In the last two years, 79% of organizations have experienced an identity-related security breach, according to research from the Identity Defined Security Alliance (IDSA). That’s a truly staggering number, however, the even more shocking statistic is that nearly all of the security and identity professionals surveyed believe their identity-related breaches were preventable if they were using a Zero Trust Security Model.
As security breaches continue to be on the rise, with more sophisticated approaches appearing every day, is more essential for cybersecurity success than ever before. While building may not be an option, there are best practices companies can start implementing with their identity management today to stay a step ahead of vulnerabilities and cyberattacks.
Identity Management Best Practices
Zero in on Zero Trust
More and more organizations are on the road to a Zero Trust Security Model, an architecture that treats all users as potential threats by preventing access until they’re properly authenticated. Of course, for most organizations Zero Trust (ZT) isn’t something that can just be switched on, it’s a journey. It takes time, planning, and the right processes.
There are many different approaches businesses can take to a Zero Trust program depending on their goals and requirements. Whatever that final destination looks like for an organization, a layered approach to your Zero Trust program can help companies more gradually implement this architecture. Taking the time to securely integrate existing technologies for both input and output is essential to maintaining the tight restrictions Zero Trust calls for.
Take Advantage of Automation
Manual identity management needs to stop now. It’s not only a time-consuming, unnecessary burden for your IT team, it’s also a minefield for potential human error (i.e. opportunities for hackers). Not to mention, implementing a ZT infrastructure is next to impossible without the assistance of automated processes.
By implementing automation for your most critical IAM processes with onboarding and offboarding, you both shore up your system and free up your team for more strategic projects (like further strengthening your cybersecurity efforts).
Prioritize PAM
A recent Bravura Security poll, conducted by Enterprise Management Associates (EMA), found that more than three-quarters of the 160 IT professionals surveyed had experienced a privileged access policy violation in the last year. More importantly, almost none said they were confident their current approach to privileged access management (PAM) would prevent security breaches. This is alarming. A well integrated and modern PAM solution should inspire and foster confidence, yet, most IAM solutions don’t fully account for this critical piece.
Committed to Strong Identity Management
As organizations continue to combat cyberthreats, strong identity management will play a leading role. The emergence of Zero Trust as the prevailing cybersecurity philosophy underscores the importance of IAM. Businesses need to ensure all of their cybersecurity strategies are fully integrated and aligned to maintain the edge against threats going forward.
Clearly the need for Zero Trust is greater than ever. Businesses need to get proactive about their cybersecurity or they risk becoming another statistic. Learn more about it by downloading our comprehensive Zero Trust Guide.
About the Author: Bryan Christ is an IT professional with more than twenty years of industry experience. His fascination with technology started in the early 80’s with the Commodore VIC-20. He first published in 1991 and began his professional career a few years later. Along the way, he has worked for a number of high profile companies including Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, and MediaFire. Most of his career has been focused on open-source and software development opportunities with an emphasis on project management, team leadership, and executive oversight. After serving two years as a VCIO in the Greater Houston area, Bryan carried his skills to Bravura Security where he focuses on security and access governance. In addition to his work with Bravura Security, he frequently contributes to several open-source projects and a number of SaaS related endeavors.
