Cyber Security
Identity and Access management (IAM), is a framework of policies and technologies for ensuring that the right users in an enterprise have the appropriate access to technology resources. IAM systems fall under the overarching umbrellas of IT security and data management. Identity and access management systems not only identify, authenticate, and control access for individuals who will be utilizing IT resources, but also the hardware and applications employees need to access. Identity and access management solutions have become more prevalent and critical in recent years as regulatory compliance requirements have become increasingly more rigorous and complex.
It addresses the need to ensure appropriate access to resources across increasingly heterogeneous technology environments and to meet increasingly rigorous compliance requirements.
The terms "identity management" (IAM) and identity and access management" are used interchangeably in the area of identity access management.
Identity-management systems, products, applications and platforms manage identifying and ancillary data about entities that include individuals, computer-related hardware, and software applications.
IAM covers issues such as how users gain an identity, the roles and, sometimes, the permissions that identity grants, the protection of that identity and the technologies supporting that protection (e.g., network protocols, digital certificates, passwords, etc.).
Privileged Access Management (PAM) refers to a class of solutions that help secure, control, manage and monitor privileged access to critical assets.
To achieve these goals, PAM solutions typically take the credentials of privileged accounts – i.e. the admin accounts – and put them inside a secure repository (a vault) isolating the use of privileged accounts to reduce the risk of those credentials being stolen. Once inside the repository, system administrators need to go through the PAM system to access their credentials, at which point they are authenticated and their access is logged. When a credential is checked back in, it is reset to ensure administrators have to go through the PAM system next time they want to use the credential.
By centralizing privileged credentials in one place, PAM systems can ensure a high level of security for them, control who is accessing them, log all accesses and monitor for any suspicious activity.
PAM password vaults provides an extra layer of control over admins and password policies, as well as monitoring trails of privileged access to critical systems .
Mobile device management (MDM) is the administration of mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablet computers and laptops. MDM is usually implemented with the use of a third-party product that has management features for particular vendors of mobile devices. Though closely related to Enterprise Mobility Management and Unified Endpoint Management, MDM includes mobile information management, BYOD, mobile application management and mobile content management.
MDM is typically a deployment of a combination of on-device applications and configurations, corporate policies and certificates, and backend infrastructure, for the purpose of simplifying and enhancing the IT management of end user devices. In modern corporate IT environments, the sheer number and diversity of managed devices (and user behavior) has motivated MDM solutions that allow the management of devices and users in a consistent and scalable way. The overall role of MDM is to increase device supportability, security, and corporate functionality while maintaining some user flexibility.
Many organizations administer devices and applications using MDM products/services. MDM primarily deals with corporate data segregation, securing emails, securing corporate documents on devices, enforcing corporate policies, and integrating and managing mobile devices including laptops and handhelds of various categories. MDM implementations may be either on-premises or cloud-based.
Whether storing data at rest in your physical data center, a private or public cloud, or in a third-party storage application, proper encryption and key management are critical factors in ensuring sensitive data is protected and your organization maintains compliance.
Encryption Solution can offer granular encryption and role-based access control for structured and unstructured data residing in databases, applications, files, and storage containers. With centralized key management and a hardened root of trust, organizations can ensure their master keys are protected and data remains secure. Network Encryption solutions provide customers with a single platform to encrypt everywhere— from network traffic between data centers and the headquarters to backup and disaster recovery sites, whether on premises or in the cloud
Single-sign on (SSO) is a login method in which users have one set of credentials to access multiple applications. The main benefit of SSO is the streamlined approach. Users can access multiple services without pausing to enter new credentials.
When implementing SSO in your cybersecurity framework, it’s important to keep some potential pitfalls in mind. Widespread access through one entry point is one of the main risks of this approach. If a hacker gains entry into an SSO system, they’ll have access to all of the applications tied to that login. Similarly, if the system is compromised, users won’t be able to access any of the associated applications. With less accounts to remember and also maintain, it is often a good idea for an organization using SSO to strengthen the authentication controls by increasing the number of characters required for the password, increasing complexity requirements, account lockout policies and password reuse.
This is where multi-factor authentication comes in.
Since password guessing and login access are among the top causes of cyber attacks, additional layers of protection are essential. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) requires users to enter two or more identification factors to access an application. These pieces of information are unique to the user and challenging to guess or replicate. The MFA approach makes it more difficult for hackers or malicious parties to access sensitive data.