Data lifecycle management and user identity governance have become even more fundamental to control user visibility and access for secure remote operations.
Identity governance suddenly moved on from just being about who has access to what, where, how, and why the access has been granted. The identity lifecycle has enabled secure access to data throughout the vulnerable remote working situation.
Identity governance mechanism differs with work-from-home
Before the pandemic, when people were working from protected office perimeter, on secure systems – identity governance was not really that big a consideration. But now how and why the access has been granted remains a critical consideration for data governance. And, for many organizations, this could mean rethinking governance and instituting new controls and also comply with more stringent security requirements.
Edge Computing vs. Cloud Computing – the Choice Gets Tougher with Remote Working
Also, enterprises have been actively moving to secure access management in remote settings, especially moving in the direction of VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure). These virtually connect endpoints at users’ homes to security systems to safeguard sensitive data. With VDI, data is easily accessible to users to see and interact with, but it’s never stored on their endpoints. This is crucial to ensure that the data remains under the organization’s protected perimeter, where it’s not ever exposed to the access risks associated with the remote users.
Data Lifecycle management is vital to ease of the processes for granting access
Organizations need to focus on the impact of the sudden transition to remote working and how it has changed the process for granting access to data. Organizations that were merely relying on the basic password-username combination for on-site authentication need to now adjust to the lifecycle process – where how long the data can be stored, viewed, or accessed is pre-defined. This will ensure that when someone requests access to sensitive data, there will be automatic multi-factor authentication (MFA) checks. Also, it is completely reasonable to consider additional certification or training for those accessing sensitive data from a remote location.
Recognizing that organizations globally are still struggling to settle into the new routine of remote work, it is critical to prioritize identity governance and lifecycle management. Especially considering the fact that some organizations are looking at the remote workforce as a permanent solution even after the urgency has passed.
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A change of approach towards business security can actually help organizations to respond effectively to the required transition to remote working. Security should remain the top priority as organizations continue to experience for the foreseeable circumstances – struggling to maintain business continuity, security, growth, and profitability.
