How can you navigate in the jungle of Zero Trust buzzwords without reading to much product marketing?

Follow the "real" Zero Trust leaders and learn from them how to understand and implement Zero Trust.

And if you need a "map" to navigate your Zero Trust Journey, feel free to check out the recent Podcasts below.

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John Kindervag — The Godfather of Zero Trust

Creator of the Zero Trust model while at Forrester Research

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Major Accomplishments:

- Created and defined the foundational Zero Trust framework

- Member of the U.S. President’s NSTAC Zero Trust sub-committee

- Chief Evangelist at Illumio, driving Zero Trust awareness

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Sources-Examples:

‍https://www.illumio.com/blog/john-kindervag-shares-zero-trusts-origin-story

https://www.wwt.com/blog/a-ctos-interview-with-the-godfather-of-zero-trust

https://www.illumio.com/blog/john-kindervag-on-what-security-leaders-are-still-missing-about-zero-trust

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Recent Podcasts and upcoming Webinar:

Zero Trust, Terrain, and Holding the High Ground (to find your map)

‍https://www.illumio.com/podcast/zero-trust-mapped-and-matured

‍https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/16947/649704

No Trust Podcast: Origins, Evolution, and the Realities of Zero Trust — with John Kindervag & Dr. Zero Trust ‍

No Trust Podcast: A Conversation with the Godfather of Zero Trust — John Kindervag (with Jaye Tillson and John Spiegel)

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LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kindervag-40572b1/

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Community:

https://zerotrustforum.net/

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Dr. Chase Cunningham — aka ‘Dr. Zero Trust’

Former Forrester analyst and cybersecurity expert with decades of operational experience in NSA,
US Navy, FBI Cyber, and other government mission groups.

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Major Accomplishments:

- Continued the Forrester Research on Zero Trust (The Zero Trust eXtended ZTX)

- Author and host of the “Dr. Zero Trust” podcast series

- Frequent keynote speaker and podcast guest

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Sources-Examples:

https://www.illumio.com/podcast/practicing-zero-trust-and-adopting-assume-breach

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Books:

- "gAbrIel" - A Novel in the gAbrIel Series (2021)

- "How NOT to Lead" (2024)

- "BuytheBreach" (2025)

- "Think like an Attacker" (2025)

- "vARIable" - The Latest Installment In The gAbrIel Series (2025)

- "THE NO BULLSH*T MARKETING GUIDE FOR ZERO TRUST" (2025)

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Recent Podcasts and the upcoming Zero Trust Implementation Workshop in Zurich:

https://www.illumio.com/podcast/zero-trust-mapped-and-matured

No Trust Podcast: Origins, Evolution, and the Realities of Zero Trust — with John Kindervag & Dr. Zero Trust

Zero Trust Implementation Workshop on Nov, 6, 2025

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LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-chase-cunningham/

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Community:

https://www.patreon.com/drzerotrust

‍https://zerotrustforum.net/

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George Finney — Bestselling Author, CISO, Educator

Award-winning author, cybersecurity leader, and storytelling evangelist

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Major Accomplishments:

- “Project Zero Trust: A Story about a Strategy for Aligning Security and the Business” (with foreword by John Kindervag)

- CISO@ Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex

- Frequent keynote speaker and podcast guest

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Sources-Examples:

‍https://wellawaresecurity.com/

https://www.illumio.com/podcast/unpacking-zero-trust-in-higher-education

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Books:

- "Well Aware" (2020)

- "Project Zero Trust” (2023)

- “No More Magic Wands" (2016)

- "Rise of the Machines" (2025)

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LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgefinney/

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There are also some further great Zero Trust voices to follow on LinkedIn:

- Jennifer Minella

- Jason Garbis‍

- Jerry Chapman

- Christopher Steffen

- Paul Simmonds

- Jaye Tillson

- John Spiegel

- Erik Johnson

- Peter HJ van Eijk

- Moshe Ferber

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