Zentra Security Whitepaper
Enterprise Identity Platform — Security Architecture & Compliance
Security-first identity infrastructure designed for SaaS and distributed systems.
Executive Summary
You build your product. Zentra secures your identity layer.
Zero Trust Architecture
Never trust, always verify. Every request is validated; no implicit trust at the perimeter.
Token-Based Authentication
OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect with JWT access tokens, refresh token rotation, and PKCE for public clients.
Vendor Independence
Self-hosted identity layer. No lock-in; full control over data, keys, and deployment.
Compliance Readiness
Designed with SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, and ISO 27001 in mind. Audit trails, encryption, and access controls.
Defense in Depth
Layered security: CSP, parameterized queries, SameSite cookies, short-lived tokens, and OWASP mitigations.
Protocol & Standards
Enterprise-grade OAuth 2.0 & OpenID Connect without vendor lock-in.
OAuth 2.0
RFC 6749
OpenID Connect 1.0
OIDC Core
PKCE
RFC 7636
JWT
RFC 7519
JWK
RFC 7517
Token Introspection
RFC 7662
Token Security Model
Security controls built into the token lifecycle and validation stack.
RS256 / ES256 Signing
Asymmetric signing for JWT access tokens. No shared secrets; public key validation via JWKS.
Short-Lived Tokens
Access tokens under 15 minutes. Reduces exposure window and enforces refresh flow.
Refresh Token Rotation
Single-use refresh tokens with rotation. Compromise detection and automatic invalidation.
Device Isolation
Refresh tokens bound to device or session. Prevents token replay across contexts.
JWKS Endpoint
Public key distribution for stateless JWT validation at API gateways and resource servers.
Introspection Endpoint
RFC 7662 token introspection for opaque tokens or centralized validation.
OWASP Mitigation
How Zentra addresses common OWASP Top 10 risks in the identity layer.
| OWASP Risk | Mitigation |
|---|---|
| Injection | Parameterized queries |
| Broken Authentication | PKCE + refresh token rotation |
| XSS | CSP + encoding |
| CSRF | SameSite + anti-forgery |
| Replay | Single-use auth codes |
Zero Trust
Identity layer designed around zero-trust principles.
Never Trust, Always Verify
Every request is authenticated and authorized. No implicit trust at the network perimeter.
Service-to-Service JWT Validation
APIs and microservices validate JWTs via JWKS or introspection. No bypass for internal calls.
Explicit Scope Enforcement
Access is granted only for requested scopes. Principle of least privilege at the token level.
Continuous Session Validation
Short-lived access tokens and refresh rotation ensure sessions are re-validated regularly.
Zero Trust architecture diagram
Placeholder for future diagram: Policy Engine → Token Service → Resource Validation
Compliance Mapping
How Zentra aligns with major enterprise and regulatory frameworks.
SOC 2
Access controls, audit logging, encryption in transit, and change management alignment.
GDPR
Data minimization, purpose limitation, and data sovereignty via self-hosted deployment.
HIPAA
Technical safeguards for ePHI: access controls, audit trails, and encryption considerations.
ISO 27001
Information security management alignment: risk treatment, policies, and controls.
PCI DSS
Strong access control and identification for systems that may touch cardholder data.
CCPA
Consumer rights and data handling practices supported by audit and access controls.
Security Roadmap
Planned security and compliance enhancements.
Near Term
- Rate limiting
- Token encryption at rest
- Health endpoints
Medium Term
- Distributed tracing
- Automated key rotation
- Risk-based authentication
Long Term
- Federation (SAML)
- Adaptive authentication
- Compliance automation
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