{"id":39,"date":"2020-09-07T11:04:09","date_gmt":"2020-09-07T10:04:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/brainbizz.webgeniuslab.net\/?p=39"},"modified":"2020-09-25T19:00:39","modified_gmt":"2020-09-25T18:00:39","slug":"why-identity-and-access-management-is-essential-for-organizations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.argentxcyber.com\/blog\/index.php\/2020\/09\/07\/why-identity-and-access-management-is-essential-for-organizations\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Identity and Access Management Is Essential for Organizations"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]P<\/span>roviding access for the right people, to the right resources, at the right time starts with a well-structured identity and access management or IAM strategy; block everything else.<\/p>\n

Identity access management or IAM defined relies on a three-step process whereby access to any resource, physical or logical, is granted only to the subject (user, program, or process) that successfully traverses each security level.[\/vc_column_text][wgl_spacing spacer_size=”17″][vc_single_image image=”1345″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][wgl_custom_text font_size=”16″]As your business grows, your environment faces an increasing number of subjects who\/which need to identify themselves to various systems. Identification seeks to establish whether the subject is indeed the individual it claims to be (something you are). An example of this is a username digital key or certificate. Individuals, applications, databases, entities, etc. are considered subjects.<\/p>\n

Authentication is the second step in verifying the identification. The increase in cyber-attacks resulting in data theft, reputational damage, etc. drives the need to improve authentication. While in the past, authentication was a password (something you know) and kept your data safe, a modern multi-layered approach is required to reduce your risk. The implementation and use of two and three-factor authentication, also known as multi-factor authentication (something you have), is rising and is used by entities of all sizes as a step to level the playing field against cyber threats.<\/p>\n

Authorization is the final step and grants the subject access, controls, and privileges based on the configured identity. Authorization is where things go wrong, such as a misconfiguration or poor execution, leading to many vulnerabilities. To mitigate these risks, always plan and define systems with the least privilege principle, avoiding vulnerabilities resulting from authorization creep and credential sharing.[\/wgl_custom_text][wgl_spacing spacer_size=”30px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

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Like the firm foundation of a house, a sound, well planned and implemented IAM strategy will ensure that everything you build on and around your business is with security in mind from the beginning. A sound IAM strategy enables organizations to keep their DAAS secure. DAAS or Data, Applications, Assets, and Services represent the organization’s key areas that you are trying to protect.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Where is IAM?<\/span><\/h4>\n

[\/vc_column_text][wgl_spacing spacer_size=”12″][wgl_custom_text font_size=”16″]Identity and access management deployments encompass many technologies implemented in on-prem, cloud, or hybrid environments. Quite often, IAM is deployed in the cloud to leverage the ease of deployment, cost-saving, and constant updates. Some standard components are API security, identity as a service, conditional access, risk-based authentication, password management, reporting, auditing, etc.[\/wgl_custom_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][wgl_spacing spacer_size=”34″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Importance of IAM?<\/span><\/h4>\n

[\/vc_column_text][wgl_spacing spacer_size=”12″][wgl_custom_text font_size=”16″]Identity and access management carries a considerable significance irrespective of your organization size. IAM should give the administrator a record of all user login information captured and managed during identification, authentication, and authorization journey. IAM should provide a history of all transactions for compliance and the drive toward continuous improvement and reinforcement of access policies.<\/p>\n

The use of a good IAM will help with the many compliance requirements that your organization faces, giving you the tools to help secure your organization’s data. From the beginning of bring your own device or BYOD and before, compliance now more than ever is a crucial piece of the puzzle. Aside from the ever-increasing cyber threat landscape, BYOD and big data, the regulation factor on user account management and storage is under the microscope.<\/p>\n

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) \u2013 online account privacy and rules of management storage and data breach notification, Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) \u2013 financial regulations on corporate disclosure including an IT component dictating how financial data shall be stored, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) \u2013 legislation around patient records are stored, managed and transferred, and finally International Standards Organization or ISO 27001 on information security management systems, setting a framework on information security with the support of controls, are just a few of the regulations that your organization is facing or will face going forward.[\/wgl_custom_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][wgl_spacing spacer_size=”34″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Risks of IAM<\/span><\/h4>\n

[\/vc_column_text][wgl_spacing spacer_size=”12″][wgl_custom_text font_size=”16″]Several risks face your organization as you traverse the route to a sound identity and access management strategy. A few critical risks for your consideration highlighted below:<\/p>\n