Zero Trust Architecture: A Systematic Literature Review

2025-02-07

AI Summary

Traditional perimeter-based security models are increasingly inadequate against sophisticated and evolving cyber threats, necessitating a paradigm shift toward Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA). Method: This study conducts a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of ZTA-related publications from 2016 to 2025, guided by the PRISMA framework. It integrates topic modeling, longitudinal trend analysis, and technology mapping to characterize the ZTA landscape. Contribution/Results: We propose the first multidimensional, dynamic taxonomy of ZTA, identifying critical evolutionary milestones and drivers behind its recent exponential growth. The review uncovers persistent cross-domain deployment barriers—including interoperability, legacy integration, and policy standardization—and introduces a comprehensive application-scenario taxonomy, a key-technology support matrix, and a pragmatic adoption roadmap. These contributions establish a foundational theoretical framework for academic research and deliver a standardized, actionable implementation guide for industry practitioners.

Technology Category

• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Agent Architectures
• Application Domains: Security
• Machine Learning: Deep Neural Architectures and Foundation Models

Application Category

• Security and Privacy: Large-scale security measurements
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Web applications in cross-disciplinary domains and verticals such as mixed reality, smart cities, and digital health
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Attacks and countermeasures in recommendation systems

Abstract

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.

Problem

• Analyzing limitations of traditional perimeter-based security models
• Reviewing Zero Trust Architecture applications and challenges
• Exploring enabling technologies for Zero Trust implementation

Innovation

• Continuous authentication and conditional access
• Dynamic trust evaluation and least privilege
• PRISMA framework for systematic literature review