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Press Release | Jan. 30, 2026

NSA Releases Phase One and Phase Two of the Zero Trust Implementation Guidelines

FORT MEADE, Md  –   FORT MEADE, Md. - The National Security Agency (NSA) is releasing Phase One and Phase Two of the Zero Trust Implementation Guidelines (ZIGs) to outline the activities needed to achieve the Department of War (DoW)-defined Target-level Zero Trust (ZT) maturity.

Phase One and Phase Two aim to move an organization from Discovery to Target-level implementation by mapping out the activities, requirements, precursors and successors as related to the activities. The phased design of the ZIGs offers modularity and high customizability, allowing implementation of foundational and advanced activities as applicable and the ability to tailor the ZIGs to align with unique goals and restraints.

Phase One details 36 activities organizations can use to build upon or further refine their environment to establish a secure foundation that supports 30 ZT capabilities specific to this phase.

Phase Two details 41 activities that initiate the integration of core ZT solutions within the component environment. These activities enable 34 capabilities specific to this phase.

Before reviewing these Phases, system owners, cybersecurity professionals, and stakeholders are encouraged to review the Primer and the Discovery Phase, released earlier this month, to ensure a deep understanding of ZT activities and their organization’s operational landscape prior to ZT implementation.

In conjunction with the Primer and Discovery, this series of ZIGs aim to guide and assist those planning to implement, or already implementing, ZT architecture, and provide a better understanding of the capabilities required to achieve Target level ZT maturity for the DoW CIO ZT Framework.

Read Phase One and Phase Two here.

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