6 reasons why access management has become an essential part of cybersecurity

Cybersecurity has become paramount for businesses and individuals alike. Cyberthreats abound, and data breaches and malware attacks are costly. Attacks come from all vectors, including the cloud tools you use every day.  

The average employee uses 36 cloud-based services daily . Managing access to sensitive data and resources has become crucial. It's an essential element of maintaining robust security. A hacked account in a business application can have significant consequences.  

Login credentials are lucrative for hackers. Various online accounts can be a gold mine on the dark web . For example, logging into an email administrator account can fetch anywhere from $500 to $140,000 .

You need to ensure that you address access management in your cybersecurity strategy. Otherwise, you could face serious financial consequences. Not to mention the reputational damage that accompanies a data breach.  

We'll examine six reasons why access management has become essential to good data security. It plays a central role in protecting valuable assets and ensuring data integrity.  

Why should identity and access management be a priority?

Mitigate insider threats

Insider threats can result from malicious actions or unintentional errors. They can originate from company employees or their hacked accounts. IAM solutions allow organizations to implement granular access controls and permissions . The latter ensures that employees only have access to the data necessary for their jobs.  

By minimizing excessive privileges, organizations can successfully reduce insider threats. Access management also provides visibility into user activity. It allows businesses to detect and respond to suspicious behavior in real time.  

Strengthening data protection

Data breaches can have serious consequences for businesses. They can lead to things like:  

• Damage to reputation
• Financial losses
• Regulatory sanctions
• Permanent closure for those who cannot recover

Effective access management helps strengthen data protection. This involves limiting access to sensitive information and implementing strong authentication measures. Multi-factor authentication, encryption, and user authentication limit who can access what within a system. Access management solutions also allow organizations to track and control data transfers. This helps ensure data remains secure throughout its lifecycle.  

By implementing robust access controls, businesses can mitigate risks. They reduce the risk of unauthorized access to data, in addition to protecting their most valuable assets.  

Improve regulatory compliance

Compliance with data privacy laws is a top priority for many organizations. IAM solutions play a vital role in ensuring regulatory compliance. They provide the necessary controls and audit trails.  

IAM tools also help businesses adopt best practices such as:  

• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
• Principles of Least Privilege  
• Contextual multi-factor authentication

Access management allows businesses to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements. IAM solutions also facilitate regular access controls. They allow organizations to maintain an accurate record of user access and permissions. This is essential for audits and regulatory assessments.  

Implementing user provisioning and deprovisioning

Manually managing user accounts and access privileges can be time-consuming. It's also prone to human error. A single data entry error can increase the risk of an account breach.  

Access management solutions automate user provisioning and deprovisioning. This ensures that employees have appropriate access rights throughout their career.  

When an employee joins an organization, access management simplifies the onboarding process. It quickly provisions user accounts and permissions based on their role.  

When an employee leaves the organization, IAM tools ensure prompt account deletion and access rights revocation. This reduces the risk of dormant or unauthorized accounts.  

Remember the massive data breach at Colonial Pipeline a few years ago? The breach originated from an old, unused business VPN account. One that was never properly deprovisioned.  

Implementing user provisioning and deprovisioning improves security and operational efficiency.  

Enabling Secure Remote Access

Two things have significantly changed the look of the traditional "office" over the past decade. These are the rise of remote working and the increasing use of cloud services. This shift makes secure remote access vital for businesses.  

IAM solutions provide secure authentication and authorization mechanisms for remote users. This allows them to securely access corporate resources and data. IAM is there whether employees are working from home, traveling, or accessing data via their mobile phones.  

Access management ensures they can do this without compromising security.  

It includes features such as:  

• Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)  
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

These help secure remote access, while preserving the integrity and confidentiality of corporate data.  

Improve productivity

Using an identity and access management system can improve productivity. Imagine how much time your HR or IT team spends provisioning user accounts. Adding all that login information can be time-consuming. Not to mention deciding user access permissions in each tool.  

IAM systems automate this entire process. Using role-based access protocols, they can immediately assign the right level of access. If an employee leaves, the system can also immediately revoke access. This saves your administrative team a lot of time and effort.  

Get help implementing a solid IAM solution

Access management has become a critical component of cybersecurity. It helps mitigate insider threats, strengthen data protection, improve regulatory compliance, and much more. We can help you implement an IAM system that works for you. Contact us now to schedule a discussion about strengthening your access security.  

About Nexxo

Nexxo Computer Solutions specializes in providing IT and technology services to Quebec businesses. Its mission is to offer Quebec companies IT services tailored to their needs. Acting as an external IT department, it handles all of a company's IT tasks, allowing it to focus on its business activities. It achieves this by collaborating closely with its clients and putting their interests at the center of its concerns.