With cybercrime at an all-time high, it’s imperative to have systems in place to ensure that your organization’s information is safe. There’s often a tier system for information, whether in a family, a circle of friends, a full-blown multinational company, or a government. With identity and access management, companies have the tools to not only ensure that a ‘need to know’ basis is established. They can equally protect themselves against external attacks; after all, the enemy is not always from within.
There’s a lot of risks in terms of fraud, data breaches, and cybersecurity. That’s why IAM is such a big deal. In that vein, let’s dig into some other reasons it’s a much-needed service.
User Access Protection
Whether you’re operating a company or personal email account, you best believe that you have a giant target on your virtual back. There’s a lot of damage done when a phishing email meets you at just the “right time.” Even worse, if the user identity is of high value, that falling into the wrong hands can wreak havoc.
This is such a sensitive front because it’s a lot easier to steal someone’s digital identity in their comfort zone. So once they set the trap and steal the right access, the rest is history. Ideally, a good IAM framework will sniff out suspicious activity regardless of the culprit. With the right system in place, identity and access management is in the hands of an automated system. Limited human influence makes a breach a lot less possible.
Some businesses choose to handle their IAM internally with an on-premise system within their building, whilst others still prefer cloud-based IAMs such as OneLogin. This platform offers a smart, secure, and scalable cloud-based solutions to track and securely manage each person’s digital identities in the organization.
Compliance Requirements
There are government regulations, among other industry requirements, to stay afloat and reputable. Everything from their authentication process to customer identity management is under scrutiny. By following best practices, they do not only protect themselves but their customers, too. Rather than regularly dealing with fraud and other account-related issues, using IAM technology could help keep everything in check. Since handling sensitive information is what starts all the trouble, using an IAM solution takes humans out of the equation. Needless to say, that reduces the risk and saves money in the process.
Monitoring User Activity
Cyber attacks can come from inside or outside, so someone who has access rights could actually stir the pot. It’s a lot easier to manipulate the system and cover tracks from within. More so, there is no manual way to monitor this sort of movement closely enough to detect it before the damage is done. But with a suitable Identity Access Management solution in place, any inconsistencies can be picked up, and swiftly too. Again, taking human influence out of the equation makes for tighter and more streamlined operations.
Segregation
For the most part, a system that’s built on privileged access management works better. It’s basically for one reason, with fewer hands on deck information is safer. Also, it narrows down the search in the case of a data breach. To successfully pull this off, you need IAM to put people in one compartment after the other. Altogether, with the right technology limiting outside influence, business operations are more streamlined. Also, only appropriate access can let people in on some sensitive data.
Access Management
Especially in big organizations, access management is a big deal. Multi-factor authentication or two-factor authentication should be incorporated accordingly. The more sensitive the information being guarded is, the less suitable a single sign-in option will be. As mentioned earlier, not all information is free for all. With a suitable IAM system onboard, you don’t have to bother about the intricacies. The setup is well equipped to handle all levels of authentication, so it’s a good idea to use one.