As your business develops and grows, you should be increasingly concerned about the security of your IT network. Organization needs to know who accesses their network, how they are getting in, and what they are privy to once they are in – and they must be able to specify these permissions for their users. Specifically, organizations need to focus closely on identity and access management in increasingly diverse digital environments. Online and cloud-based systems mean that intruders, or well-meaning but misguided and unauthorized staff, can potentially get access to your communications systems, internal administration, web site, and financial systems, as well as any online services you provide.
Optimal access management ensures that business objectives are met efficiently. Well-managed identities securely allocate access to the relevant resources within an organization’s network, even with a complex and changing hierarchy of users. Proper authentication at the initial point of access, for one, protects proprietary information and assets; it reduces unauthorized access to corporate assets and data and the resulting financial loss from such a breach. Businesses also need to be concerned with issues such as meeting rigorous compliance requirements and meeting the needs of employees, customers, vendors, contractors and other groups of users and stakeholders.
Present-day business needs require understanding of business structure as well as technical knowledge. This means companies must deploy comprehensive systems of identity and access management (IAMs) that address both diverse needs and evolving demands. A mismanaged IAM may lead to unauthorized entry into corporate network perimeters or regulatory non-compliance, either of which could potentially lead to devastating financial loss, legal penalties, or bad publicity.
Access Must Be Granted To More Than Just Employees
Though granting employee access to company resources is one of the biggest parts of access management, they are often not the only users to need access. Other people who may need to use the company systems may include vendors and suppliers, customers, and generic or temporary administration accounts.
IAM is not simply about security. There are also financial implications. Effectively managing user identity life cycles may lower costs and increase revenue:
- There is lower cost of ownership due to improved efficiency in authorization.
- Security improvements reduce the risk of both internal and external attacks.
- Improved access to information and resources also increases productivity.
- Regulatory compliance becomes easier from a central point.
Access Management experts Cloud Access explain why you need to take care to verify who can get into your corporate systems. For more information visit cloudaccess.com.
