Data has become essential for today’s enterprises. Nearly every business process can be improved with the help of data, and holding a large haystack of data can increase the value of your business. Unfortunately, the high value of data has increased the incentive for hackers and criminal syndicates to break into corporate systems. Suffering a data breach can lead to the publication of proprietary and personal information, attempts to blackmail your company, and crippling lawsuits from stakeholders.

Improving identity and access management with Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)

Thankfully, there are a wide range of solutions that can help businesses to secure valuable proprietary data. Advanced Threat Protection is one of the most common approaches to protecting high-value systems against hacking attempts and complex malware. Read on to decide whether ATP is right for your organization.

What Is Advanced Threat Protection

ATP is a data protection strategy that focuses on actively studying and monitoring the networks, servers, and access mechanisms around sensitive information. There are many complex network security devices and applications that can be installed to enhance security, but the reality is that there is no such thing as a perfectly secure system. With enough resources, hackers can break into even the most protected networks. Instead of relying on a “leave it and forget it” approach, many organizations need to actively monitor their networks for signs of malicious activity. Countermeasures can then be implemented to prevent hackers from breaking in and to make systems more secure overall.

Strategies that involve the use of ATP utilize a wide range of products, including:

  • network devices,
  • malware protection software,
  • threat dashboards,
  • email gateways, and
  • server-side software.

The channels that are used as part of an ATP strategy help to ensure early threat detection. In this way, active countermeasures can be implemented in time to prevent a serious data breach. ATP helps to develop customized active countermeasures that are designed to be effective for a unique system. Most importantly, ATP sets up systems that enable automated software to react almost instantly to a threat with the support of security specialists.

How Is ATP Related to IAM?

Identity and access management is an important part of ATP because most data breaches occur due to unauthorized access. ATP can set up systems that are designed to detect when authorized users may be engaged in risky or nefarious activities. Some systems can also be set up to recognize when a user may be accessing a system in a suspicious manner, such as by connecting from a foreign country, using a new device, or connecting with a dormant account.

Using ATP properly can help to inform IAM professionals about activities that warrant review. In highly secure environments, ATP can be configured to automatically block authorized users from accessing systems when they exhibit unusual behavior. It can also be helpful to set up monitoring systems that provide high-quality access logs. When log files are easy to understand, IAM professionals can review them manually on a regular basis to look for suspicious activity. Visit this page to learn why you should consider an IAM certification.

Overall, ATP and IAM work harmoniously together because they both focus on active countermeasures to keep systems secure. Properly implemented ATP can reduce the chances of mistakes being made during manual IAM review and monitoring processes. ATP can also help IAM managers to audit the work quality of IAM specialists and to profile the quality of system access controls implemented throughout an organization.

Why Use ATP?

Using ATP can protect your organization’s data against what research shows to be the most common sources of unauthorized access. For instance, real-time awareness can help system administrators to disrupt and stop data breaches while they are in progress. Research has demonstrated that most serious data breaches are the result of an unauthorized user having access to a system for an extended period of time. Without properly implemented ATP, unauthorized users could be able to explore and test a system for months before finally being detected. ATP can detect unauthorized access immediately so that network administrators can revoke access privileges in a matter of seconds.

Another important reason to use ATP is that it provides network administrators with the context needed to make effective decisions. When data breaches occur, network administrators are often unknowingly aware of the activities that an unauthorized user has been conducting. However, when context is poor, administrators are often unable to recognize that the activity is potentially nefarious. ATP makes log files fully understandable and provides security specialists with powerful dashboards to recognize threats and implement an effective response.

Problems Solved by ATP

ATP solves most of the security challenges that can lead to data breaches. Some of the problems that ATP solves include:

Real-time monitoring: When ATP is implemented properly, security specialists can respond to potential data breaches before unauthorized users have enough time to study a system and steal valuable data.
Actively responding to threats: ATP facilitates rapid intervention by security specialists. Detection strategies are implemented at every touchpoint, and security specialists receive actionable alerts that enable rapid response activities.
Organizing response resources: When security specialists need to respond in a matter of minutes, there is little time for organizing resources. ATP sets up systems to automatically delegate tasks and pool resources when data breaches occur.
Identifying areas for improvement: A substantial haystack of security data is usually accumulated in the process of implementing ATP. This data helps organizations to recognize the most significant opportunities to enhance security.

Leading ATP Products

The broad range of objectives that ATP seeks to solve has led to the introduction of a diverse variety of products that help organizations to achieve their security goals. Active monitoring software is available that can help to detect threats at the hardware, software, and application layers. Threat protection software is available for end users, servers, and systems used by administrators.

Threat dashboards are also key products to use when implementing advanced threat protection. Dashboards help to organize threat information in real time so that security specialists can focus on the most significant threats. When dashboards are designed properly, they can also help system administrators to better recognize security threats.

When implementing ATP, network devices and email gateways are also crucial tools for hardening a system. These products help to safeguard systems against threats that require penetrating an organization’s network. Advanced email gateways can also help to flag emails that contain malware and suspicious files. Some ATP dashboards come with built-in sandboxing software that lets security specialists test suspicious email attachments in an end user’s environment.

Choosing and Implementing an ATP Solution

There are many different ATP solutions available in today’s marketplace because organizations vary drastically in terms of the solutions that are right in their unique situation. Large enterprises need to find solutions that match the manpower of their data security organizations and the value of data that needs to be protected. Organizations that have extremely valuable data need to implement sophisticated ATP solutions that minimize the chances of a data breach occurring. On the other hand, organizations with minimal data assets can get by with more cost-effective options.

When you choose an ATP solution, it is crucial to ensure that your organization will be able to utilize it to its full potential. Sophisticated dashboards can only help your organization if you have the talent to manage these tools effectively. In some cases, you may need to hire additional security specialists to properly implement ATP. However, once your organization has fully implemented ATP, your organization can be made impervious to data breaches.

Identity and access management certifications

The following identity and access management vendor list includes IAM vendors and security companies in the technology and software space.

Many attacks take advantage of various vulnerabilities in software applications which require secure software development best practices in the SDLC such as patching to prevent and detect cyberattacks. A Secure Software Development Framework (SSDF) is a set of guidelines outlining secure as well as efficient software development techniques. In the April 2020 NIST Cybersecurity Whitepaper, an efficient SSDF is divided into the following categories:

  • Prepare the Organization (PO)
  • Protect the Software (PS)
  • Produce Well-Secured Software (PW)
  • Respond to Vulnerabilities (RV)
Secure Software Development Best Practices

Secure Software Development Best Practices

Alternatively, in their April 2018 whitepaper “Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity”, the outline includes the following steps: Identify (ID), Protect (PR), Detect (DE), Respond (RS), and Recover (RC). While the steps essentially follow the same process of finding, addressing, and recovering from vulnerabilities, some steps are consolidated to simplify the processes.

Preparing the Organization (PO)

The first step in secure software development best practices is to prepare the organization using the system for any security risks as well as the range of functionality designed to protect them. A well-prepared organization is less likely to make critical security errors that cause harm to their clients’ sensitive data. An informed organization will also be well-trained in order to deal with any system malfunctions that may arise in a timely manner. Factors of a well-structured organization include clearly defined roles and responsibilities that dictate each developer’s specific designations, as well as ample amounts of tools and resources to make implementation easier and more secure for the development team.

Defining Security Requirements (PO1)

It is vital that software developers understand the security risks that they face before starting the development process, in order to develop around them. Software developed with all relevant security risks and legality in mind will be better suited for security and compliance, ensuring the safety of all parties involved.

Implementing Clear Roles and Responsibilities (PO2)

A clear set of roles and responsibilities makes the development process more efficient as well as more transparent. Any malfunctions in the system can be more easily traced back to the source if the members of the development team are held accountable. Accountability also enables developer roles to be updated in accordance with their work. In an organization where everyone’s roles are evaluated and updated accordingly, the team will work more efficiently and logically.

Implementing a Supporting Toolchain (PO3)

Organizations can implement automated toolchains to enable more secure and accurate security protocols for their developers. The process of automation relieves humans from needing to constantly survey and update the system. Toolchains may be implemented at any level of development (system-wide or simply localized to one project) to assist in the software security process.

Defining Criteria for Software Security Checks (PO4)

Even with automation, it is necessary to manually verify the system on occasion. The checker must know what the code should look like and how it should function, what data should be on it, and be able to identify major security risks. Any accessible data should be used to strengthen this process.

Protecting Software (PS)

During the development cycle, it is critical that all precautions are taken in order to protect the software being worked on. The threats software faces range from internal leaks of private code to attacks on networks to steal data. The code and network must be watched to ensure nothing like this can happen.

Protecting Code from Tampering (PS1)

Code must be protected from unauthorized tampering at all times. This tampering can be malicious in nature, such as a developer looking to steal or leak private software or just ignorant, such as a developer unintentionally adding code that creates a security risk. In order to prevent unauthorized tampering, hierarchical systems of authority can be implemented so that only certain levels of developer can access the entire code, or specific necessary lines. Developers may utilize version control features to review every change made the code or prevent someone from making a new version with authorization.

Providing a Mechanism for Verifying Software Integrity (PS2)

A mechanism must be implemented and made available to the public to verify a software’s legitimacy. This helps consumers ensure that the software they’re using is legitimate and hasn’t been tampered with. This verified integrity creates a level of trust between the consumer and the software, as well as the developers who made it.

Archiving and Protecting Each Software Release (PS3)

After each update or new release of a software, it is necessary to archive and store the code in a secure manner. This prevents tampering with old code as well as securing existing code to check its legitimacy. If a code repository is stored offline or safely on a third-party system, developers can crosscheck the current version against an archive to ensure the code has not been tampered with at all.

Producing Well-Secured Software (PW)

After implementing a secure archiving protocol, scanning to the code for malicious lines or tampering, and preparing a development team for the security obstacles they may face, it is crucial to ensure the software itself is produced securely.

Designing Software to Mitigate Security Risks (PW1)

In order to make the software development process more secure, each component must be checked for security requirement compliance and any additional risks. All risks posed by the software in question must be figured out and solved before finalization. The software’s design should be able to safely avoid security risks in an efficient manner by determining when the security measures can be waived or relaxed.

Reviewing Software Design to Ensure Compliance with Security Requirements (PW2)

During development, the software should be checked to make sure it complies with the organization’s safety standards as well as local regulation. Compliance under both of these categories guarantees a decrease in vulnerability. These checks must be done by an independent third party that had no hand in the software development for fairness and integrity. This prevents tampered or unsafe code from being approved and brings a fresh perspective.

Verifying Third Party Software to Ensure Compliance (PW3)

If any third-party software is being deployed–whether it be in conjunction with the developed software or as a separate mechanism entirely–it must also be checked for security and regulatory compliance. If the third-party development is in communication with the main organization, the organization must make the third party aware of all necessary security and legislative procedures before development. If the organization is acquiring existing software, they must check its compliance themselves.

Reusing Existing Secured Software (PW4)

In order to lower the cost of development, the developer organization may acquire existing software if it has been secured and checked for non-compliant code. The code may come from any source (private, open source, commissioned) but they all fall under the same security requirements. Developers may also modify code or build on it to better integrate it into their module.

Creating Source Code that Complies with Code Security (PW5)

Another practice to reduce costs during the development period is secured source code. If the source code isn’t well developed with security in mind, it negates the influence of the previous steps. When vulnerabilities are weeded out early in the development cycle, it saves resources down the line. This step requires coders to analyze their own human-readable code numerous times while scrutinizing it, testing it, and doing further research into their methods. Sometimes, it can also be helpful to have a different coder test and analyze the code for full clarity and trust.

Configuring Build Process to Improve Executable Security (PW6)

Another cost reduction factor in the development process is to verify the code’s security before testing begins. Usually, a mechanism is implemented in the build and execution process to measure software security before the testing even begins. Removing any potential security violations before the testing process saves immense amounts of time and money, as less unknown problems have to be dealt with later on.

Reviewing Code to Verify Compliance (PW7)

Before deploying software, it is vital that developers check for weaknesses that could be exploited upon release. Depending on the organization, the checking process may be automated for speed and efficiency or manually to ensure exact precision. All security checks, whether automated or not, must be performed in conjunction with the organization’s security practices as well as local regulation.

Testing Code to Verify Compliance (PW8)

After the testing process is complete, any executable code must be reviewed for vulnerabilities before deployment. The organization in charge of development must determine which type of executable code testing is right for their purposes. The tools for checking must be designed by the organization to ensure security requirements are met.

Configuring the Software to Have Security Settings Defaulted (PW9)

To ensure the highest caliber of security, the most secure settings of a software should be enabled by default. This reduces the risk of exploitation upon installation of the software by protecting the uninformed user. The default group of settings should be made known to the security administrators who can verify if the settings are appropriate for the organization or not. All parties agreeing on the most secure settings from installation not only protects the consumer upon installation, but the software and development team as well.

Responding to Vulnerabilities (RV)

The most critical step of the secure software development best practices and cycle is reduction and response to vulnerabilities found in the source code. Some vulnerabilities are inherent to how the code is built or executed, so the proper action may be to respond to it with a solution instead of removing it entirely. This response can be addressed in a security setting that is enabled by default or some other authorization mechanism that prevents an exploit from being used.

Identifying and Confirming Vulnerabilities on an Ongoing Basis (RV1)

Even after release of the software, it is necessary for the development team to regularly check for vulnerabilities. This ensures that existing exploits are found quickly and before anyone else can find them. It also allows new exploits to be discovered immediately after every version release. With the data gathered in this step, a team should be prepared to analyze the code and respond in a timely matter to any discrepancies that are found.

Assessing, Prioritizing, and Remediating Vulnerabilities (RV2)

After identification of a vulnerability, the next step in the secure software development best practices is to analyze the problem and devise a solution as quickly as possible, to deter exploits. The analysis of a vulnerability should aim to gather as much relevant data as possible to understand the issue. After sufficient evidence is collected, a remediation plan must be devised to deal with the situation. Depending on the type of vulnerability as well as the severity, the plan may include removal of the code that created the exploit, additional code being implemented to fix it, or some alternative mechanism to alleviate the pressure presented by the exploit.

Analyze Vulnerabilities to Identify Their Root Causes (RV3)

After a plan has been set in place to deal with vulnerabilities that have been identified, a software plan must also be put in place to ensure a similar occurrence won’t happen in the future. First, the root causes of the issue must be identified to understand the nature of the issue. If the problem occurs in other ways throughout the code, the rest of the code must be checked to ensure another vulnerability doesn’t exist. The secure software development best practices in the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) process may also be updated to prevent any similar future occurrences.

Certified Identity Management Professional (CIMP) certification
Get Certified in Identity Management

In our evolving and interconnected digital economy, distributed digital identity and decentralized identifiers are changing the way identities are managed. Distributed Digital Identity (DDI) helps facilitate the verification and authentication of identity and management of personal information on the blockchain.

The idea behind DDI is very simple, yet very powerful: it removes the need to rely on an external third party for managing your digital identity and eliminates the need for centralized control. Users can create their own digital identity using decentralized identifiers (DIDs), which are stored on a blockchain. They can then use their digital tokens to identify themselves, prove ownership of assets, and selectively share personal data with others for a predetermined period of time with automated smart contracts.

Decentralized Identifier (DID)

DIDs are unique, highly available, and verifiable digital identifiers which can represent any subject such as a person or organization, and are part of the core component of a decentralized public key infrastructure (DPKI). There are many ways to authenticate an identity some of which may be more private than others such as zero knowledge authentication. One of the most secure and popular options is using a digital token which has unique strings in the realm of distributed digital identity and decentralized identifier. These digital tokens can be used for identification purposes as well as access, transactions, and activity tracking.


With DID, users are able to use their digital tokens as identification tokens for their identities on the blockchain. Users could create distributed IDs that contain all of their personal information (such as name, gender, email address, etc.) and prove their identity with no third-party involvement. In other words, there’s no need for a central authority like a bank or credit card company to create or manage user identities. One of the most popular platforms for DIDs is EOS which lets users on the Ethereum network easily create and manage their own digital tokens. Using this technology, people can easily make transactions and provide proof of identity or ownership of assets, like cars or houses.

Creating a Distributed Digital Identity

In order to manage your digital identity on a blockchain, you’ll need to set up a digital wallet with “smart contract” functionality for your identity. A smart contract is a piece of software program that runs on the network that can be used to create a specific agreement between two parties. After the setup, you can access and manage your digital identity using your own digital identity wallet.

Creating a digital identity on a blockchain is simple and requires no expensive tools or software. Here’s how:


Create a wallet – Download a digital wallet application and create an account. A wallet is a digital space where you can store your personal data, assets, and key information. One of the open-source tools used for storing your identity and managing accounts on the Ethereum blockchain is MyCrypto. The wallet has a built-in browser that allows you to easily sign in with any device, as well as provide additional security features like private keys and fingerprint scanning for extra protection.

Create your identity on the blockchain – You’ll need to choose which type of personal data you want to add and enter it into the wallet so that your identity can be stored securely on the blockchain.

Use your new identity – Once your identity has been set up on the platform, you can use it in any way you please. This means that if someone wants to validate your identity, access your information, transact with you, or pay you using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency from an online wallet, they can send it directly to your account without having to worry about being hacked or stolen data.

Digital Identity Authentication

To authenticate using a digital identity, you have to have a private key that matches your public key. Your wallet is your personal information hub. It contains your public address and keystore file. This is where you store your identity on the blockchain. Your private key encrypts personal information. This ensures that no 3rd party or central authority can access it or cause identity theft and unauthorized transactions. When persons try to identify themselves using your public key, the verification process will compare that with the private key. If they’re identical, then they’ll be authenticated! This process ensures that the holder of the private key is the only one who can access the digital ID, which in turn guarantees its authenticity.

When someone requests your credentials for authentication, you can decide whether or not you want to share your info with them. If you choose not to share, the person requesting it will not be able to interact with your account in any way – but if you share your authenticating credentials, they will be granted permission to interact with your account on a limited basis (i.e., view) or on an unlimited basis (i.e., edit).

Limited (view) offers permission to authorized parties to view your information. This way, you’re ensuring that no unauthorized parties can access your personal information.
Unlimited(edit) is when someone can edit or delete your personal information/files as long as they are able to access your decentralized account.

What is Decentralized Identity Verification?

Decentralized ID verification allows others to verify an identity while keeping personal information private with a blockchain-based digital ledger. The digital identity or token is verified by others on the blockchain network so that everyone can trust that you are the rightful owner of your account, identity, or any other important information.

What is identity proofing?

Identity proofing is a process that allows you to prove your identity on the blockchain. Your identity will be stored in a secure data structure called a public ledger. You’ll be able to share your identity publicly without worrying about disclosing sensitive information. Once you create a DDI token on the blockchain, you can verify your identity and showcase proof of your identity and ownership of digital assets. These include photos, receipts, documents, and other things that are stored in the digital universe. You can also control access to private information such as who can view it and for how long.

Distributed Digital Identity Applications

In our expanding decentralized world, DDIs are applied for:

Payments – Payments are a big part of our digital economy and DDI is a way for consumers and businesses to take advantage of blockchain technology to facilitate payments in a private, secure, and fast manner.
Identity management – Digital identities can be used to seamlessly manage online presence. Users can manage their own identities without giving away privacy, and businesses can manage access and monitor activity on a platform without accessing personal information.
Business transactions and contracts – If you need to prove that you own a business or a certain asset (such as a car), you can do so by proving your identity and ownership of the asset on the blockchain through DDI.
Data storage and transfer management – You can use DDI to ensure that your information stays safe, private, and secure.
Digital asset exchange – You can use DDI to trade products directly on the blockchain without having to go through any third-party intermediaries such as payment gateways or exchanges that control credit card details or other sensitive data.

Distributed Digital Identity Benefits

Some of the benefits of DDIs to an Individual or an organization include:

Data Privacy – One of the primary benefits of using DDI is that your personal data is secure, private, and can’t be accessed by anyone else. If others want to access your data, they will have to get your permission for access. This means that if you’re on vacation or away from your computer, you wouldn’t have to worry about someone hacking into your computer/phone and accessing your personal information. With DDI, everyone has a copy of the same information stored on the blockchain. This means that no one can go into your wallet and steal anything valuable, because everyone’s account is tied together and it takes too much work for anyone to try and hack all of them.
Security and Confidentiality – In an age where identity theft is an increasingly common occurrence, we must be aware of the risks that come with centralized identity management. DDI prevents this risk and ensures safety and security by providing a way to create your own unique digital identity that is discrete from your real-world identity. It also helps you avoid the free “fake” digital IDs available on the market today. These are made up of stolen data and can’t be verified.
Scalability – Using DDIs, a business doesn’t have to handle data storage and distribution. Instead, the blockchain automatically stores records of who created them, when they were created, and their ownership. This allows for a high degree of scalability.
Blockchain Interoperability – Blockchain technology is becoming more and more popular as a way to secure transactions. The Ethereum blockchain, for example, allows users to create “Turing-Complete” decentralized applications that can be used on other blockchains. This interoperability of the various blockchains makes it easy to integrate with companies and services that use blockchain technology.
Cost Savings – Small businesses don’t need to maintain a corporate database for the company employees thus can save money on personnel and administrative costs. In some cases, the need for credit checks and potential background verification for employees may also disappear.

How to Protect Your Digital Identity

To protect your decentralized identifier you can practice the following digital identity security tips.

  • Avoid public Wi-Fi
  • Avoid unprotected webpages
  • Update your software regularly
  • Review permissions

Conclusion

The adoption of distributed or decentralized digital identity is something that is inevitable while the industry works out issues such as blockchain interoperability. Everyone wants to self-manage their own identity details without compromising privacy or security. This means that in a self-sovereign identity scheme, identity owners can authenticate themselves without disclosing personal data, share private information at will and selectively with anyone for a predetermined period of time, prove ownership of assets, and use their portable identity across many devices and platforms. Also, businesses may benefit from a lower risk of a data breach as they do not maintain a centralized database of employee and customer identities while ensuring stronger authentication, system security, activity tracking, and transparency. Distributed digital identity and decentralized identifiers are the future of identity and access management. Consider one of the IMI certifications that meets your needs.

identity and access management certification

 

An identity management system is an invaluable tool for organizations. To maintain data security, key characteristics of identity and access management solutions must be considered and access must be governed using flexible and granular control methods. The process is too intricate to handle manually, so enterprises need to seek solutions with features designed to address today’s multifaceted access requirements.

key characteristics of identity and access management system tools and solutions

Equipped for Emerging Security Trends

Trends in cybersecurity and IAM are always evolving. From the slow demise of passwords to the increasing implementation of zero-trust security, current trends can be seen as predictors of more changes to come. As new devices appear on the market and users begin to access systems in new and different ways, enterprises will require adaptable, responsive IAM solutions.

Therefore, flexibility is key when choosing identity management software. Solutions must not only be equipped for the business needs of today but also be able to handle future enterprise access requirements. This includes IAM coverage for evolving user access behaviors and technology with the sensitivity to identify and protect against new threats.

Compatibility and Integration

Introducing any new software into an enterprise system creates the potential for conflicts between platforms. IAM solutions must be tested to ensure compatibility and prevent potential problems arising from inefficient access management. If conflicts do occur, a different solution may be required. Alternatively, there may be a need to upgrade existing systems to support newer IAM technology and remove the security loopholes often found in legacy systems.

Relevance is another important consideration. Identity and access management solutions must do more than support a specific type of login method or send security alerts to the IT department. A truly agile platform will perform multiple roles within a company’s larger security framework to address all aspects of a robust IAM strategy while facilitating a positive user experience.

Mobile-Ready Access Control

Enterprises are still coming to grips with the number of user-owned devices accessing their networks. These devices represent significant security concerns, especially in the hands of employees without a strong grasp of security best practices. While employee education remains an important aspect of every cybersecurity strategy, identity management solutions can mitigate threats by allowing for detailed behavioral and contextual access control.

The “anywhere, anytime” nature of mobile device use necessitates the creation of secure access parameters. Enterprises require the ability to define appropriate access based on:

• Device type
• Day and time
• Location

Putting limitations in place minimizes the risk of unauthorized access and simplifies the detection of unusual access behaviors.

Numerous Identity Verification Options

Every identity verification method has drawbacks, some of which are still being discovered. Identity management solutions address this problem by offering flexible login options that incorporate multiple methods of identity verification.

Multi-factor authentication is the most common approach for access control and may combine factors such as:

• Passwords
• Biometrics
• One-time passwords
• Email links
• Authenticator applications

In networks handling a great deal of sensitive data or where privileged access is necessary for specific roles, additional verification should be required for high-risk access requests.

Comprehensive Analytics

Analytics are integral to many enterprise systems, including identity management. Identity analytics reveal how users access and interact with networks, which provides essential information for clarifying roles and honing access policies. Any vulnerabilities and potential threats that come to light can be fixed immediately.

Where breach activity is concerned, analytics reveal direct correlations between user identities and security incidents. Enterprises can use this information to improve security frameworks and address problems arising from employee ignorance and malicious insider threats. Because prevention is less costly than doing damage control after a breach, applying analytics in this way can be a significant cost-saving measure.

Analytics also play an important role in compliance. Data collected by the system enables more detailed security and access audits, so enterprises are better able to identify areas of noncompliance and implement solutions to avoid fines and penalties.

Fast Incident Alerts and Responses

Breach activity can go undetected for months in networks without appropriate IAM solutions. Putting tools in place to detect and prevent the escalation of suspicious behavior protects enterprises from the crippling consequences of breaches. The moment potential breach activity is detected, identity management software should automatically respond with an appropriate interim defense while an alert is sent to the security team.

Artificial intelligence improves the sensitivity of breach detection within IAM frameworks. This allows for flexible access control, custom alerts and greater detail when defining roles. AI systems trained using robust data sets are better able to detect unusual access behaviors and deploy protective measures without raising unnecessary red flags.

Identity management software is an essential component of modern enterprise security frameworks. When businesses consider key characteristics of identity and access management solutions and deploy the right IAM tools and services, IT teams are able to monitor and respond to suspicious behavior more effectively, thus reducing the risk of breach activity and maintaining the integrity of both networks and the critical data they handle.

Identity and access management certifications