Integrating COBIT 2019 with Zero Trust Architecture: A Strategic Approach to GRC in Cybersecurity

Abstract

This paper is the first to show a shared security governance model that combines CO-BIT 2019 for strategic oversight and ZTA for tactical, real-time enforcement. This model addresses the poor performance of traditional GRC and perimeter security that cannot handle distributed clouds and sophisticated insider attacks. We posit that the objective of COBIT strong governance could be operationalized with ZTA’s “never trust, always ver-ify” principles. The present study illustrates the integration by linking COBIT’s process domains (EDM, APO, BAI, DSS, MEA) to the core ZTA pillars (Identities, Devices, Networks, Applications, Data). This mapping provides confirmation that ZTA is a practical mech-anism for control assurance that enables organizations to take a strong, risk-sensitive, and compliant posture within a changing digital environment.