Users should only have access to the resources required to accomplish their assigned obligations, according to the concept of least privilege. IAM can assist in making sure that only individuals with the appropriate authorization may access privileged accounts by using a risk-based authentication system.
Orphan accounts — or those no longer used and never terminated – can be a major cybersecurity risk. Zero trust works like an airport security checkpoint to evaluate identities and permissions as users log in.
Security
Having robust security measures is necessary for businesses that need to mitigate cyberattacks. This includes enabling strong authentication, securing data with encryption, and blocking lateral movement by hackers after a breach.
Privileged access management (PAM) strengthens cybersecurity by reducing the risk of hacking by providing tight control over user access privileges for sensitive network resources and applications.
For example, a PAM solution that uses machine learning can help reduce the number of users with too-generous permissions by removing access to software suites and tools they don’t need, such as a manager with direct reports having excessive access to timesheet approval apps. These solutions can also automate granting default permissions for users and groups so they have enough to do their job without getting into trouble.
To help ensure that only the right people get access to confidential information, best-in-breed PAM solutions offer multifactor authentication, which requires more than one form of validation, such as passwords and a token code. They can also use contextual features such as the device, IP address, location, and network to assess the risk level of a login attempt. This helps mitigate insider attacks involving weak passwords and privileged account misuse.
Compliance
While a cyberattack may seem like a black-and-white issue – cunning hackers surreptitiously infiltrating your network and stealing secure data — it often starts with a human, whether it’s someone with access to your network who shouldn’t be, phishing attacks, or employees misusing their privileges, humans are the root cause of most security breaches. This is why strong access management is an essential part of any cybersecurity strategy.
IAM solutions enable your organization to verify that users are who they say they are by using multiple-factor authentication and ensuring the right people have access to the tools they need. These systems can also monitor users’ activity and alert them to suspicious behavior. Privileged access management solutions can help prevent a cyberattack by limiting the number of people with administrator-level permissions to your system.
IAM helps organizations avoid internal and external breaches and complies with regulations like the GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) by giving full insight into who has access to the systems and data of your company. This enables you to react swiftly in the event of a breach by informing your clients and responding to any queries they may have straightforwardly. Doing this may lessen consumer annoyance and preserve your company’s good name.
Business Processes
Business and IT executives may take measures to reduce data breaches even when they cannot be prevented. Thanks to a thorough security approach, only authorized individuals can access vital systems and data. This will lessen the potential harm from a breach, such as lost confidential information, harm to one’s reputation, and costs associated with the repair.
An effective UAM tool will include multifactor authentication to ensure users are who they claim to be. It will also have audit capabilities to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate a breach. These tools are essential for helping businesses avoid costly data breaches and meet regulatory requirements.
Privileged access management is another important component of UAM. This feature assigns higher permission levels to accounts with access to critical systems and administrator-level controls. This protects against internal and external threats by limiting the impact of a breach.
An effective UAM system will include Single Sign-On (SSO) to make it easier for employees to use tools and access data. It will also offer a range of other features to improve user experience, strengthen data security and meet compliance standards. These include integrations with other systems, like shared portals, to help companies manage page, document, and data access, as well as a reporting feature that allows IT teams to quickly see which users have which permissions in any given situation.
Automation
Even the best security measures can be undermined by human error. Cybersecurity automation can help prevent errors and reduce the impact when they do occur. For example, automating the provisioning and de-provisioning of user accounts eliminates lapses in system logins that hackers could exploit to access critical data.
In addition, implementing identity-as-a-service and synchronizing it with other user directories (such as a Human Resources directory) can simplify IAM management and reduce the risk of access breaches through stolen credentials. And by leveraging AI-powered adaptive authentication methods, an IAM solution can confirm a user’s identity by analyzing contexts such as location, time, device, and more.
Finally, a robust IAM solution can help prevent a data breach through security automation by encrypting sensitive data within the network or when it moves between locations. This includes encrypting data on laptops, mobile phones, and other devices employees use to work outside of the office and on servers and databases.
A data breach can have a huge impact on a company, not just in terms of the expense of remediation but also due to loss of revenue from the attack. However, a cybersecurity incident response preparedness plan can reduce the negative publicity associated with a data breach and mitigate costs by allowing the company to recover quickly from the disruption.
