User Pillar Activities – Identity, Credential & Access Management
In a Zero Trust architecture, access is never assumed; it must be continuously verified. The User Pillar provides a strategic framework to manage, secure, and monitor user identity and access at scale. This pillar focuses on enforcing strong identity proofing, implementing adaptive access controls, and governing user permissions across the enterprise.
Each activity below supports the foundational Zero Trust principle: “Never trust, always verify.”

What Are the User Activities?
The User Pillar provides a framework for identity assurance, access control, and continuous validation of user behavior across your environment (Bold links will open the article directly; standard links require a free download of the full collection.):
- User Pillar – Activity 1.1.1: User Inventory
- User Pillar – Activity 1.2.1: Implement Application Based Permissions per Enterprise
- User Pillar – Activity 1.2.2: Rule Based Dynamic Access Part 1
- User Pillar – Activity 1.3.1: Organizational MFA and IDP
- User Pillar – Activity 1.4.1: Implement System and Migrate Privileged User Part 1
- User Pillar – Activity 1.4.2: Implement System and Migrate Privileged User Part 2
- User Pillar – Activity 1.5.1: Organizational Identity Life-Cycle Management
- User Pillar – Activity 1.5.2: Enterprise Identity Life-Cyle Management Part 1
- User Pillar – Activity 1.6.1: Implement UEBA Tooling
- User Pillar – Activity 1.7.1: Deny User by Default Policy
- User Pillar – Activity 1.8.1: Single Authentication
- User Pillar – Activity 1.8.2: Periodic Authentication
- User Pillar – Activity 1.9.1: Enterprise PKI IDP Part 1
The User Pillar
The User Pillar is a foundational element of Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), centered on the principle that no user should be trusted by default, regardless of location, device, or role. It focuses on verifying user identity continuously and enforcing strict access controls based on contextual signals like user behavior, risk level, and role-based permissions.








