Managing risks associated with identity and access governance: 5 pitfalls to steer clear of

In today’s dynamic digital landscape, managing identity and access has become more challenging than ever before. With the proliferation of SaaS applications and remote work arrangements, IT teams are grappling with the complexities of ensuring secure and efficient access to critical resources while mitigating potential risks. In this article, we explore the common risks associated with identity and access and how implementing an Identity and Access Governance solution can help organizations address these challenges effectively.

Risk 1: Lack of Visibility into User Access Data as organizations embrace cloud-based

Applications and decentralized work environments, gaining complete visibility into user access data has become increasingly difficult. Manual methods and disparate solutions further exacerbate this challenge, making it arduous for IT teams to manage user identities and access efficiently. To combat this issue, organizations can opt for a modern identity and Access Governance (IAG) platform. This enables IT teams to gain comprehensive visibility into applications, systems, and user access data, empowering them to make informed access management decisions. Since threat detection is automated to track and identify issues like orphan privileged accounts or over-entitled accounts, your organization gains peace of mind enabling a secure environment where you can focus on your core business.

Risk 2: Manual User Identity and Access Management

Manual handling of user access requests not only introduces errors and inefficiencies but also poses significant data security risks. As employees’ roles evolve and access requirements change, IT teams struggle to keep pace with access management, leading to potential lapses in security. Adopting an IAG solution streamlining the process and ensuring that access permissions align with current employee roles and responsibilities. More than that, it can also allow different business units of an organization to be part of the user access review process. This collaborative work obtains the most accurate results. Who better than a business unit manager to know who needs access to what in his teams? The IAG solution acts as a control tower for all business applications by seamlessly providing a comprehensive mapping of identities to their respective permissions.
In another hand, by automating repetitive tasks, IT teams can enhance employee experience and productivity while maintaining robust security measures.

Risk 3: Poor control of the identity lifecycle Governance

Controlling the Identity Lifecycle is at the heart of an efficient identity and access governance solution. Answering the question “Who’s entitled to what and why?” and maintaining optimal control of new employee onboardings, movements, and departures is key to staying compliant with all main regulations. An IAG solution can work independently or as a complement to your existing Identity Access Management (IAM) to manage this lifecycle.
Adopting an IAG solution enables you to map and control access rights daily, aligning closely your employees’ movements. It helps you save time through high-performance management of your business teams’ rights, with a collaborative vision and “automated” execution of review campaigns. By leveraging automation, organizations can mitigate the risk of unauthorized access attempts and ensure timely removal of access privileges.

Risk 4: Granting Employees Excessive Permissions

Without an IAG solution, it’s possible to overlook the fact that one and the same person in an organization could initiate, validate, and control the same task, thanks to an uncontrolled accumulation of rights. Granting Employees Excessive Permissions poses a significant risk to data security, as employees may have access beyond what is necessary for their job functions. This often occurs inadvertently or as a result of granting access for future requirements without proper oversight. Different actors with different roles and responsibilities to carry out a set of tasks whose execution by a single actor could potentially lead to fraud or errors within a company’s information system. This risk can be mitigated with the implementation of the Segregation of Duties concept (SoD). With SoD, a single individual cannot carry out a complete end-to-end process without the intervention of third parties.
Implementing least-privilege policies can help also mitigate this risk by granting employees only the essential access permissions required to perform their tasks. By embracing proactive access management strategies, organizations can strike a balance between data security and operational efficiency, reducing the likelihood of unauthorized access incidents.

Risk 5: Irregular Audit/Access Reviews

Audits are essential for maintaining effective access management practices and identifying potential security vulnerabilities. Manual audit processes are time-consuming and prone to inaccuracies, hindering organizations’ ability to maintain compliance and detect unauthorized access. A high-performing IAG solution streamline the access review process, providing centralized access directories and insights to facilitate quick and informed decisions during audits. By automating access reviews, organizations can ensure ongoing compliance and strengthen their overall security posture.

In today’s cyber threat landscape, effective Identity and Access Governance solutions (IAG) are paramount for safeguarding sensitive data and mitigating security risks. By understanding the common risks and by leveraging IAG solutions, organizations can enhance their access management practices, bolster data security measures  andstreamline compliance efforts   . As organizations continue to navigate the complexities of digital transformation, investing in robust Identity and Access Governance solutions will be critical for maintaining a secure and resilient IT environment.