Protecting sensitive company data and resources is a top priority for business owners. You’d never hand over the keys to your car or house to just anyone, and your company information also needs a strong gatekeeper. This is where identity and access management (IAM) comes into play.
What is Identity and Access Management (IAM)?
IAM is a framework of policies, technologies, and practices designed to ensure that only the right people have access to the right resources at the right times. The overall goal of identity and access management is to protect sensitive data while allowing authorized users to have uninterrupted access.
Imagine your company network is a nightclub. Identity and access management is the bouncer with a guest list. IAM checks identities to ensure people are who they claim to be, checks the list to ensure they can enter, and verifies whether someone has access to any privileged VIP rooms within the server that contain especially sensitive information.
The Four Pillars of IAM (And What They Mean)
IAM is built on four fundamental pillars, also called the four A’s of IAM. Each pillar addresses a specific aspect of identity and access control:
1. Authentication Authentication is the process of verifying a user’s identity. This can involve passwords, biometrics such as facial recognition scanning, or multi-factor authentication.
2. Authorization Once a user’s identity is confirmed, the next step is determining what information they are allowed to access and what actions they can take. Authorization can occur using role-based access control (RBAC,) which restricts network access based on a person's role or job in an organization, or attribute-based access control (ABAC), which is more flexible and can be based on specific user characteristics.
3. Administration Administration focuses on managing users inside the system from creation to deletion, and changing their access controls as needed. This includes everything from granting access during onboarding, managing changes in roles, and revoking access when a user leaves the company.
4. Auditing To ensure compliance and security within a network, user activity must be tracked and monitored. Auditing can detect suspicious behavior, enforce security policies, and alert administrators to any potential threats. This ensures accountability and compliance with any security regulations.
Why We Need IAM
Data breaches are incredibly costly to a company, both monetarily and in terms of customer trust. And as businesses grow, managing the increasing amount of users, devices, and data becomes more complex.
Identity and access management helps protect and manage systems, and is often required to be compliant with security standards. Here is how IAM accomplishes that goal:
Improved Data Security: IAM helps prevent data breaches by ensuring that only authorized users have access to sensitive information. Strong authentication measures reduce the risk of cyberattacks such as phishing and login credential theft.
Operational Efficiency: IAM reduces the burden on IT teams by automating access management tasks like user account management, password resets, and access reviews. IAM tools also minimize human error by eliminating the need for IT teams to manually manage privileges and permission settings.
Streamlined User Experience: IAM solutions simplify the login process for users by providing seamless access through single sign-on (SSO) capabilities or multi-factor authentication (MFA). This improves the overall user experience by allowing access to all company-approved websites and applications without having to log in over and over.
Regulatory Compliance: IAM strategies help organizations stay up to date with compliance regulations by providing tools to enforce security policies, manage user identities, and generate audit trails.
Scalability and Flexibility: IAM solutions can scale to accommodate an increasing number of users and devices on a network. IAM also allows IT teams to update all user access privileges across the organization at the same time when there are changes to security policy.
How to Implement IAM
The process of implementing identity and access management depends on your organization’s size and structure, but there are general best practices to follow:
1. Assess Current IT Infrastructure Before implementing an IAM solution, it’s important to thoroughly assess your current IT environment. Be sure to Identify which systems need secure access control, your user types (employees, contractors, partners, customers, etc.), and the network’s access points.
2. Define Access Policies Establish clear policies for who can access which resources and under what conditions. Use role-based access control (RBAC) or attribute-based access control (ABAC) to assign permissions and ensure that users only have access to the resources needed to do their jobs.
3. Choose an IAM Deployment Type Picking a deployment type is a key decision in the IAM implementation process. Solutions include on-premises software that gives you full control of the infrastructure, cloud-based solutions that are more flexible and affordable, or a hybrid approach. Cost, security, compliance, scalability, and integration capabilities should all be considered when deciding on a deployment type.
4. Select Your IAM Solution Using your IT infrastructure assessment, access policies and deployment type, find a tool that fits your needs. You’ll also want to consider your security and compliance requirements, ease of integration with your current system, and your scalability needs in the future. Leading identity partners who have exhibited at VivaTech include Okta, IBM Security Verify, and Microsoft Entra.
5. Deploy Your IAM Solution Once you choose an identity and access management solution that aligns with your organization’s needs, it’s time to execute! Deploy, configure, and integrate it into your existing IT infrastructure while being sure to work closely with your solution provider and any necessary partners. You’ll also need to conduct comprehensive system testing and provide training to users and IT personnel.
6. Monitor and Audit Access IAM solutions need to be continuously analyzed for vulnerabilities and updated to comply with new standards. Regularly monitor user activities and access logs to detect any unauthorized access or suspicious behavior. Be sure to set up alerts for any actions that could be signs of a security breach.
How to Implement IAM at a Small Business
Budget and resource constraints can make implementing IAM seem out of reach for a small business. But there are affordable solutions that can provide powerful security without breaking the bank:
Leverage Cloud-Based IAM: Cloud IAM solutions are cost-effective and scalable, making them ideal for small businesses. They can also provide features like SSO, MFA, and automated user provisioning.
Start with Core Features: At the beginning, focus on essential IAM features like strong authentication and access control. Then as your business grows, you can expand your IAM capabilities.
Educate Employees: Train your team on the importance of IAM and best practices for maintaining security, such as using strong passwords and how to recognize phishing scams.
The Importance of Staying Compliant
Ensuring compliance with data protection laws is not just a best practice – it’s a legal requirement. Companies that fail to comply with regulations can face hefty fines, legal consequences, and damage to their reputations.
Any industry involving sensitive data is required to protect that data and an effective IAM strategy can help business owners navigate the demands of compliance. IAM helps businesses and organizations stay compliant in several ways:
Data Privacy: IAM solutions help enforce data privacy by ensuring only authorized users can access sensitive information.
Audit Trails: Thorough auditing capabilities allow companies to track user activities, making it easier to prove compliance with regulations.
Security Policy Enforcement: IAM allows businesses to routinely enforce security policies, reducing the risk of non-compliance.
Whether you’re a large enterprise or a small startup, investing in IAM is an essential part of smart business operations. Protecting sensitive data, improving operational efficiency, and ensuring regulatory compliance are non-negotiables, so don’t wait to implement!