What does zero trust security entail for the public sector

As applications and data span on‑premise and cloud, security controls must be based on identity—not assumed network trust. Zero Trust requires verification for every access request and continuous validation. 

In practice, this means, public sector organizations must implement

Phygital identities for internal and external users
Device identity and authentication for all IT & IoT devices
Policy-based access and risk-based multi-factor authentication
Secure access to websites & applications
Data and communication encryption
Automated monitoring, audit-ready reporting

What Zero trust means for you

Healthcare

Staff and patient identity management, secure access for medical devices and workstations.

Education

Students and staff identity management, secure access for shared devices or campus systems.

Law Enforcement

Officer identity and access management, secure access to incident response systems and dispatch tools.

Municipalities

Smart card for employees or secure access to municipality services for citizens.

How Nexus enables public organizations achieve zero trust

With Nexus Smart ID, organizations can manage certificate-based user and device identities within the same PKI-based platform, enabling strong authentication, encrypted communications, and centralized identity lifecycle management. 

For public sector organizations, this also means standardized onboarding and offboarding, automated identity lifecycle management, and full auditability. 

Workforce Identities

  • eIDAS-compliant identities for employees, contractors, and vendors 

  • Visual ID combined with facility access 
  • Secure Windows login with MFA 
  • Passwordless MFA for digital resources and cloud apps via SSO 
  • Secure remote access with VPN 
  • Digital document signing 
  • Email signing and encryption 

 

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Device Identities

  • PKI-based verifiable identities for both domain endpoints, such as machines and servers, and non-domain endpoints, such as DevOps servers, mobile devices, and networking devices
  • Device binding using endpoint assessment 
  • Encrypted communication between devices, applications, and networks
  • Automated certificate enrolment via ACME, SCEP, EST, etc. 
  • Centralized device certificate lifecycle management and reporting

 

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Bring zero trust to shared devices with NFC authentication

 

Shared devices do not have to mean shared risk.

Nexus offers a secure and scalable approach to strong authentication across multi-user mobile environments.

By combining NFC-enabled smart cards with trusted identities, public organizations can enforce secure authentication on shared devices without having to rely on personal devices

Best-fit public sector scenarios 

• Field inspections and enforcement
• Public hospitals and logistics hubs
• Mobile public service counters
• Shift-based operations such as transport or municipal services

Zero trust supports NIS2

NIS2 raises expectations around access control, accountability, and cyber resilience for many public sector entities. While the directive covers a broad range of measures, identity and authentication are central to meeting its objectives. 

Strengthening authentication, ensuring access is linked to verified identities, and maintaining clear access records all support NIS2 requirements.

If you are planning for NIS2 compliance, adopting zero trust security approach is a must. 

START YOUR COMPLIANCE JOURNEY

 

 

Standards and regulations that recommend Zero Trust

 

  • NIS2 Directive

  • EU Cybersecurity Strategy

  • Cybersecurity Act (CRA)

  • GDPR

  • NIST

  • ISO/IEC 27001

  • PSD3

  • eIDAS Regulation

Nexus Smart ID: Enabling trust
in the European public organizations

Why global organizations trust Nexus

 

Flexible deployment

Choose a deployment option that suits you the best - on-premise, in the cloud, or in hybrid mode

Easy integrations

Integrate with your existing infrastructure, such as your Active Directory, HRMS, PACS, and other systems

Future-proof

Supports all your devices through open standards and protocols, enabling trust identities from internal or public PKI

Talk to an expert 

To explore how identity‑based Zero Trust can support your public sector environment, including workforce access, shared devices, and NIS2 readiness. Speak with one of our specialists.