The idea of “trust” in cybersecurity is a thing of the past. In today’s interconnected world, where data breaches make headlines almost weekly, assuming anything is safe until proven otherwise feels naive at best. That’s why Zero Trust is making a comeback and is becoming the gold standard for security. While this approach is nothing new, the way it’s reshaping how we think about data security – because what we are facing now is a data-driven threat landscape. Zero Trust places data at the centre of its strategy, securing it no matter where it resides or how it’s accessed.

Why the Focus Has Shifted

Zero Trust is built on three simple principles:

1. Assume breach — Always operate under the belief that a compromise has already happened.
2. Verify everything — No one and nothing gets a free pass.
3. Enforce least privilege — Users and systems only get access to what they absolutely need.

This is a great starting point, but Zero Trust has evolved into much more than a mindset. It’s now a strategic approach to securing not just networks and devices, but the data itself. This shift makes sense. After all, attackers aren’t breaking into systems for fun — they want the data.

But implementing Zero Trust principles isn’t as simple as flipping a switch. Organisations must build a framework that continuously monitors data activity, enforces strict policies, and quickly responds to threats. That’s why MDDR is becoming a cornerstone of modern Zero Trust strategies.

Why MDDR Belongs in the SOC

The SOC is often seen as the nerve center of an organisation’s security operations. It’s where threats are identified, analysed, and mitigated. Traditionally, SOCs focused on monitoring networks, endpoints, and applications. But as attackers shift their focus to exploiting data, the SOC needs to evolve.

This is where Managed Data Detection and Response makes its mark. MDDR is a capability designed specifically to protect data, adding a layer of monitoring and response that aligns perfectly with the principles of Zero Trust.

Here’s why it matters:

1. How can you protect what you can’t see? MDDR ensures that you have real-time visibility into how data is accessed, shared, and moved. SOC teams can pinpoint unusual activities, like someone transferring sensitive files to an external location, and respond before a full-blown breach occurs.
2. Data-Centric threats require Data-Centric tools. SOCs traditionally track malware, phishing, or system vulnerabilities. MDDR takes this a step further, focusing on threats targeting data specifically — such as insider risks or unauthorised downloads. It empowers SOCs to respond with precision.
3. Proactive, Not Reactive: With MDDR, organisations don’t just react to breaches but they prevent them. For example, automated policy enforcement can block unauthorised data transfers or flag risky behaviours, ensuring threats are stopped in their tracks. For example, the Gartner Market Guide underscores the limitations of reactive-only MDR models, which often detect threats after they’ve compromised systems. This is not an effective approach anymore. This delayed detection allows attackers to exfiltrate data or escalate privileges unnoticed. Companies need to take a data-centric approach, automating responses to suspicious actions such as: attempted unauthorised data transfers, privilege misuse or escalation, access requests that deviate from typical behaviour patterns.
4. Modern organisations deal with massive amounts of data. Manually tracking every interaction is impossible. Data centric approaches means that you can use AI and machine learning to manage these challenges, helping SOCs scale their operations effectively.

Bringing It All Together: How to implement a strong data security strategy

Once you know your data, it’s time to develop and enforce policies. These policies should outline exactly how data should be accessed, shared, and protected. Think about who gets access to what and under what conditions. For example, you might decide that sensitive data can only be shared through approved channels or that certain files require multi-factor authentication to access. MDDR makes it easier to enforce these policies automatically, flagging risky behaviour and blocking unauthorised activity in real-time.

Integration is the next big step. MDDR works best when it’s connected to your existing SOC tools. By linking MDDR to these tools, you create a unified view of threats across your organisation. This integration allows your SOC to correlate data-centric alerts with other security events, helping your team detect and respond to more complex threats. The goal is to make MDDR a natural part of your SOC’s workflow rather than an isolated add-on.

Finally, don’t overlook the human element. Even the best tools can’t perform at their full potential without well-trained teams to manage them. Make sure your SOC analysts, IT staff, and data stewards understand how MDDR works and how it fits into your broader security strategy. Training sessions, cross-team collaboration, and clear communication about policies and objectives will go a long way toward making MDDR implementation a success.