Identity and Access Management begins and ends with data security

The wealth of information that a business holds is a critical component of operations. From sales figures to human resources information on employees, business data can be sensitive to business processes and personal information.

So, how does your organization segment who can see what data?

Entry-level employees and the executive team probably shouldn't have the same access levels within your organization — in the same way your business likely safeguards who has a master key to the office.

With those principles in mind, how does your organization ensure the right people have the correct access to the mission-critical data to complete their job functions?

Identity and Access Management is the solution to that question and much more.

What is IAM used for?

Understanding who has access to your systems and how that access is being used is critical to keeping your customer’s and organization’s data safe. Here’s some common ways businesses use identity and access management:

Onboarding

Creating user profiles for new employees and ensuring proper access to perform essential job duties

Off-boarding

Removing and de-provisioning accounts that are no longer active

Identity modification

Creating additional access when an employee earns a promotion or adds responsibilities

Authentication

Credentials provided by an employee to access your organization's network and data, often a username and password

Authorization

Following authentication, authorization allows an employee to access a resource or function that is allowed by IAM policies and procedures

Privileged Access Management (PAM)

Securing the accounts that have the keys to the castle helps reduce attack risk. PAM does so by creating a portal in which users with elevated permissions store their login credentials, creating a log of activity and often requiring justification for accessing the account,

Why should my organization care?

Identity and Access Management helps organizations create secure and efficient access to technology resources and systems. To put it bluntly, IAM keeps your data safe.

Increased data security

Utilizing a resource that covers both authentication and authorization creates efficiencies for your IT staff and end-users while making your business more secure. When a user logs into your network, your IAM solution will ensure that the user has secure access to the resources needed to do their job. Additionally, when a user needs to be off-boarded, your IT staff can quickly remove all access for a user by simply de-provisioning one set of credentials.

Reduced security costs

Using an IAM platform to manage all access by users allows your admin team to quickly and efficiently perform their tasks. While up-front integrations may take an investment of time for your IT staff, the reward of IAM technologies comes in the time saved in the long term.

Easier access to resources

Having a single sign-on method for your cloud tools is already commonplace in many organizations, as 78% of SMBs are already using the cloud in some capacity. Securing the identities and access to information for your employees is no longer an optional practice, but a necessity that will increase the security of your applications and data.

How can I implement IAM for my business?

As more organizations move to cloud-based tools to do business, implementing an IAM solution will help keep your business data secure. Doing so doesn't have to be a complicated process that takes months to implement and can begin by answering the following questions:

What apps are your users accessing today?
Which users and groups need to authenticate to each resource?
What is your current process for onboarding and off-boarding employees?

Once you have the answers to those questions, determine if your organization has any security, compliance, or productivity concerns, whether you can use an out-of-box solution or need a custom deployment, and if the cost benefits make sense for your organization.

From there, have your IT department or a trusted provider of security services begin the process of selecting, implementing, and rolling out your IAM solution.

Contact Us Today!

Ready to learn more about how the Archetype SC team can enhance your organization’s digital experience? Call Joseph Bonanno at 843-283-7200 to schedule a consultation today!

Search