07/04/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 07/04/2024 12:36
One of the most important aspects of modern cybersecurity is managing access to IT systems and data. Indeed, organizations that lack robust access management are putting a lot on the line, from customer trust to business revenue.
This article explains access control management, explores its key components, and provides best practices for implementation.
Access control management is the discipline of managing access to data, applications, systems, and other resources. It involves using processes, tools, and policies to selectively assign and revoke access rights and monitor the access activity of users, applications, and services, both within and outside the organization. The primary elements of access management are detailed below.
At the heart of access management is a set of identities, such as users, computers, and applications, which are assigned various permissions to access resources. For example, a user might be given the right to read data in a particular database or run a specific program. Best practices require delegating access according to the principle of least privilege (PoLP), which states that users can use only the resources they need to perform their job duties. Organizations should regularly assess user permissions to ensure they are accurate.
Authentication involves verifying that a user or system trying to access digital resources is who they say they are. For instance, you may need to provide your username and password to log into your online banking account.
For more robust security, many modern systems use multifactor authentication (MFA), which requires at least two of the following three different types of authentication:
Authorization is determining whether an authenticated user should be permitted to access specific resources they request based on the permissions they have been granted.
IT ecosystems are constantly changing, with employees coming and going and applications being introduced and retired. You must update your access controls to reflect these and other changes. This may involve updating and maintaining the access control software, amending policies, onboarding new users, or changing a user's privileges.
Monitoring all attempts to access your IT resources is essential. The audit process is beneficial for several reasons, including:
Access management is crucial for securing any organization's resources, and it relies on three primary types of access controls:
One of the most compelling reasons for adopting strong access control management is that it helps reduce the risk of security breaches. The average cost of a single data breach in the U.S. rose to $9.48 million in 2023, according to Statista. Moreover, a security breach can damage the organization's reputation and devastate customer retention, especially if the breach affects their personal information. Research indicates that 33 percent of customers will stop doing business with an organization after it experiences a breach, even if they are not directly affected.
Another reason your organization should incorporate access control management is to maintain compliance with industry regulations. If your organization processes sensitive customer data, it may be subject to regulations such as GDPR, HIPPA, and PCI DSS. Violating these laws can lead to hefty fines and other penalties and may also damage your business's reputation.
While it's important to incorporate access control management into your organization as promptly as possible, you must ensure that the processes you put in place are effective. Key enterprise access management best practices you should consider include the following:
A multi-layered access control strategy ensures that even if a malicious actor breaches one layer of defense, they still face additional obstacles to reach the area or assets they are targeting. This "defense in depth" approach may include the following layers:
A single person having too much access and control over your sensitive data and other resources exposes your organization to the risk of data breaches and fraud. To minimize risk, consider implementing separation of duties (SoD), which breaks down a single task into several tasks so that no one person can complete it.
Attackers often target admin accounts because of their power. Administrators are usually granted higher privileges than other users; for instance, they may be able to modify user accounts, change system settings, and access sensitive data. Accordingly, you should implement more security measures on administrative accounts, like MFA, activity monitoring, strict enforcement of the PoLP, and careful credential management.
Traditional access control methods are being augmented and replaced by more adaptive techniques. Two key advancements are detailed below.
Dynamic access controls represent a significant shift from static, role-based access management to a more flexible, context-aware approach. These controls assess the context of each access request in real time, considering factors such as user behavior, location, time of access, and the sensitivity of the requested resource. Organizations can assign a risk score to each request by evaluating these variables and responding accordingly.
Biometrics such as fingerprints, facial recognition, and iris scans provide a highly reliable means of verifying an individual's identity. These methods are difficult to forge or replicate, making bypassing authentication controls more challenging.
Behavioral data adds another layer of security by analyzing patterns in user behavior, such as typing speed, mouse movements, and usage habits. This data helps create a unique behavioral profile for each user. If a user's behavior deviates significantly from their established profile, the system can flag it as suspicious and prompt further verification steps.
Ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements is critical to access management. Below are some key mandates and strategies for ensuring compliance.
Access management systems must align with various legal and regulatory frameworks, which can vary by industry and region. Key regulations that impact access control include:
Auditing access management systems is essential to ensure that controls are adequate and compliant with regulatory requirements. The following strategies can aid in this process.
Regular reviews of user access rights help ensure that permissions are appropriate and align with job responsibilities.
Recommended solution: Netwrix Privilege Secure. Netwrix Privilege Secure provides comprehensive visibility into all accounts and activity, making it easy to identify unmanaged or unknown privileged accounts, discover blind spots, and eliminate account sprawl.
Security information and event management (SIEM) systems can automate the collection, analysis, and reporting of access-related data. These tools provide real-time insight into access patterns and can identify anomalies that may indicate security issues.
Recommended solution: Splunk. Splunk provides powerful analytics capabilities that help organizations detect, respond to, and mitigate security threats in real time. Key features include real-time monitoring, advanced threat detection, comprehensive reporting, and integration with various data sources.
Recommended solution:Netwrix Privilege Secure. Netwrix Privilege Secure continuously monitors user activities, generates detailed reports, detects anomalies, and provides tools for regular access reviews and risk assessments.
RBAC helps organizations adhere to the principle of least privilege by assigning permissions to users via defined roles. It is useful for ensuring quick and accurate provisioning of new users and reprovisioning as users change roles and IT resources are adopted or retired.
Recommended solution: Netwrix Auditor. Netwrix Auditor reports on access-related changes and provides deep visibility into IT infrastructure configurations. Key features include detailed auditing of user activity, role analysis, and risk assessment. To implement zero-standing privileges to reduce the risk of malware and vulnerable security settings, use Netwrix Privilege Secure.
These platforms integrate various compliance requirements and provide a centralized interface for managing and auditing access controls. They streamline the process of demonstrating compliance to auditors and regulators.
Recommended solution: ServiceNow Governance, Risk, and Compliance. This integrated risk management platform helps organizations streamline compliance and auditing processes. Policy management, risk assessment, continuous monitoring, and automated reporting are key features.
As we look towards the future of access management solutions, several key trends are expected to shape the landscape. Here are some of the best picks:
Access control management is a foundational element of modern cybersecurity - but it is tricky to implement correctly because of the many components and best practices involved. Choosing integrated solutions from an experienced security partner can be a wise choice.
Netwrix offers a suite of identity and access management (IAM) solutions that can help. These solutions allow you to implement a Zero Trust security model to secure your data and achieve regulatory compliance while increasing employee and IT team productivity.
Access management aims to control who can access which resources and when and how that access can occur. Processes, policies, and technologies all facilitate this control.
The responsibilities of the access management team include:
Access control management is implementing tools, processes, and policies to ensure that each entity can and does access only the appropriate data and systems.
Three of the most common types of access control are:
Access control is enforcing policies that control who can use a system or other resource. Access management encompasses all the tools, policies, processes, and technologies used to achieve access control.