A Software-Defined Zero Trust Framework for Secure Access Control and Microsegmentation using SDN and SDP
S. Harshavardini, A. Bertia · 2025
In the growing world of network security, traditional defense models like firewall, IPS/IDS are not enough to be used against modern cyber threats. To handle this we have introduced a solution that can adapt to the current network trends. This paper presents a approach, Software-Defined Zero Trust Framework that combines Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and Software-Defined Perimeter (SDP) to provide us with strict access control and microsegmentation. The proposed framework combines SDN controllers with SDP mechanisms to manage network access, making sure that only the users and devices which are verified are allowed before establishing any connections. Unlike traditional approaches, our model improvises the security by applying fine-grained segmentation, least-privilege access, and password policy enforcement, effectively reducing the attack surface and also, we demonstrate the framework’s implementation and evaluate its effectiveness in securing network communications. The outcomes show that using this approach help us strengthen the security of the overall network by reducing lateral movement threats which prevents attackers from moving within and across the network through segmentation using flow rules and maintain traffic control within the network while not affecting the network speed and strict access control. This paper is proposed as contribution to the ongoing research for Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) by providing a lightweight, scalable, and resource-efficient security model suitable for modern cloud and enterprise environments.