There is a serious vulnerability that is caused by excessive user privilege. Identity and Access Management systems provide a valuable way to mitigate the threat and keep you secure.

Identity and Access Management (IAM) systems are a way to electronically identify users and manage their access permissions automatically. IAM systems can be used to onboard, provision, deprovision, record activity and manage users. These systems ensure that access privilege policies are properly granted and enforced so that all users have proper access to applications for the right amount of time and are correctly authenticated. With the growth of application usage and complexity of user needs, it is becoming ever more necessary to implement an IAM system to provide adequate security.

One issue with managing the explosion of applications and managing access is making sure that privileges are updated quickly when roles change via Role Based Access Control (RBAC). Access is granted for the new role and revoked for the old within seconds.

Another frequent issue is that a user’s access is not revoked when it is no longer needed. Then the user retains excessive levels of access to applications. This is known as “privilege creep”. 

The security risk privilege creep is that it means an employee can access data in an unauthorized and insecure manner. If an attacker gains access to that user’s account, they can do damage to many more areas than expected. The result can be loss or theft of data, or worse.

A key challenge IT management often faces is securing funding for identity and access management projects. Since they do not directly contribute to profits or impact users, there is often little support from the higher ups in a company. This is a major security risk that can cause a lot of very costly problems down the road. For example, compliance with insurance companies and government regulatory agencies often requires having some level of IAM in place.

What Can You Do About Identity and Access Management?

Working with a company familiar with different IAM system platforms can help zero in on the features that would best serve the organization. Spending the time to understand the specific needs of an organization is key to successful product evaluation, implementation, and ongoing management. At Concensus Technologies, we have the knowledge, experience, and understanding to provide the best in Identity and Access Management guidance. Our identity and access management technology solutions are proven to work and save companies from massive cybersecurity issues down the road.