(PDF Download) Zero Trust Access For Dummies, Fortinet Special Edition Lawrence Miller Fulll Chapter
(PDF Download) Zero Trust Access For Dummies, Fortinet Special Edition Lawrence Miller Fulll Chapter
(PDF Download) Zero Trust Access For Dummies, Fortinet Special Edition Lawrence Miller Fulll Chapter
com
https://ebookmass.com/product/zero-trust-
access-for-dummies-fortinet-special-edition-
lawrence-miller/
ebookmass.com
More products digital (pdf, epub, mobi) instant
download maybe you interests ...
https://ebookmass.com/product/oracle-autonomous-database-for-
dummies-3rd-special-edition-lawrence-miller/
https://ebookmass.com/product/cissp-for-dummies-7th-edition-
lawrence-c-miller/
https://ebookmass.com/product/privileged-access-management-for-
dummies-delinea-special-edition-joseph-carson/
https://ebookmass.com/product/zero-trust-an-introduction-1st-
edition-tom-madsen/
Water Treatment For Dummies®, 2nd WQA Special Edition
Dummies
https://ebookmass.com/product/water-treatment-for-dummies-2nd-
wqa-special-edition-dummies/
https://ebookmass.com/product/zero-waste-cooking-for-dummies-1st-
edition-rosanne-rust/
https://ebookmass.com/product/access-for-dummies-laurie-a-ulrich/
https://ebookmass.com/product/5g-beyond-for-dummies-larry-miller/
https://ebookmass.com/product/investing-in-dividends-for-
dummies-2nd-edition-lawrence-carrel/
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
Zero Trust
Access
Fortinet Special Edition
by Lawrence Miller
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
Zero Trust Access For Dummies®, Fortinet Special Edition
Published by
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
111 River St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2022 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise,
except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without
the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be
addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ
07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Trademarks: Wiley, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, The Dummies Way, Dummies.com,
Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not
be used without written permission. Fortinet is a registered trademark of Fortinet, Inc. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., is not associated
with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
For general information on our other products and services, or how to create a custom For
Dummies book for your business or organization, please contact our Business Development
Department in the U.S. at 877-409-4177, contact [email protected], or visit www.wiley.com/
go/custompub. For information about licensing the For Dummies brand for products or services,
contact BrandedRights&[email protected].
ISBN 978-1-119- 85984-0 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119- 85985-7 (ebk)
Publisher’s Acknowledgments
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the
following:
Project Manager: Jen Bingham Editorial Manager: Rev Mengle
Acquisitions Editor: Ashley Coffey Content Refinement Specialist:
Mohammed Zafar
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
Introduction
A
s businesses continue to embrace digital innovation, cloud
applications, and the new work-from-anywhere normal,
enterprise networks have become far more complicated
and dispersed with an ever growing number of edges. As a result,
the network perimeter has all but disappeared. As more people
and devices connect to the network from more places, the tradi-
tional perimeter-based approach to security — protecting the
trusted corporate network from the untrusted internet — has
become increasingly ineffective.
Foolish Assumptions
It’s been said that most assumptions have outlived their useless-
ness, but this book assumes a few things nonetheless! Mainly,
that you’re a chief information officer (CIO), chief information
security officer (CISO), vice president, architect, engineer, or
administrator working on an enterprise security, networking, or
infrastructure team. As such, this book is written primarily for
technical readers with at least a basic understanding of security
and networking technologies and challenges.
Introduction 1
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
Icons Used in This Book
Throughout this book, you will see special icons that call attention
to important information. Here’s what to expect.
This icon explains the jargon beneath the jargon and is the stuff
legends — well, legendary nerds — are made of.
These alerts point out the stuff your mother warned you about
(well, probably not, but they do offer practical advice to help you
avoid potentially costly or frustrating mistakes.)
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
IN THIS CHAPTER
»» Recognizing modern threats
Chapter 1
Understanding the Need
for Zero Trust
I
n this chapter, you learn how threat actors take advantage of
the disappearing network perimeter and expanding attack sur-
face to bypass traditional access controls, and how zero trust
overcomes these challenges.
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
IDC predicts that by 2025 there will be 55.7 billion IoT-connected
modified devices worldwide.
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
To overcome the limitations of traditional access control, organi-
zations need a solution that provides:
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
But the perimeter-based approach to security has an inherent
drawback: It grants excessive implicit trust. Once you’re con-
nected, whether directly or using a VPN, you are then trusted
alongside the rest of the internal network.
Zero trust starts with a default deny posture for everyone and
everything — that is, zero trust. In a zero-trust model, whenever
a user or device requests access to a resource, their identity must
be verified before access is granted. Verification is based not only
on the identity of the user and/or device, but other attributes as
well, including context (such as date and time), geolocation, and
device security posture.
However, access is not a “one and done” deal. Just because a user
or device has been granted access to a resource doesn’t mean they
can roam about freely on the network. Access is granted at a very
granular level. It’s only given to the resource that is needed to
perform a specific function for a limited time — not the entire
network. A key element of the zero-trust model is that trust must
be continually re-evaluated. If important attributes of the user
or device change, the trust may be revoked and access to the
resource removed.
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
In addition to knowing who and what is on the network, ZTA
incorporates security for what is on the network. The ever-
growing number of network-connected devices now includes
IoT devices. These “headless” devices don’t have usernames and
passwords to identify themselves and their role on the network.
Instead, network access control (NAC) solutions can be used to
discover and control access for these devices. Using NAC policies,
the zero-trust principle of least access can be applied to these IoT
devices, granting sufficient network access to perform their role
and nothing more.
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
»» Increases visibility: You know who and what is connected
to the network at all times.
»» Extends security: Security can be extended beyond the
network with ZTNA. Unlike a VPN, which focuses exclusively
on the network layer, ZTNA goes up a layer, effectively
providing application security independent of the network.
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
IN THIS CHAPTER
»» Trusting your users with strong
authentication
Chapter 2
Establishing IAM as a
Foundation for Zero
Trust
T
he first step in securing your network resources with zero
trust access (ZTA) is to trust your users with verification
before granting access. In this chapter, you learn why iden-
tity and access management (IAM) is the cornerstone of ZTA, how
to manage privileged access on the network, and the role of role-
based access control (RBAC) in enforcing the principal of least
privilege.
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
However, organizations are at an increased risk from users that
connect to their networks with weak passwords. Because so many
online accounts today require user credentials, passwords are
often too simple or are reused across multiple accounts, making
them easy for attackers to compromise using exploits like phish-
ing and social engineering. Even when organizations require com-
plex passwords for their users, passwords alone aren’t enough.
Fast Identity Online (FIDO) provides the most secure and fast-
est login experiences for online applications and services. FIDO
supports both Universal Authentication Frameworks (UAF, that is
passwordless authentication) and Universal 2nd Factor (U2F, that is
universal two-factor authentication).
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
To support the evolving nature of work — including work-
from-home and work-from-anywhere in the wake of the global
pandemic — and the ongoing move to the cloud, organizations
need a better way to securely connect their employees to critical
business applications.
»» Data leakage
»» Unsecured Wi-Fi
»» Network spoofing
»» Unpatched vulnerabilities on rooted or jailbroken devices
»» Malware and spyware
»» Broken cryptography
»» Improper session handling
Finally, organizations are at risk when access permissions
are based on assumed trust of previously vetted devices. Many
organizations have been breached by former employees and con-
tractors. A lost or stolen device can reveal passwords that enable
a breach on the network. This is why a zero-trust approach to
security is so critical. As cybercriminals focus on compromising
the broad array of network devices, security teams need better
visibility and detection of every device connecting to the network.
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
and resources. It does this by connecting users’ online identities
across multiple domains and networks. Federated identity solves
several common access and security issues for organizations.
Organizations can manage user access and provide easy access to
applications by using security tools like MFA and single sign-on
(SSO). An example of federated access is an organization enabling
users to access partner websites, Active Directory, and web appli-
cations without having to log in every time.
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
as users rotate through different job roles (for example, due to
promotions or transfers), administrators can easily revoke the
permissions associated with the old role and assign permissions
associated with the new role. Active Directory frequently plays a
key role in RBAC administration.
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
UTILITY CO. ENHANCES SECURITY
ACROSS IT AND OT
INFRASTRUCTURE
Falu Energi & Vatten (Energy & Water) is a municipally owned utility
company with products and services spanning electricity, heating and
cooling, water, sewage, and recycling across the Swedish municipality
of Falun.
Challenges
Back in 2009, earlier than many other utility companies, Falu Energi &
Vatten realized both the potential and the necessity of digital transfor-
mation, embarking on a long-term project of modernization and digi-
tization of the myriad processes and tools underpinning its
operations.
For Falu Energi & Vatten, the first step in preparing for these changes
was the realization that its IT network and security infrastructure
would need a level of end-to-end visibility, control, and integration
that its previous firewall architecture was unable to provide.
Solutions
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
Business Impact
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
IN THIS CHAPTER
»» Exploring the evolving capabilities of EDR
Chapter 3
Leveraging EDR for
Zero Trust
E
ndpoints — including desktop and laptop computers, serv-
ers, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and more — comprise
the single largest attack vector in an enterprise IT environ-
ment. Attackers target endpoints because endpoint security is
generally less robust than security in the datacenter and day-to-
day security decisions on the endpoint — such as whether or not
to download and install an unknown file, open a potentially mali-
cious email attachment, or click on a suspicious link — are left to
the end user.
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
Looking at the Evolution of Endpoint
Detection and Response
Endpoint protection has traditionally been focused on prevent-
ing malware and other known threats from infecting a desktop
or laptop PC. For practically as long as these devices have been
around, users have been admonished to run antivirus software
and keep it up to date. Over the years, antivirus software evolved
into anti-malware software or Endpoint Protection Platforms
(EPP) to broadly encompass other forms of malware including
worms, trojans, spyware, rootkits, exploits, malicious scripts,
and more. While anti-malware tools have improved greatly since
their introduction, increasingly leveraging machine learning and
behavioral analytics to prevent both known and unknown threats
from infecting a PC, the unfortunate reality is that prevention
isn’t always possible.
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
»» Threat hunting: Advanced search capabilities and access to
forensic data enables proactive threat hunting in the
network environment.
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
»» Analysis of endpoint data in real time enables EDR to
diagnose threats quickly — even if they do not necessarily
match preconfigured threat parameters. Analysis also uses
forensic tools to examine the nature of the threat and
determine how the attack was executed after it has been
contained and eradicated.
Detection
When a threat evades the preventive controls on your endpoints
and breaches your network environment, rapid detection is criti-
cal to minimize damage. However, detection can be extremely
challenging, particularly when you are dealing with an advanced
threat that has already evaded your endpoint protection tools. EDR
uses continuous file analysis and cyberthreat intelligence to rap-
idly detect threats. EDR examines each file that interacts with the
endpoint and can flag any files that may present a threat. Cyber-
threat intelligence leverages a combination of artificial intelli-
gence (AI) and large repositories of past and currently evolving
threat data to detect threats that are targeting your endpoints.
Containment
Once a threat has been detected, EDR contains it using segmenta-
tion to prevent the threat from spreading across the network. This
involves isolating specific areas of the network so that a threat
can’t infiltrate adjacent network elements. However, this may not
be enough. Therefore, in addition to segmentation, an effective
EDR solution also contains the threat itself. Containment is par-
ticularly important when it comes to ransomware. Because ran-
somware can effectively hold an endpoint hostage, it needs to be
contained to prevent other endpoints from getting infected.
File testing
Sandboxing allows EDR to contain a threat within an environment
that is designed to simulate the conditions within a section of
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
your network for the purpose of understanding the nature of the
threat. Once the threat is confined to this safe and isolated area,
EDR closely monitors and analyzes the threat’s behavior. This
information can produce helpful, actionable insights that can be
used to improve the organization’s overall security posture and
can be conveyed to the cyberthreat intelligence system to help it
evolve to address future threats.
Elimination
While the other facets of EDR provide critical knowledge about the
threat, that information is useless if it isn’t employed to elimi-
nate it and similar threats in the future. The elimination process
depends on gathering critical information about the threat and
then using it to execute an action plan. For example, the system
has to figure out where the threat came from and where it went.
Information about the threat’s origin can be used to enhance future
security measures. The system also needs to pinpoint the applica-
tions and data the malicious file affected or tried to attack, as well
as whether the file has replicated itself to continue its attack.
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
IN THIS CHAPTER
»» Knowing what is connected to the
network
Chapter 4
Bringing Zero Trust to
Device Security
I
f cybercriminals were to write a book titled The Seven Habits of
Highly Effective Hackers, there would definitely be a chapter
called “Begin with the Endpoint in Mind.” Endpoints are a pre-
ferred initial attack vector for cybercriminals to gain access to
more valuable network resources. In this chapter, you learn how
to apply a zero-trust strategy to your device security.
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
The challenge in managing all these devices lies in their wide
deployment, the varying levels of device management, inconsis-
tent configuration controls, and the lack of support for standard
communication protocols in many legacy devices.
Attacks against IoT devices are increasing, and the scale and
impact of a successful IoT attack can be devastating. For exam-
ple, the Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency (CISA),
working with several industry security firms, recently discovered
a vulnerability in millions of IoT smart camera devices that allows
an attacker to gain access to the cameras, watch live video feeds,
and create botnets.
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
Ensuring Endpoint Visibility and Control
Network access control (NAC) solutions help organizations keep
up with the ever-expanding attack surface associated with the
proliferation of endpoints and devices on the network. NAC solu-
tions provide visibility into the network environment for enforce-
ment and dynamic policy control. Whether devices are connecting
from inside or outside the network, NAC solutions can automati-
cally respond to compromised devices or anomalous activity. With
NAC solutions, organizations can:
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
Attacks are more sophisticated and security analysts face increas-
ingly complex and fragmented security infrastructures with too
many point products from different vendors.
Challenges
Solutions
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
that would reduce risks and maintain an updated communications
infrastructure.
Business Impact
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
IN THIS CHAPTER
»» Recognizing the limitations of virtual
private networks
Chapter 5
Reimagining the VPN
with Zero Trust
A
lthough virtual private networks (VPNs) have become
commonplace, many organizations are now looking for
better solutions to securely connect their increasingly
remote and mobile workforces. In this chapter, you learn how
zero-trust network access (ZTNA) improves security, enables
more granular control, and delivers a better user experience than
traditional VPNs.
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
For organizations that rely on a traditional VPN to secure their
remote workers and home offices, there are many drawbacks
including:
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
Building a Secure Remote Connection
for Today’s Business
ZTNA offers a better remote access solution than traditional VPNs
and also addresses application access issues. ZTNA starts with the
premise that location doesn’t confer trust: Where a user or device
is physically located is irrelevant. Any user is capable of malicious
behavior and any device can be compromised. ZTNA is based on
this reality.
With ZTNA, once a user and device are properly authenticated — for
example, using a combination of multifactor authentication (MFA)
and endpoint validation — they can securely connect to the net-
work and be granted least privilege access to requested resources.
The principle of least privilege means the user and device can only
access those applications or resources that are needed to perform
an authorized task or function — and nothing else.
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
Today, there are two primary approaches to implementing ZTNA:
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
operating systems and use different consoles for management
and configuration, so establishing a zero-trust model across ven-
dors can be difficult or impossible.
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
»» Because ZTNA focuses on application access, it doesn’t
matter what network the user is on. ZTNA automatically
creates secure connections to applications, no matter where
the user is located. For every application session, ZTNA
verifies the security posture of both the user and device —
even when users are in the office.
»» ZTNA reduces the attack surface by hiding business-
critical applications from the internet. On the application
side, because the user is connecting back to the enforce-
ment point and then proxying that connection to the
application, the application can exist on premises or in a
cloud, all while hidden from the internet. The application
only needs to establish a connection with the enforcement
points, keeping them safe from cybercriminals.
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
IN THIS CHAPTER
»» Adjusting to the new work reality
Chapter 6
Extending Zero-Trust
Control Off-Net
I
n today’s networks, a user, device, or application could be con-
necting from anywhere, which changes the security paradigm.
The old, perimeter-based security model focused on location:
Where is the user connecting from? Where is the application
hosted? Where is the server installed? In this chapter, you learn
why security must evolve to protect users, devices, and applica-
tions wherever they’re located.
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
According to the Pew Research Center, 54 percent of employed
adults in a recent survey say that they want to work from home all
or most of the time when the COVID19 outbreak is over.
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
where they’re typically available, which allows users, regardless
of location, to take advantage of ZTNA, CASB, firewall as a ser-
vice (FWaaS), secure web gateway (SWG), and a variety of threat
detection functions.
Challenges
After the initial setup of the new remote-work model, many adaptations
were necessary to meet the employees’ technology demands, particu-
larly to define the user profiles and to ensure the secure access and the
proper application performance. Another challenge was operating their
softphone solution over the VPNs. Ensuring the performance of the
softphone solution was important because it integrated with the
customer relationship management (CRM) application the bank uses to
provide customer service and monitor customer experience.
(continued)
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
(continued)
Solutions
Business Impact
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
Zero trust access (ZTA), discussed in Chapter 2, focuses on role-
based access control (RBAC) to the network. Zero-trust network
access (ZTNA), discussed in Chapter 5, brokers user access to
applications.
One of the main reasons for the growing attack surface is the
proliferation of IoT and smart devices that are accessing the
network. Security teams often lack visibility into the deluge of
devices accessing their networks. A zero-trust approach empow-
ers organizations to identify and secure unknown IoT endpoints
and devices that access the network. Integrated endpoint vis-
ibility, granular control, advanced protection, and policy- and
context-based endpoint assessment capabilities work together
in a ZTA solution to ensure organizations are protected against
compromised devices.
These materials are © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
“Your reverend love should know that the lord Ep. 58. a.d. 796.
King Charles has often spoken to me of you in a
loving and trusting manner. You have in him an entirely most faithful
friend. Thus he sent messengers to Rome for the judgement of the
lord apostolic and Ethelhard the archbishop. To your love he sent
gifts worthy. To the several episcopal sees he sent gifts in alms for
himself and the lord apostolic, that you might order prayers to be
offered for them. Do you act faithfully, as you are wont to do with all
your friends.
“In like manner he sent gifts to King Æthelred and his episcopal
sees. But, alas for the grief! when the gifts and the letters were in the
hands of the messengers, the sad news came from those who had
returned from Scotia[111] by way of you, that the nation had revolted
and the king [Æthelred] was killed. King Charles withdrew his gifts,
so greatly was he enraged against the nation—‘that perfidious and
perverse nation,’ as he called them, ‘murderers of their own lords,’
holding them to be worse than pagans. Indeed, if I had not
interceded for them, whatever good thing he could have taken away
from them, whatever bad thing he could have contrived for them, he
would have done it.
“I was prepared to come to you with the king’s gifts, and to go
back to my fatherland.” This was from three to four years later than
his latest visit to our shores. “But it seemed to me better, for the sake
of peace for my nation, to remain abroad. I did not know what I could
do among them, where no one is safe, and no wholesome counsel is
of any avail. Look at the very holiest places devastated by pagans,
the altars fouled by perjuries, the monasteries violated by adulteries,
the earth stained with the blood of lords and princes. What else
could I do but groan with the prophet,[112] ‘Woe to the sinful nation, a
people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers; they have forsaken
the Lord, and blasphemed the holy Saviour of the world in their
wickedness.’ And if it be true, as we read in the letter of your dignity,
that the iniquity had its rise among the eldermen, where is safety and
fidelity to be hoped for if the turbid torrent of unfaithfulness flowed
forth from the very place where the purest fount of truth and faith
was wont to spring?
“But do thou, O most wise ruler of the people of God, most
diligently bring thy nation away from perverse habits, and make them
learned in the precepts of God, lest by reason of the sins of the
people the land which God has given us be destroyed. Be to the
Church of Christ as a father, to the priests of God as a brother, to all
the people pious and fair; in conversation and in word moderate and
peaceable; in the praise of God always devout; that the divine
clemency may keep thee in long prosperity, and may of the grace of
its goodness deign to exalt, dilate, and crown to all eternity, with the
benefaction of perpetual pity, thy kingdom—nay, all the English.
“I pray you direct the several Churches of your reverence to
intercede for me. Into my unworthy hands the government of the
Church of St. Martin has come. I have taken it not voluntarily but
under pressure, by the advice of many.”
Offa died in the year in which this letter was written, and his death
brought great changes in Mercia. Excellent as Offa had in most ways
been, we have evidence that the Mercian people were by no means
worthy of the fine old Mercian king. In reading the letter which
contains this evidence, we shall see that Offa had a murderous side
of his character. In those rude days, chaos could not be dealt with
under its worse conditions by men who could not at a crisis strike
with unmitigated severity.
CHAPTER VI
Grant to Malmesbury by Ecgfrith of Mercia.—Alcuin’s letters to Mercia.—Kenulf
and Leo III restore Canterbury to its primatial position.—Gifts of money to the
Pope.—Alcuin’s letters to the restored archbishop.—His letter to Karl on the
archbishop’s proposed visit. Letters of Karl to Offa (on a question of discipline) and
Athelhard (in favour of Mercian exiles).