Organizations use access management to make sure the right users have access to the right resources within their IT network. It involves finding a balance between the security and usability of a system – assigning the proper permissions to authorized users while keeping attackers at bay.
Users can be:
- Human, such as employees, customers, and third parties
- Non-human, such as APIs, application keys, and cloud containers
Resources can be:
- Identities
- Permissions
- Data
- Systems
- Applications
- Cloud resources
Why is access management important?
The digital workplace is a complicated web of activity. Employees today work remotely around the world, often using their own devices, and engage with SaaS applications across various on-premises and cloud platforms. This means that the traditional ‘us vs them’ mentality in cybersecurity – that a company firewall is safe from the threats lurking outside – is outdated. Attackers are now just as likely to come from within a company network, and their methods grow ever more sophisticated. This is why access rights must be strictly monitored to prevent attackers from moving laterally across a system and stealing sensitive information.
How does access management work?
If an IT system was a hotel, access management would mean making sure that each guest had the right key for their room, that staff could enter multiple rooms, and that managers had access to the entire building. In short, it means assigning everyone the right permissions for the job they need to do and the resources they need to access.
An access management system works based on three As:
1. Authentication
Verifying and tracking user identities with security measures such as multi-factor authentication.
2. Authorization
Managing a user’s data and permissions while they’re active on the network, and defining a list of authorized users in real-time (via a directory).
3. Auditing
Ensuring the other As are being done correctly – in compliance with regulations such as HIPAA, GDPR, and PCI DSS – using monitoring and reporting tools.
Good access management makes it easier to:
- Onboard new hires quickly
- Transfer employees across different roles and departments
- Allow third parties to work within the company system
- Roll out new projects
- Restrict access for employees leaving the company
The AM in IAM
What happens after authentication is just as important – if not more so – than the sign-in process. In an identity and access management (IAM) system, access management focuses on authorization. It helps protect critical information from the inside, ensuring that only authorized users can access sensitive resources and revealing any gaps in an organization’s infrastructure that could lead to a data breach.
Identity and access security solutions like Rezonate offer strong post-authentication controls such as real-time access monitoring, risk profiling, and session timing features. They also help spot opportunities to enforce the principle of least privilege and stricter trust relations, making it more difficult for attackers to move freely in an organization’s system.
