Executive summary — Zero Trust identity treats every access request as untrusted until proven otherwise, regardless of network location. With 96 percent of organisations now preferring Zero Trust over VPN, perimeter-based IAM is obsolete. This article defines Zero Trust identity, maps it to NIST SP 800-207, and gives five enforcement points buyers should demand from any IAM vendor. Most enterprises still operate with a security model designed for the 2010s: a hardened network perimeter, trusted internal traffic, VPNs for remote access. That model has been failing in real time for a decade, and the data finally shows the industry has caught up. According to recent enterprise surveys, 96 percent of organisations now prefer Zero Trust to VPN, and 65 percent plan to retire their VPN within twelve months. The implication for IAM is direct: the moment the network perimeter loses its trust value, identity becomes the new perimeter. What Is Zero Trust Identity? Zero Trust identity is the application of Zero Trust principles — never trust, always verify — to every authentication and authorisation decision. No request is granted access on the basis of where it originates. Every request is evaluated against contextual policy at the moment it is made, regardless of whether the requester is inside the corporate network or on a beach in Bali. Zero Trust identity is the operational heart of NIST SP 800-207. The policy engine evaluates trust on the fly, the policy administrator enforces decisions, and the policy enforcement point sits in front of every resource. None of that works without a strong, real-time identity signal — which is why what is identity and access management (IAM) in 2026 is the foundation any Zero Trust deployment must build on. Why Perimeter-Based IAM Fails Perimeter-based IAM had two implicit assumptions: traffic from inside the network was trustworthy, and traffic from outside required additional scrutiny. Three structural changes broke both assumptions. Cloud and SaaS pushed enterprise resources outside the perimeter. Remote and hybrid work pushed users outside the perimeter. Service mesh architectures and supply chain integrations pushed machine-to-machine traffic across perimeter boundaries continuously. The firewall is still useful, but it is no longer where security decisions are made. Five Enforcement Points to Demand from Any IAM Vendor If an enterprise is going to invest in Zero Trust identity, the platform underneath it must deliver five non-negotiable enforcement points. Continuous verification — every request, not just the initial login, is evaluated against current policy. Phishing-resistant authentication by default — passkeys, FIDO2, certificate-based device authentication. Context-aware policy — device posture, location, behavioural baseline, and resource sensitivity all factor into decisions. Unified policy across human and non-human identities — same engine evaluates user access and workload access. Audit-ready evidence — every policy decision is logged in a form regulators can consume directly. Risk-based, contextual authentication is the operational expression of these principles — covered in depth in adaptive IAM and risk-based authentication. Looking at the platform layer? eMudhra's SecurePass converged identity platform delivers all five enforcement points natively — converged human, customer, and machine identity under a single Zero Trust policy engine. Where Zero Trust Identity Meets Machine Identity A Zero Trust architecture that protects users but ignores workloads is half-built. Service-to-service traffic now dominates internal network volume, and every one of those calls needs an identity-based authorisation decision. machine identity management is the companion discipline — a Zero Trust IAM platform that does not treat workloads as first-class identities will leave a gap that adversaries find within a year. READY TO MOVE BEYOND PERIMETER IAM?SecurePass implements Zero Trust identity natively — phishing-resistant auth, continuous verification, unified human and machine identity policy. Explore SecurePass converged identity platform or Contact eMudhra team. Tags: Identity and Access Management Machine & Agentic Identity About the Author eMudhra Limited eMudhra Editorial represents the collective voice of eMudhra, providing expert insights on the latest trends in digital security, cryptographic identities, and digital transformation. Our team of industry specialists curates and delivers thought-provoking content aimed at helping businesses navigate the evolving landscape of cybersecurity and trust services with confidence.