Adjunct Professors Dr. Ron Martin, Dr. Jayne Suess, and Dr. Chris Willman of Capitol Technology University led the development of an international standard that provides a framework for understanding and implementing Zero Trust (ZT) and the corresponding Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA). The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) approved the creation of a working group in 2021 to develop a ZT standard and, on June 4, 2026, IEEE 3409-2026 was approved by the Board. The professors, who served on the working group as chairman, vice chairman, and lead researcher respectively, were joined by many technical experts within this group, including Leighton Johnson and Rajesh Murthy.
In August 2020, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published the Special Publication (SP) 800-207 titled "Zero Trust Architecture." According to NIST SP 800-207, ZT is an evolving set of cybersecurity paradigms that shifts defenses from static, network-based perimeters to a focus on users, assets, and resources. The ZTA applies ZT principles to plan industrial and enterprise infrastructure and workflows. Simultaneously, the Cloud Security Alliance published the Software-Defined Perimeter Framework, which NIST recognized as useful within the ZTA. The United States Government embraced this framework as a cybersecurity imperative. However, the international community was slower to formally adopt the concept of ZT.
The newly approved ZT standard is intended to help developers and architects, as well as other standards organizations, identify key security elements and considerations when implementing ZT solutions. Additionally, it helps identify security priorities during the transition from perimeter-based to zero-trust models.
The IEEE organization adds significant value by providing the neutral, globally recognized standards-development environment needed to move ZT from a national cybersecurity framework to an international consensus standard. Through its open and balanced process, IEEE brings together experts, vendors, government representatives, academics, and practitioners from multiple countries to evaluate requirements, resolve competing viewpoints, and produce a standard that can be trusted by more than any single organization or jurisdiction. This approach strengthens interoperability, reduces fragmentation across regions and industries, and gives adopters confidence that the resulting guidance reflects broad technical agreement rather than a single national or commercial perspective.
Additional Resources:
Martin, R. (2026). The Importance of the Zero Trust IEEE Standard | Capitol Technology University
Martin, R. (2021). Executive Order (EO) on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity: The cybersecurity path forward | Capitol Technology University
Suess, J. (2026). The Evolution of Zero Trust into an International Standard
Written by Dr. Ron Martin, CPP, MSI