Bridging the Zero Trust Gap: A Knowledge Management Approach to Business Data Protection

The aim of this study is to provide an integrative review of how knowledge management principles can be leveraged to enhance the implementation and ongoing maintenance of zero trust architecture. Specifically, the authors examine the intersections between knowledge management processes and zero trust architecture tenets, highlighting how their integration can create a cohesive and transformative security framework. The authors contribute new perspectives by synthesizing diverse knowledge management and zero trust architecture approaches into a novel conceptual model designed to bridge existing gaps in zero trust architecture implementation. This interdisciplinary framework, termed the “zero trust cognosphere architecture,” is organized into three logical tiers: (1) modified Nonaka model components to support knowledge creation for zero trust architecture implementation, (2) analysis of negative impacts on knowledge status in zero trust architecture; and (3) categorization of knowledge management activities for operationalizing knowledge management systems within zero trust architecture. The authors further classify collaboration and knowledge sharing in zero trust architecture environments into three domains: (1) human-to-human collaboration, (2) policy information points coordination, and (3) human-to-machine cooperation. By addressing shortcomings in the existing literature, the authors propose practical frameworks for zero trust architecture deployment, maintenance, and continuous improvement. Finally, the authors lay the groundwork for future research at the intersection of zero trust and knowledge management.