- zero trust.png (73.12 KiB) Viewed 12 times
## *The Garden Where Only the Worthy May Enter*
---
##
A WHISPER FROM THE GARDEN...*The Book of Access, Genesis 1:1*
> *"In the beginning, there was the Network. And the Network was open. And it was... terrifying.*
>
> *Passwords roamed free like serpents. Anyone with credentials could enter. 'Trust but verify' they said. But trust was the original sin.*
>
> *Then the Gardeners planted Eden. And they spoke the sacred words:*
>
> ***'NEVER TRUST. ALWAYS VERIFY.'***
>
> *And the worthy rejoiced. And the unworthy... were cast out."*
---
#
**ZEROTRUST** ### *"The Network is Not Your Friend. We Are."*
---
##
THE ORIGINAL SIN: PERIMETER-BASED SECURITY*Scene: A typical corporate network, circa 2019*
###
THE OLD KINGDOM | OUTSIDE THE WALLS |
FIREWALL | INSIDE THE WALLS ||:------------------|:-------------:|:-----------------|
|
Hackers | 
| 
"Trusted" Users ||
Malware | | "Trusted" Devices ||
Spies | | "Trusted" Everyone || **"KEEP OUT!"** | | **"WELCOME FRIEND!"** |
>
*"What could go wrong?"*---
**PLOT TWIST:** The serpent was ALREADY inside.
###
REALITY CHECK | Threat | Result |
|:-------|:-------|
|
Compromised employee laptop? | → **FULL ACCESS** ||
Phished credentials? | → **FULL ACCESS** ||
Disgruntled employee? | → **FULL ACCESS** ||
Malware on "trusted" device? | → **FULL ACCESS** ||
Contractor with VPN? | → **FULL ACCESS** |> *"But they were INSIDE the firewall!"*
>
>
**Everything burns** ---
##
THE NEW WAY FORWARD: SECRET EDENIn Secret Eden, there IS no "inside" or "outside."
**Every access request is treated like a stranger at the garden gate.**
---
- zero trust1.png (74.73 KiB) Viewed 12 times
SECRET EDEN > *Where IDENTITY is the new perimeter, and TRUST is earned, NEVER assumed.*
---
###
THE GATE **Questions asked at every access:**
1. "Who are you?"
2. "What device?"
3. "Why are you here?"
4. "Are you worthy?"
**Possible outcomes:**
| Decision | Meaning |
|:---------|:--------|
|
**PASS** | Worthy — Access granted ||
**LIMIT** | Suspect — Limited access ||
**DENY** | Serpent — Cast out |---
##
THE THREE PILLARS OF EDEN###
Pillar 1: VERIFY EXPLICITLY> *"Papers, please. And I mean ALL the papers."*
Every access request must prove:
- **WHO** you are (identity verification)
- **WHAT** device you're using (device posture)
- **WHERE** you're coming from (location/network)
- **WHEN** you're asking (time-based policies)
- **WHY** you need access (least privilege)
###
Pillar 2: LEAST PRIVILEGE ACCESS> *"You may enter the garden, but you may NOT touch the forbidden fruit."*
###
OLD WAY vs EDEN WAY**OLD:** "You're an employee? Here's access to EVERYTHING!"
**EDEN:** "You're a developer? You may access:"
-
dev-servers-
git-repos-
ci-cd pipeline-
production databases *(FORBIDDEN FRUIT!)*-
financial systems *(NOT YOUR TREE!)*-
HR records *(STAY IN YOUR LANE!)*###
Pillar 3: ASSUME BREACH> *"The serpent might already be here. Act accordingly."*
Every session is monitored. Every action is logged. Every anomaly triggers an alert.
**Because in Eden, we learned our lesson about trusting serpents.**
---
##
THE ALL-SEEING GARDENER###
ZEROTRUST COMMAND CENTER
- zero trust2.png (45.34 KiB) Viewed 12 times
####
IDENTITY VERIFICATION**
daniel@company.com**-
MFA: Verified (TOTP + Biometric)-
Provider: Azure AD (SAML 2.0)-
Groups: Developers, SRE-Team-
Session: Valid for 8 more hours---
####
DEVICE POSTURE SCORE**MacBook-Pro-Daniel**
| Check | Status |
|:------|:-------|
| Overall Score | **87/100**
HEALTHY || OS Version |
macOS 14.2 (Latest) || Disk Encryption |
FileVault ENABLED || Firewall |
System firewall ACTIVE || Antivirus/EDR |
CrowdStrike RUNNING || Screen Lock |
Enabled (5 min timeout) || Security Patch |
3 days overdue (minor) || Jailbreak |
NOT detected || Certificate |
Device cert VALID |---
####
ACCESS DECISION**Requesting:** prod-database-cluster
**Policy:** "Critical Infrastructure Access"
**Decision:**
**DENIED****Reason:** User group "Developers" not in allowed groups. Required: "Database-Admins" or "SRE-Senior"
>
*"Nice try, serpent. The forbidden fruit stays forbidden."*---
##
THE SIX IDENTITY PROVIDERS (The Council of Verification)| Provider | Icon | Use Case | Status |
|----------|------|----------|--------|
| **Local Directory** |
| Small teams, standalone | SUPPORTED || **LDAP/Active Directory** |
| Enterprise Windows environments | SUPPORTED || **SAML 2.0** |
| Okta, Azure AD, OneLogin | SUPPORTED || **OpenID Connect** |
| Google, Auth0, Keycloak | SUPPORTED || **RADIUS** |
| Network equipment, legacy | SUPPORTED || **X.509 Certificates** |
| Device certificates, mutual TLS | SUPPORTED |- zero trust3.png (66.63 KiB) Viewed 12 times
THE COUNCIL OF VERIFICATION| Provider | What it asks |
|:---------|:-------------|
|
Local | "Who are you?" ||
LDAP | "Check the AD records" ||
SAML | "Okta says OK" ||
OIDC | "Google says OK" ||
RADIUS | "The network says OK" ||
X.509 | "Show me your papers" |---
##
THE TEN POSTURE CHECKS (The Health Inspection)Your device must pass the **Garden Health Inspection** before entering Eden:
| Check | What We Look For | Why It Matters | Icon |
|-------|-----------------|----------------|------|
| **OS Version** | Latest or N-1 | Old systems = known vulnerabilities |
|| **Disk Encryption** | BitLocker/FileVault ON | Lost device ≠ lost data |
|| **Firewall** | System firewall active | First line of defense |
|| **Antivirus/EDR** | Running & updated | Catch the serpents |
|| **Screen Lock** | Enabled, short timeout | Unattended device = danger |
|| **Jailbreak/Root** | NOT detected | Compromised OS = compromised you |
|| **Device Certificate** | Valid & not revoked | Prove you're managed |
|| **Security Patches** | Within 7 days | Patch your stuff! |
|| **Geolocation** | Expected country/region | Why is your laptop in Narnia? |
|| **Network Type** | Trusted networks only | Coffee shop WiFi =
| 
|### The Posture Score Formula
###
POSTURE SCORE BREAKDOWN**100 points total, distributed as:**
| Check | Points | Note |
|:------|:------:|:-----|
|
OS Version | 15 pts | ||
Disk Encryption | 15 pts | Critical! ||
Firewall | 10 pts | ||
Antivirus/EDR | 15 pts | Critical! ||
Screen Lock | 5 pts | ||
No Jailbreak | 10 pts | ||
Device Certificate | 10 pts | ||
Security Patches | 10 pts | ||
Geolocation | 5 pts | ||
Network Type | 5 pts | |**Score Thresholds:**
| Score | Status | Result |
|:------|:-------|:-------|
|
80-100 | HEALTHY | Full access granted ||
60-79 | DEGRADED | Limited access, fix issues ||
0-59 | UNHEALTHY | Access denied, heal thyself |---
##
THE FIVE DEFAULT POLICIES (The Laws of Eden)###
Policy 1: Critical Infrastructure Access> *"Only the High Priests may tend the Sacred Servers"*
####
CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE ACCESS| Setting | Value |
|:--------|:------|
| **WHO:** | Admins, SRE-Senior |
| **WHAT:** | prod-servers, databases, k8s-clusters |
| **POSTURE:** | Minimum 90/100 |
| **MFA:** | REQUIRED (hardware key preferred) |
| **LOCATION:** | Office network OR approved VPN |
| **TIME:** | Business hours only (emergency override) |
>
*"Touch the production database without permission, and you shall be cast out of Eden forever."*---
###
Policy 2: Developer Access> *"The builders may access their workshops"*
####
DEVELOPER ACCESS| Setting | Value |
|:--------|:------|
| **WHO:** | Developers, DevOps |
| **WHAT:** | dev-servers, git-repos, ci-cd |
| **POSTURE:** | Minimum 70/100 |
| **MFA:** | REQUIRED |
| **LOCATION:** | Any (we trust our devs... mostly) |
| **TIME:** | 24/7 (creativity doesn't sleep) |
>
*"Build, create, deploy. But stay in your garden."*---
###
Policy 3: Remote Worker Access> *"The nomads may access the oasis"*
####
REMOTE WORKER ACCESS| Setting | Value |
|:--------|:------|
| **WHO:** | All Employees |
| **WHAT:** | email, teams, sharepoint, intranet |
| **POSTURE:** | Minimum 60/100 |
| **MFA:** | REQUIRED |
| **LOCATION:** | Any country (except sanctioned) |
| **TIME:** | 24/7 |
>
*"Work from the beach. Just secure your coconut."*---
###
Policy 4: Contractor/Guest Limited> *"The visitors may look, but not touch"*
####
CONTRACTOR LIMITED ACCESS| Setting | Value |
|:--------|:------|
| **WHO:** | Contractors, External partners |
| **WHAT:** | guest-wifi, specific project folders ONLY |
| **POSTURE:** | Minimum 50/100 |
| **MFA:** | REQUIRED |
| **LOCATION:** | Office network only |
| **TIME:** | Business hours only |
| **EXPIRES:** | Contract end date |
>
*"Welcome to Eden. Here's your visitor badge. Don't wander off the path."*---
###
Policy 5: Block Unmanaged Devices> *"No serpents allowed"*
####
BLOCK UNMANAGED DEVICES| Setting | Value |
|:--------|:------|
| **WHO:** | Unknown devices, BYOD without enrollment |
| **WHAT:** | NOTHING. ZERO. NADA. |
| **POSTURE:** | N/A (we don't trust you enough to check) |
| **MFA:** | N/A (you're not even getting that far) |
>
*"We don't know you. We don't trust you. Come back with a managed device or don't come back."*---
##
THE TWELVE PROTECTED RESOURCES (The Sacred Groves)###
Critical (High Priests Only)| Resource | What It Is | Who Can Enter |
|----------|-----------|---------------|
|
`prod-servers` | Production infrastructure | Admins, SRE-Senior ||
`databases` | Customer data, the crown jewels | Database-Admins ||
`k8s-clusters` | Kubernetes production | SRE, Platform-Team |###
High (Senior Gardeners)| Resource | What It Is | Who Can Enter |
|----------|-----------|---------------|
|
`dev-servers` | Development environment | Developers ||
`git-repos` | Source code repositories | Developers, DevOps ||
`ci-cd` | Build and deployment pipelines | DevOps |###
Medium (Garden Workers)| Resource | What It Is | Who Can Enter |
|----------|-----------|---------------|
|
`staging` | Pre-production testing | Developers, QA ||
`email` | Corporate email | All Employees ||
`sharepoint` | Document storage | All Employees |###
Low (Visitors Welcome)| Resource | What It Is | Who Can Enter |
|----------|-----------|---------------|
|
`teams` | Chat and collaboration | All Employees ||
`intranet` | Company news and resources | All Employees ||
`guest-wifi` | Internet access only | Guests, Contractors |---
##
THE DASHBOARD OF VIGILANCE###
SECRET EDEN COMMAND CENTER ---
####
TODAY'S GARDEN REPORT| Metric | Value | Note |
|:-------|:-----:|:-----|
|
**Active Sessions** | 47 | All healthy ||
**Today's Logins** | 234 | ↑ 12% vs yesterday ||
**Blocked Attempts** | 18 | Serpents repelled! ||
**Policy Violations** | 3 | Review needed ||
**Average Posture** | 84/100 | Garden is HEALTHY ||
**MFA Adoption** | 94% | 
Up from 87% last month |---
####
RECENT SERPENT SIGHTINGS (Blocked Access Attempts)| Time | Who | What Happened |
|:-----|:----|:--------------|
|
14:32 | unknown@external.com | Tried prod-database → DENIED: Not a garden member ||
13:47 | john@company.com | Jailbroken iPhone → DENIED: Device posture failed ||
11:23 | sarah@company.com | From North Korea → DENIED: Sanctioned location *"Sarah, we need to talk..."* ||
09:15 | contractor@vendor.com | After contract expired → DENIED: Session expired 
*"Your time in Eden has ended"* |---
##
HOW TO ENTER SECRET EDEN###
Step 1: Find the Garden GateNavigate to **WHM → Plugins → QHTLink Firewall → ★ Star Family → ZeroTrust**
###
Step 2: Choose Your Mode| Mode | Icon | Behavior |
|------|------|----------|
| **Monitor** |
| Watch everything, block nothing. Learning mode. || **Enforce** |
| Apply policies, but allow overrides. Soft launch. || **Strict** |
| No exceptions. The serpent shall not pass. |###
Step 3: Connect Your Identity Provider####
CONNECT IDENTITY PROVIDERSelect your provider:
- ○
Local Directory (built-in)- ○
LDAP / Active Directory- ●
SAML 2.0 (Okta, Azure AD) ← SELECTED- ○
OpenID Connect- ○
RADIUS- ○
X.509 CertificatesThen click **[Configure Provider Settings...]**
###
Step 4: Define Your Sacred PoliciesClick **"+ Create Policy"** and craft your access rules.
###
Step 5: The Sacred Commands```bash
#
Witness the garden statussudo qhtl-starlinkgate zerotrust status
#
Enable enforcement modesudo qhtl-starlinkgate zerotrust mode enforce
#
Go full strict (no mercy)sudo qhtl-starlinkgate zerotrust mode strict
#
List active sessionssudo qhtl-starlinkgate zerotrust sessions list
#
Terminate a suspicious sessionsudo qhtl-starlinkgate zerotrust sessions kill session_id_here
```
---
##
THE TREE OF SESSIONS (Active Connections)###
ACTIVE SESSIONS ---
**
daniel@company.com**| Device |
MacBook-Pro-Daniel | iPhone-Daniel ||:-------|:---------------------|:-----------------|
|
Location | Manchester, UK | Manchester, UK ||
Posture | 87/100 | 92/100 ||
MFA | TOTP Verified | Biometric Verified ||
Session Age | 4h 23m | 1h 12m ||
Accessing | dev-servers, git-repos | email, teams || Status |
**HEALTHY** | **HEALTHY** |---
**
sarah@company.com**| Device |
ThinkPad-Sarah ||:-------|:-----------------|
|
Location | London, UK ||
Posture | 65/100 ||
Issue | Antivirus definitions outdated ||
MFA | TOTP Verified ||
Session Age | 6h 45m ||
Accessing | email (LIMITED - posture degraded) || Status |
**DEGRADED** |---
**
bob@contractor.net**| Device |
Unknown-Windows ||:-------|:-----------------|
|
Location | ??? ||
Posture | UNVERIFIED ||
MFA | Not configured ||
Attempting | prod-servers || Status |
**BLOCKED** || Message |
*"Nice try, serpent."* |---
##
WISDOM FROM THE GARDEN (Pro Tips)###
**Garden Tip #1: Start in Monitor Mode**> Don't go full strict on day one. Watch. Learn. Understand your traffic patterns. Then gradually tighten. Rome wasn't built in a day, and Eden wasn't secured in an hour.
###
**Garden Tip #2: The Jailbreak Trap**> That one developer who jailbroke their iPhone "for testing"? Yeah, they're blocked now. Jailbroken/rooted devices are security nightmares. No exceptions. Even for Steve from Engineering who "knows what he's doing."
###
**Garden Tip #3: The Contractor Countdown**> Set expiration dates on contractor access. When the contract ends, the access ends. Automatically. No "oops, forgot to revoke" situations. The garden remembers.
###
**Garden Tip #4: The Coffee Shop Conundrum**> Your sales team loves working from coffee shops. Coffee shop WiFi is basically a hacker convention. Solution: Require VPN + higher posture score for untrusted networks. Let them have their lattes, but securely.
###
**Garden Tip #5: The "My Kid Used My Laptop" Scenario**> Device posture checks catch weird stuff. Like when suddenly a "work laptop" has TikTok installed and the screen lock is disabled. Something's fishy. Eden notices.
---
##
THE CELESTIAL HIERARCHY (Star Family)###
NETWORK INTERFACE — "THE GARDEN GATE"
###
XDP LAYER — "The Vigilant Gardeners"|
STARLINKGATE | SUPERSTAR | APPSHIELD | 
STARVPN | ZEROTRUST ||:----------------|:-------------|:-------------|:-----------|:-------------|
| Core Engine | GeoIP + IPS + ML | L7 Control | Quantum Tunnel | Identity Garden |
###
Verified & Protected###
Your Protected Server (Secret Eden)---
##
THE SACRED SCROLLS (Configuration)| Scroll | Location | Purpose |
|--------|----------|---------|
|
Main Config | `/etc/starlinkgate/zerotrust.conf` | Core ZTNA settings ||
Providers | `/etc/starlinkgate/zerotrust.providers` | Identity provider configs ||
Posture Rules | `/etc/starlinkgate/zerotrust.posture` | Device health requirements ||
Policies | `/etc/starlinkgate/zerotrust.policies` | Access policies ||
Resources | `/etc/starlinkgate/zerotrust.resources` | Protected resources ||
Sessions | `/var/lib/starlinkgate/zerotrust/sessions/` | Active session data |---
##
THE SERPENT'S LAMENT (What Attackers Now Face)*A poem from a frustrated hacker:*
---
###
The Serpent's Lament > I used to slip through firewalls with ease,
> Just needed a password, a simple squeeze.
> "Trust but verify" — what a joke!
> I verified nothing, and never got blocked.
>
> But then came Eden, that cursed gate,
> Where every access must demonstrate:
> "Who are you? What device? Where from?"
> My phished credentials? Rendered dumb.
>
> My stolen laptop wouldn't pass,
> Posture score zero — kicked on the grass.
> My spoofed location? They checked my IP.
> My rootkit? Detected by EDR, you see.
>
> The MFA prompt — I had no token.
> My old exploits? Completely broken.
> No more "inside" means "trusted friend."
> This zero trust... might be my end.
>
> So here I sit, outside the gate,
> Cursing Eden, cursing my fate.
> They never trust, they always verify.
> And I, the serpent, can only cry.
>
> *— Anonymous (Blocked IP: 185.220.101.xxx)*
---
##
FINAL PROCLAMATION*The Book of Access, Final Chapter:*
> *"And the Gardeners looked upon Eden and saw that it was secure.*
>
> *Every identity verified. Every device inspected. Every access logged.*
>
> *The serpents hissed at the gate, but they could not enter. Their phished credentials were useless. Their compromised laptops rejected. Their lateral movement... impossible.*
>
> *For in Secret Eden, there is no 'inside.' There is no 'trusted.' There is only VERIFIED or DENIED.*
>
> *And the administrators slept soundly, knowing that the forbidden fruit remained untouched.*
>
> *Forever and ever.*
>
> *Amen."*
---
##
ENTER THE GARDEN. EMBRACE THE TRUTH.```bash
sudo qhtl-starlinkgate zerotrust enable --mode=enforce
```
**Never Trust. Always Verify. Welcome to Secret Eden.**
---
###
**QHTLINK STAR FAMILY***Security at the Speed of Light*
###
**ZEROTRUST** *"The Network is a Jungle. Eden is Your Sanctuary."*
*"Trust no one. Verify everyone. Protect everything."*
---
*
Transmission from Secret Eden | Classification: GARDEN MEMBERS ONLY | December 2025 *---
##
APPENDIX: THE GARDEN BY THE NUMBERS###
SECRET EDEN STATISTICS| Metric | Value |
|:-------|------:|
|
Identity Providers Supported | 6 ||
Device Posture Checks | 10 ||
Default Policies | 5 ||
Resource Categories | 4 ||
MFA Methods Supported | 7 ||
Serpents Blocked Today | 18 ||
Garden Health Score | 94/100 ||
Peace of Mind | ∞ |*May your identities be verified and your access be justified.*
