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PIOLINK (CEO Young-chul Cho) announced the successful registration of patents in South Korea, the United States, and Japan for its micro-segmentation technology implemented via the company's TiFRONT security switches. The patent is formally titled "Method for Implementing Zero Trust Role-Based Microsegmentation Based on Network Switch and Network Controller and Access Switch Using the Same."

The patented technology enables the network infrastructure itself to enforce Zero Trust-based micro-segmentation — without requiring agent installation or additional security appliances. Its recognition across multiple jurisdictions underscores both the novelty and practical value of the approach. Because the solution works by upgrading existing L2/L3 switches into security switches, it significantly reduces deployment complexity and cost, offering a realistic and cost-effective alternative for organizations preparing to transition to South Korea's National Network Security Framework (N2SF).

N2SF mandates logical network separation and Zero Trust-based access control. This technology addresses those requirements directly by implementing endpoint control and micro-segmentation at the network layer — enabling organizations to build an N2SF-ready foundation without overhauling their existing infrastructure.

PIOLINK's Zero Trust solution, TiFRONT ZT, puts this patented technology into practice through a two-component architecture: TiController ZT, the central policy decision and management system (PDP), segments the network based on user roles and endpoint profiles to establish granular access policies; security switches then act as policy enforcement points (PEP), blocking and quarantining anomalous endpoints in real time. Even if ransomware or malware infiltrates the environment, the solution stops lateral movement within the internal network and contains the blast radius of any breach — effectively delivering the "separation and isolation" principle required by N2SF alongside the principle of least privilege central to the Zero Trust security model.

A key advantage is the agentless architecture, which allows uniform security policy enforcement across unmanaged endpoints — including printers, IP cameras, IoT devices, and OT equipment. To further reduce the operational burden on administrators, TiFRONT ZT also incorporates AI-driven micro-segmentation: the AI analyzes communication patterns and inter-resource correlations across endpoints to automatically recommend network segments, automate policy creation and pre-validation, and trigger isolation of threat endpoints — significantly reducing the complexity of operating a Zero Trust environment at scale.

"Many organizations recognize the need to adopt N2SF and Zero Trust, but remain concerned about implementation costs and operational complexity," said Young-chul Cho, CEO of PIOLINK. "By simply replacing aging switches with security switches, organizations can achieve endpoint control and micro-segmentation — making TiFRONT ZT the most practical and cost-effective N2SF transition path."

TiFRONT ZT is a Zero Trust platform that delivers user and endpoint identification, role-based micro-segmentation, multi-layered internal defense, and complete network visibility. PIOLINK continues to expand its deployment footprint across public-sector agencies, educational institutions, and enterprises. 

TiFRONT ZT Security Switch: Resource Connection Status by Client (Topology Map) 

• Patent Title: Method for Implementing Zero Trust Role-Based Microsegmentation Based on Network Switch and Network Controller and Access Switch Using the Same
  
• Patent Numbers: Korea (KR 10-2969005) · United States (US 12,652,318) · Japan (JP 7850328)