There is no sign that threat actors will stop exploiting identity. With identity-based vulnerabilities increasing as a result of recent technology advancements, businesses are quickly learning how to keep their networks secure. An essential component of this process will be the development of new approaches to Identity and Access Management (IAM).
People verify their identities so often that actions like giving out Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and verifying a login attempt have become second nature. All of them serve as reminders that identity is the cornerstone of cybersecurity and can, therefore, be used by hackers as a major attack vector. Multifactor Authentication and password managers are just a couple of the solutions that can stop hackers from infiltrating companies and stealing critical data using the identities of their victims. However, these tools aren’t as widely used as they should be since identity protection is frequently siloed, putting entire networks at risk from a single entry point.
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Due to this, many businesses are pursuing a more thorough security architecture that will enable them to systematize their Identity Access Management and simultaneously fight numerous threat vectors.
Today, cybersecurity platforms of companies have to be more automated, adaptive, and distributed, which is why they are increasingly implementing adaptable IAM systems that provide protection at every level.
Identity Is a Major Attack Vector
Cybercriminals target IAM systems for a variety of reasons, including their vulnerability to user behavior, the multiplicity of attack vectors provided by fragmented cloud apps, and the ease with which threat actors can breach entire networks with a single access point. It’s not surprising that the top action variation in breaches, according to the “2022 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report,” is the use of stolen credentials.
The increase in devices and cloud-based services used by employees for work, and the continued emphasis on hybrid and remote work, make this challenge even more essential. Siloed IAM systems have grown even riskier when employees log in to their work accounts from remote offices and all over the world, sometimes utilizing unprotected Wi-Fi.
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The Risks of Siloed IAM and Poor Cybersecurity Hygiene
One of the biggest cybersecurity risks that any business faces is human behavior, and a weak IAM security architecture is one of the key causes. IAM is more crucial than ever in a time when businesses use multiple clouds together with a wide variety of devices and apps. However, depending on individual users and disjointed security measures significantly raise the risk of a compromise.
Many employees fail to use the numerous digital tools that can make applications and other cloud-based services safer. Developing protocols for the entire range of apps and devices that employees use is expensive and ineffective, and it is impractical for businesses to redevelop all of their legacy applications to comply with new security requirements. Because they lack the standardized, robust security architecture required to safeguard their networks and systems, many businesses feel stuck with a status quo that makes them vulnerable to cyber-attacks. But as IAM frameworks quickly evolve, this perception is changing.
The Development of Orchestrated IAM
Distributed workforces, digitization, and a plethora of cloud-based apps are just a few of the factors that are causing enterprises to review their IAM frameworks. Although these advancements ought to encourage businesses to develop IAM systems that are more adaptive, coherent, and comprehensive, however, they often have the opposite effect. Companies are making even more erratic decisions as they try to keep up with new technological advancements and the evolving cyber-threat scenario.
Businesses should evolve their IAM infrastructure to make it more resilient, secure, distributed, and composable. To address the question of who has access to what, the company should construct an identity fabric with a standards-based connector structure across various computing environments, regardless of where the resources and users are situated. A unified and orchestrated platform that enables businesses to improve identity security across users and apps is the solution to siloed IAM solutions.
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