Gartner® Hype Cycle for Zero-Trust Networking, 2024

This Hype Cycle describes the 20 most relevant and hyped zero-trust topics for SRM leaders. We define each technology or practice, describe its benefit, identify its market penetration, and indicate drivers and inhibitors of its growth. The collection of zero-trust networking technologies on the Hype Cycle is dynamic, with a change rate of over 50% year over year.

Highlights of this year’s Hype Cycle are:

• New hype: There is new hype around MASQUE, OpenZiti and zero-trust packet routing, which are potential foundational technologies that accelerate both vendor product development and enterprise adoption of zero-trust networking products.
• Near the peak: SSE and eBPF are near the peak. SSE is being driven by strong demand due to enterprises’ desire to consolidate technologies to enable an adaptive, zero-trust approach. This approach can connect users to applications. There are multiple viable vendor options and heavy marketing hype. eBPF is being used prominently by vendors to help increase visibility and security enforcement in new products.
• In the trough: Currently, only IoT authentication is in the trough, as the IoT security landscape is complex and support of authentication methods via IoT platforms is immature or incomplete.
• Approaching the plateau: ZTNA and microsegmentation are approaching the plateau, as adoption rates are advancing and the innovations are being increasingly integrated into broader network security platforms and products.
• Progressing quickly: Zero-trust strategy and SASE are the fastest-moving innovations on the Hype Cycle. SASE is being driven by increasing enterprise awareness and implementation, combined with maturing availability of offerings from suppliers. Leadership in a majority of organizations cites zero-trust strategy as a strategic direction, with at least partial implementation using a subset of technologies on this Hype Cycle.