Identity access management (IAM) in cybersecurity is a lot like securing a house \u2014 it\u2019s locking your home with a deadbolt and knowing who has the key.<\/p>\n
IAM is a centralized way of verifying identification, managing access, and flagging security breaches to guarantee that only the people who should have access to a company\u2019s information can retrieve it. While identity and access management software can verify the identities of people and devices trying to log in and make sure verified users have access to the right resources, IAM processes need to be put into place to safeguard access to these tools, especially during commissioning and decommissioning, is effectively controlled.<\/p>\n
After all, if you don\u2019t want someone in your house \u2014 why would you leave them with a key?<\/p>\n
While some companies don\u2019t take cybersecurity seriously<\/a>, with users having access to information simply by logging onto a computer, others realize how important it is to limit access to their systems and do this by requiring employees to use authentication protocols. Like a lock you put on your phone \u2014 whether a secret passcode or a fingerprint requirement \u2014 the goal is to protect sensitive data and access to private information.<\/p>\n In many cases, businesses use multifactor authentication protocols on critical systems, such as requiring a user to log into their email to get a six-digit code via text message that they can then use to open the system.<\/strong> Depending on their position within the company, businesses can use different layers of cybersecurity<\/a> IAM to determine who has access to specific information.<\/p>\n Since the use of stolen or compromised credentials remains the most common cause of data breaches, accounting for 19 percent of attack cases, companies must have a robust and effective IAM system.<\/p>\n For example, hackers can breach firewalls<\/a> when a company doesn\u2019t follow proper IAM policies. Outsiders can obtain sensitive information more easily when a company overlooks the requirement to change user IDs and passwords from the default admin setting.<\/p>\n Monitoring cybersecurity IAM is especially important if your company uses outside vendors to manage different aspects of your business.<\/strong> In the Target data breach<\/a>, for example, an HVAC vendor employee was installing a new smart air-conditioning system and received access to that system. After he left, his access was not shut off and stayed active for two years, allowing hackers to access the retail giant\u2019s systems.<\/p>\n When implemented properly, two-factor authentication and related technologies can significantly reduce the risk of data breaches<\/a>, posing less of a\u00a0financial risk to businesses<\/a>. Unfortunately, because identity access management is manual, it is very hard to administer \u2014 it takes a small army to do it. But this is the key to the kingdom for hackers: If they can access usernames and passwords, or whatever level of authentication a company has, it can put an entire company at risk.<\/p>\n Identity access management is especially significant in provisioning and deprovisioning. When you hire a new employee, knowing what systems they need to access in their current role \u2014 CEO, administrative officer, vice president \u2014 is important. When companies fire or let go of a current employee for some other reason, it\u2019s paramount to know what they can access after they leave the company.<\/p>\n Your company needs to have a process in place to determine who is responsible for shutting down that person\u2019s access and when it should be done. How many different systems or applications could they access? Are those applications internet-facing? Did they have a single sign-on or separate sign-ons for different systems? Do you need to terminate access for each one?<\/p>\n Not only do companies have hundreds of applications, including client portals, vendor portals, payments systems, account status systems, and more that make it easy for customers to access the information they need, but other institutions like banks and health systems may also run on their own platforms that don\u2019t work with a single sign-on.<\/strong> These internal platforms make managing those identities even more challenging.<\/p>\n It\u2019s so important to identify sensitive data<\/a> and take an adequate inventory of all a business\u2019s systems. Without that information, how can your company possibly apply identity principles?<\/p>\n Proper internal auditing practices play a central role in IAM protocols as well. After deprovisioning an employee, your auditor may go through 90 days of the company\u2019s termination logs to determine when the company shut off access and to validate they shut it off to every system. The challenge gets deeper if you grant exceptions for former employees, such as access to an unapproved outside site. If you transfer that person\u2019s access to a new hire in that same position, these exceptions can infiltrate the entire corporation.<\/p>\n On the plus side, IAM can improve third-party compliance audits and improve cyber insurance rates, which affect a company\u2019s bottom line.<\/p>\n While many technology solutions can help control IAM, the software is useless if proper procedures are not implemented to monitor its use. SailPoint, for example, can help manage identities, resulting in a comprehensive view of the data that a person has access to. Active Directory<\/a> (AD), Microsoft’s proprietary directory service, enables administrators to manage permissions and access to network resources.<\/p>\nWho is Responsible for Monitoring IAM?<\/h2>\n
You Can\u2019t Rely on Software Alone<\/h2>\n