adoption. Additionally, the study traces the historical evolution of ZTA alongside notable events and publications trends while highlighting some potential factors for the surge over the past few years. This comprehensive analysis serves as a practical guide for researchers and practitioners seeking to leverage ZTA for stronger, more adaptive security frameworks in a rapidly shifting threat landscape.
title Zero Trust Architecture: A Systematic Literature Review
topic Cryptography and Security
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.11659