Managing user access across an organization is complicated without the right tools. A single misstep can expose the organization to a security breach. The right PAM solution gives you unified visibility over your entire access directory, making it easy to see who has what access and how often they need it. This helps you apply the principle of least privilege to limit damage in the event of a data breach.
Access Reporting
Good access management software allows you to create reports that provide insight into user activity and the system’s status. These reports display data in a presentable and intelligible format, allowing you to make sense of the information stored in your database. You can manipulate the data displayed in your report by sorting, grouping, and filtering. Sorting and grouping allow you to organize your data in ascending or descending order while filtering lets you select only the information that meets a specific criterion. You also have the option to view a list of all users and their associated permissions. This feature is helpful when you need to ensure that permissions for a particular role are up to date as projects progress and employees change roles.
Authentication
Authentication is verifying that a user is who they say they are. Passwords, single-use PINs, biometrics, or other methods can do this. A key consideration is ensuring the authentication tools can support the full range of your users. Consider a PAM solution that provides various authenticator capabilities to support your users, including password management, multi-factor authentication, and single sign-on. This gives you the flexibility to create and implement your authentication strategy without relying on out-of-the-box features that may not meet your business needs. Also, consider how many login attempts a system will allow before locking the account or blocking access. Too few attempts will make it easy for malicious users to brute force their way into an account. Too many, on the other hand, will frustrate legitimate users who call the help desk to reopen their accounts. This can lead to a high cost of IT tickets and lost productivity for both the business and users. A solution that supports a broad range of authentication options allows you to set a balance.
Access Control
Access control is the technology that allows for streamlined control over who can enter specific facility areas. It may be done using a card reader, biometrics, or other verification methods. It’s a vital component of security, particularly in the case of corporate spaces where confidential information can be vulnerable to attack. A few kinds of access control software are on the market, so be sure you understand your organization’s needs. For example, Privileged Access Management (PAM) software offers multi-factor authentication and granular access permissions. This helps to prevent unauthorized access to corporate data resources and services and ensures that credentials are valid. Role-based access control (RBAC) is another widely used model to manage permissions, granting people access based on their organizational roles. This decentralizes security decisions and allows administrators or resource owners to adjust permissions following established policies. Choosing an access control system that will meet your business needs now and in the future is essential. Look for a scalable solution that offers remote management capabilities to maximize efficiency.
Integrations
Many businesses have systems that need to talk to one another to streamline processes, reduce manual errors, and boost productivity. But if you’re careful, this can become simple, leading to messy data and slow, costly projects. The correct identity and access management (IAM) solution makes it easy to integrate systems, allowing your employees to use the tools they need when needed. However, there are several vital points to consider before investing in an integration tool. First, clarify your integration needs down to a very granular level. It’s important to know what data you need from each system, why that information is needed, and who needs it. Then, make sure you choose an integration tool that can handle the complexity of your data structure and avoid issues such as a single system overwriting information in another or other problems related to the underlying architecture. Finally, ensure the tool you select can handle 3rd party life cycle management, governance, strong authentication, and auditing.
Security
Security is the core of any access management system. It helps organizations authenticate and authorize users, control their permissions, and monitor and audit user logins and activity. This reduces the chance of unauthorized data breaches and insider threats, often the root cause of data breaches and other security incidents. In a world where hacking and other malicious cyberattacks are commonplace, ensuring only authorized users can access enterprise systems is critical to reducing security risks. This is especially true for sensitive data and application software like databases and network accounts. This is where Privileged Access Management (PAM) comes in. While IAM solutions focus on all users and their workstations, PAM solutions specifically manage the privileged accounts of administrators and the servers and network devices they manage. PAM software implements logical security controls, rotates credentials after every use, and automatically logs, monitors, records, and analyzes privileged access sessions and activity. This significantly reduces IT workload and increases security. It also ensures compliance with corporate policies, government regulations, and industry best practices.
