Bad actors continuously look for ways to exploit vulnerabilities within an organization’s security framework. They’re looking to wreak havoc by stealing data, breaching networks, and using ransomware to hijack company systems. One of the best ways for businesses to protect themselves is with cloud-based identity and access management (IAM) solutions. They make it easier to manage how users move around within your business systems and identify potential threats.
What is an Identity and Access Management Solution?
As companies grow, keeping up with their internal structures and policies gets more complicated. Business areas often go through a constant cycle of people coming in and moving on. Without proper oversight, someone who moves from one department to another might still retain access granted to them because of their previous role.
What happens if a hacker manages to compromise the credentials of that user? They can move laterally within company networks thanks to the additional rights given to that user. It’s become more critical that companies do not overlook who’s using business resources and for what purpose.
Identity and access management platforms give system administrators control over actions taken by users with company resources. For example, they might grant a customer service representative rights to access information related to a customer’s payment history but block someone working in operations from that information.
Benefits of Using a Cloud IAM Platform
- Granular access control — Move beyond project-level access and grant permissions to cloud resources based on device security status, date and time of an access attempt, and the IP address of the person trying to get into your networks.
- Complete audit trail — IAM platforms typically come with a built-in audit history that tracks everything related to access. You can quickly look at the history of any device or user to ensure you remain in compliance with security best practices.
- Automate access based on roles — Admins no longer have to spend a lot of time manually granting permissions to individual users. You can automate giving access by mapping job functions to specific groups and roles. The same technology lets you automatically set up workflows to remove permissions if they are no longer needed.
Create A Zero-Trust Security Model with a Cloud IAM
Many companies focus mainly on threats outside of the organization. They often became lax about the rights granted to users. They didn’t vet whether the access was necessary based on the user’s company role.
The main principle of the zero-trust security architecture is to assume that anyone can be a threat. Therefore, no one should have any more access than needed to perform their job. Companies explicitly verify that all users, applications, and machines are valid before granting access to resources.
Identity management is an essential step in establishing a robust zero-trust framework. With it, organizations have a way to:
- Determine the risk presented by users
- Verify the identity of users trying to access resources
- Check the state of devices trying to use company networks
- Block, restrict, or allow access by requiring extra confirmation of identity
- Limit the ability of anyone to download information or manipulate compliance controls
IAM technology lets you establish, capture, and record user identities and the permissions granted automatically. Shifting to a cloud-based IAM solution simplifies how you govern data access, reducing the risks to your organization.
Companies with hundreds of different user groups and projects need a unified way to view security policies within their organization. It helps to find a solution with auditing capabilities to ensure you don’t run into problems with compliance.
Below are some additional reasons your organization should consider using a cloud identity and access management solution.
1. Strengthen Password Policies
You can prevent users from setting up weak passwords that might end up compromised. Admins can use their cloud IAM to enforce credential best practices by:
- Enforcing the use of longer passwords
- Stopping users from repeating passwords
- Making users change passwords frequently
2. Mitigate Insider Threats
One reason for the shift to a zero-trust security model is the need to watch out for threats from the inside. Businesses can no longer assume they only have to worry about hackers at the perimeters of their networks. Enforcing security through your cloud IAM helps prevent unauthorized users from accessing your company systems. You can limit how they move and keep them from escalating permissions without oversight.
3. Spot Unusual Behavior
Identity and access management solutions track the behavior of any entity needing access to your company resources. You can follow analysts and processes using machine learning (ML) or artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Any of these can be hijacked by an enterprising hacker. Your IAM can immediately note any unusual activity happening and block them from causing further harm.
4. Establish Multi-factor Authentication
Use your IAM platform to start using multi-factor authentication. Instead of only having to provide an ID and password, users would have to comply with a third or fourth method of identifying themselves. Examples of that include:
- Using a fingerprint sensor
- Scanning the iris
- Relying on facial recognition
- Entering a code sent to them
5. Create a Company-Wide Identity Framework
Your cloud identity and access management solution can function as a common area for user and asset information. Use it to apply similar policies within your operating platforms and organizational assets. Your IAM frameworks can help with enforcing identity policies and stopping unauthorized access requests.
Authentication for IAM Products
Axiad’s Cloud product line is designed to bolster authentication for IAM products. Axiad upgrades IAM products to add passwordless multi-factor authentication (MFA) and phishing-resistant authentication (PRA) for organizations, namely enterprises and government agencies, of all sizes. To learn more, check out our Axiad cloud platform.
