How can organizations ensure their IAM systems are resilient to cyber attacks?
Learn from the community’s knowledge. Experts are adding insights into this AI-powered collaborative article, and you could too.
This is a new type of article that we started with the help of AI, and experts are taking it forward by sharing their thoughts directly into each section.
If you’d like to contribute, request an invite by liking or reacting to this article. Learn more
— The LinkedIn Team
Identity and access management (IAM) systems are crucial for protecting the data and resources of organizations from unauthorized access and misuse. However, IAM systems are also vulnerable to cyber attacks that can compromise their integrity, availability, and confidentiality. How can organizations ensure their IAM systems are resilient to cyber attacks? Here are some best practices to follow.
The first step is to identify and assess the potential risks and threats to the IAM system, such as phishing, credential theft, privilege escalation, denial of service, or data breach. This can help prioritize the most critical assets and processes, and establish the appropriate level of security controls and policies. A risk assessment should also consider the legal and regulatory requirements, the business objectives, and the user expectations.
-
Christina S.
In my experience, Multi factor authentication must be enabled for accessing privileged applications to lessen business impact risk associated with misuse of access or stolen credentials. Another option is to utilize solutions like Safenet Secure Access or YubiKeys
-
Sandeep G Kutty
KPMG UK - Senior Manager Internal Controls - Tech Risk Consulting
IAM solution should have a password vaulting solution and also ensure appropriate controls around non human accounts. Don't skip User access review for IAM Periodic reviews of interface with other applications and third party with IAM
One of the most effective ways to prevent unauthorized access is to implement multi-factor authentication (MFA), which requires users to provide more than one piece of evidence to verify their identity, such as a password, a code, a biometric, or a token. MFA can reduce the risk of credential theft, phishing, or brute force attacks, and increase the confidence and trust of the users. MFA should be applied to all access points, especially those that involve sensitive data or high privileges.
-
Can Deger
Lead Security Advisor / Consultant / Architect / Pre Sales Engineer / Trainer
One time at work, we had a close call with a brute force attack. It was a wakeup call. From then on, multi-factor authentication (MFA) became our best buddy. It's like having a bouncer at the door asking for ID, plus a secret handshake. So, someone tries to log in, they need their password, and then a code sent to their phone, or a fingerprint. It's a simple way to double-check. It's tougher for the bad guys but gives peace of mind to the good guys. And let’s not skimp – put MFA on all the doors, especially where the crown jewels are kept. It’s like adding an extra lock where it matters most, making it a lot harder for the sneaky folks to get in.
-
Rider S.
Segurança da Informação | Segurança Cibernética | Governança | Riscos | Compliance | Conscientização | Proteção de Dados
Na minha experiência, a implementação de autenticação multifator é controle primário para diminuir o risco de ataques cibernéticos. Já vivi tentativas de ataque força bruta sem sucesso devido a MFA habilitado.
Another key practice is to monitor and audit the activities and events related to the IAM system, such as login attempts, password changes, access requests, role assignments, or policy violations. This can help detect and respond to any suspicious or anomalous behavior, such as multiple failed logins, unauthorized access, or privilege abuse. Monitoring and auditing can also provide valuable insights and feedback for improving the IAM system performance and security.
-
🔺Archie Jackson 🔺
➖ Global Head of IT & Cybersecurity ➖ 23 Yrs in Technology & Security ➖ APAC's Consecutive Top Ranked Cyber Security Evangelist ➖ Researcher ➖ Trusted Advisor ➖ Left-handed Right Brain Critical Thinker ➖ Opportunist ➖
Monitoring and auditing activities and events related to IAM systems are integral to maintaining a robust security posture. By expanding the scope of monitoring, implementing real-time alerting and response, incorporating UEBA, and emphasizing continuous monitoring, organizations can better detect and respond to potential threats. Robust logging and retention policies, effective reporting and analysis, integration with IAM systems, and user training are essential components of a holistic approach to security. By adopting these additional points, organizations can proactively enhance their IAM security, reduce risks, and protect sensitive data and assets effectively.
-
Siddharth Kantroo
Sr. Manager at Deloitte U.S. offices
Effective alert monitoring and notification is the backbone of threat identification and timely mitigation for any organization. However, with organizations facing large amounts of incoming alerts within their security operations center (SOC), it has become challenging for organizations to separate actual alert from the noise. Moreover, the whole process of alert identification and validation is time-consuming and hence causes delays in remediation/mitigation efforts. Organizations need to have robust use case drive monitoring with automated IAM alert identification and validation in place to separate noise from the actual alert, thus enabling rapid remediation/mitigation efforts for IAM domain use cases.
A common cause of cyber attacks is the exploitation of vulnerabilities and flaws in the IAM system software or hardware. Therefore, it is essential to update and patch the system regularly and promptly, to fix any bugs, errors, or weaknesses that could be exploited by attackers. Updating and patching can also enhance the functionality and compatibility of the system, and ensure compliance with the latest standards and regulations.
-
🔺Archie Jackson 🔺
➖ Global Head of IT & Cybersecurity ➖ 23 Yrs in Technology & Security ➖ APAC's Consecutive Top Ranked Cyber Security Evangelist ➖ Researcher ➖ Trusted Advisor ➖ Left-handed Right Brain Critical Thinker ➖ Opportunist ➖
Regularly updating and patching the IAM system is a fundamental practice in securing access and preventing vulnerabilities from being exploited by cyber attackers. By emphasizing the importance of timeliness, testing and validation, automation, and clear vendor communication, organizations can enhance their security posture while minimizing the risks associated with the update and patching process. Rollback plans, compliance with regulations, supply chain security considerations, and comprehensive documentation are essential components of a holistic approach to securing the IAM system effectively.
-
Muhammad Kashif
Senior Manager Advisory / Service Head BCM & Org Resilience
I have experienced that there are few areas that are interconnected and easy to manage if planned well with adequately formal process / procedural documentation as follows: 1. IT Asset Management and Asset Register that covers all the systems. 2. Each component in the IT Asset Register must be having unique ID and labelled with its Criticality classification. 3. Periodic Patch Management process and pratice must be present. 4. An effective End of Life Process that ensure time support of the systems phasing out the retiring systems.
Finally, one of the most important practices is to educate and train the users of the IAM system, such as employees, customers, or partners. Users are often the weakest link in the security chain, as they may fall victim to social engineering, phishing, or other types of attacks that target their credentials or personal information. Therefore, users should be aware of the IAM policies and procedures, the best practices for creating and managing passwords, and the signs and responses to potential attacks.
-
Omar Elwy
Information Security GRC Head @ eFinance | FinTech | CISM | ISO 27001 & 27701 LI | CCISO | Communications Engineer
Awareness and training is the first step any organisation needs to focus on. Users are always the weakest link. Implement a comprehensive security awareness program and measure user responses regularly.
-
Sena YAKUT
Senior Cloud Security Engineer | AWS Community Builder
For the IAM side, everything starts with education. Cyber security awareness about phishing, company password policy, MFA enabling, and access control mechanisms are some of the most important things for each employee in a company. We are always the weakest chain as users. We need to understand the importance of the training and be aware of cyber threats.
-
Dana S.
While multifactor authentication has long been the norm, the evolving threat landscape demands that enterprises evolve their IAM (Identity and Access Management) practices accordingly. Passwordless authentication is emerging as the contemporary IAM approach, offering heightened security, decreased susceptibility to credential theft, enhanced user convenience, alleviation of password-related concerns, compliance alignment, and adaptability to future cybersecurity challenges. This method relies on factors like biometrics or physical devices instead of traditional passwords, delivering a more secure, user-friendly solution that can seamlessly adapt to evolving cybersecurity threats.
-
Michael Meyer
Husband, Business Coach, AI Advocate, Solutions Architect, Business Owner, Car Nerd, Optimist
Implementing Conditional Access policies allow for organizations to restrict access to systems based on user location, device health, and even time of login, as well as additional expansive criteria. Adding additional features such as Conditional Access adds another layer of features tailored to your organization's needs.