Access Management Policy: Ensuring Compliant Access Control

A well-defined access management policy serves as the solution to address access gaps that often occur due to mishandling and overlooking access within the organizations. But how does it do that? In this article, we will uncover all the necessary insights to enhance your understanding of access management policy.

How do hackers get a chance to infiltrate your systems? Most of the time, they get hold of access gaps that most organizations neglect, be it small startups and mid-size businesses or enterprises. Due to this negligence, organizations become vulnerable targets of cyberattacks and suffer from data breaches, financial losses, and damage to their reputation.

So, to avoid being the target and experience the pitfalls, it's crucial to effectively manage access.

However, you need to understand that managing access in this dynamic landscape is no easy feat. While handling individual access might seem straightforward, but the complexity arises while dealing with a large user base, often leading to potential oversights.

Implementing an access management policy emerges as a strategic solution to counteract this. But what is an access management policy? Let's find out.

What Is Access Management Policy?

An Access Management Policy is a set of rules and procedures that govern how individuals or systems are granted access to resources within an organization's information systems. These resources can include sensitive data, SaaS applications, networks, and physical facilities.

Furthermore, the primary objective of an access management policy is to ensure that only authorized users have access to specific resources while preventing, detecting, and mitigating unauthorized access.

Additionally, this policy typically outlines the process for granting access, defining user roles and permissions, enforcing security measures such as authentication and authorization, and managing access privileges throughout the user lifecycle.

So basically, access management policies are crucial for maintaining data confidentiality, integrity, availability, and compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards.

But why exactly is there a need to create an access management policy?

Why Is There A Need To Create an Access Management Policy?

Identity and access management policies benefit both users and IT teams. For users, these policies offer clear guidelines on securely accessing organizations' apps, data, and networks. On the other hand, IT or security teams receive a well-defined set of rules that they can follow to manage users' access effectively.

Moreover, these policies help your IT team address numerous access management challenges, including security concerns such as

• Mitigates credential theft risks associated with weak authentication practices
• Prevents the usage of weak passwords and safeguards user credentials
• Manages security risks associated with shared accounts
• Addresses the risks associated with orphaned accounts that could be exploited in cyber-attacks
• Ensures remote access security, especially for home devices or public Wi-Fi connections
• Meets compliance through improved auditing of access requests
• Strengthen perimeter protection through streamlined access controls and a unified enterprise-wide access management policy

In short, these security policies are designed to provide clarity and reduce confusion.

Apart from that, it includes the implementation of multi-factor authentication (MFA) and privileges access management systems.

These authentication measures contribute to the protection of an organization's confidential information. Further, ultimately reducing the risk of data breaches and aiding organizations in achieving their compliance objectives.

Now, let's find out to whom the access management policy applies.

To Whom Is Access Management Policy Applicable?

Access management policy applies to both:

• Employees who are involved in accessing organizational resources.
• IT admins who are responsible for overseeing and managing user accounts and their access to data and network devices within the organization.

Simply put, the access management policy is relevant to any personnel involved in managing, controlling, or accessing data, ensuring a consistent and secure approach to access management across the organization.

Key Aspects Of Access Management Policy

Every access management policy includes the following key aspects:

1. Identification

Identification is the process of assigning a unique identifier to every individual or system within the organization. This helps your IT team make better decisions regarding appropriate access levels that should be granted to the individuals.

These identifiers must adhere to the following principles:

• Uniqueness: Each identifier, such as a user ID, is unique. It is exclusively associated with a single individual or entity.
• One Identifier per Individual: An individual is allocated a single identification number, ensuring a one-to-one relationship between individuals and identifiers.
• Non-Reassignment: Once an identifier is assigned to a specific person, it remains perpetually linked to that individual. It is never reassigned to identify another person or entity.

2. Authentication

Authentication is the process of verifying if an individual is actually who or what they claim to be. Its primary purpose is to safeguard personal and critical information while preventing the misuse of the organization's resources.

Furthermore, authentication encompasses several variations, typically categorized into three primary types:

• Something you know: The most prevalent examples include passwords, PINs, or patterns.
• Something you have: Common form includes hardware tokens, certificates, or software authenticators like Duo or Google Authenticator.
• Something you are: Often called biometric authentication, this involves forms like fingerprint readers, such as Apple's Touch ID.Multi-factor authentication (MFA) involves combining more than one authentication type, generally providing an extra layer of security by verifying the individual's identity multiple times.

Note: When only two of these types are combined, it is termed two-factor authentication (2FA).Furthermore, all systems and applications must utilize encrypted authentication methods and adhere to the following rules:

• Authentication credentials should not be included in queries or programs unless encrypted and only when no other reasonable alternative exists.
• Unique initial and strong passwords must be delivered securely and confidentially, and they must be changed upon the first login.
• Passwords shouldn't be stored in plain text or easily reversible format.
• Vendors' default or blank passwords must be promptly recognized and reset upon installation of the respective application, device, or operating system.Also, all privileged accounts need to adhere to the previously mentioned requirements. Additionally, when feasible and appropriate:
• They should support individual user authentication rather than group authentication. In cases where group accounts are needed for administrative purposes and shared passwords for such accounts are necessary, the password must be changed every ninety days.
• Devices should be configured with separate accounts for privileged and unprivileged access.
• Users should be authenticated using an unprivileged account rather than a privileged one.

3. Authorization

Authorization is the process of granting permissions to authenticated users. Through authorization, users gain the right level of access permissions (read-only, create, delete, or modify) to utilize the organization's critical SaaS app data.

Furthermore, the system or application is responsible for verifying if the user has permission to perform the requested operation.

Also, access to sensitive data needs to be strictly regulated. It should only be allowed when the data owner has provided written permission and followed proper business procedures.

Data Owners are responsible for setting up data access protocols, which should, at a minimum, include the following:

• Access request forms are required for requesting, modifying, or revoking access privileges to the organization's systems containing sensitive data.
• To meet the 'minimum necessary' (zero standing privilege)and 'least privilege' principles, when a user undergoes a role change, all accounts should be initially disabled, and privileges should be revoked. Then, they should be re-enabled with the necessary privileges for the new role.
• For new account creations and modifications to existing accounts, sections of the form must be completed and approved by:
• The person requesting access to the system
• The user's supervisor and/or department head (or designated representative)
• The Data Owner
• Account deletions should be reported promptly when workforce members are reassigned, promoted, or separated. In cases of termination with cause, deactivation should occur immediately.
• Regular reviewing needs to take place. To check if user privileges match access with their current responsibilities. If required, make changes, removals, or deactivations accordingly when access is no longer necessary.

4. Compliance

System owners must maintain well-documented access control procedures, as they will be presented before auditors during the audit. This is done to show the auditors that all the regulatory compliance requirements are adhered to.

Furthermore, they must ensure that the documented evidence of account approval, termination, and deactivation is readily accessible for auditing purposes when requested.

Now that you are familiar with the key aspects. Let's learn about the danger of not having security policies.

Risks Associated With Not Having Access Policy

The absence of an access management policy can expose an organization to several risks and challenges, including:

• Security Vulnerabilities: The absence of a defined access management policy increases the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive data and systems, creating security vulnerabilities.
• Data Breaches: Without clear access controls, there's a higher chance of data breaches where confidential information may be accessed, altered, or compromised by unauthorized users.
• Compliance Violations: Industries often have regulatory requirements for data protection and user access. Without a policy, organizations may fail to comply with these regulations, leading to potential consequences for legal non-compliance.
• Inconsistent Access Permissions: Employees may have inconsistent access permissions, raising the risk of human error, unintentional data exposure, or misuse of sensitive information.
• Increased Insider Threats: The lack of access controls makes detecting and preventing insider threats difficult, including malicious actions by employees or contractors.
• Difficulty in Auditing: Without a policy, auditing and tracking user access activities become challenging, hindering the organization's ability to identify and address security incidents.
• Higher Risk of Data Loss: Unrestricted access may result in accidental deletion, alteration, or loss of critical data, leading to operational disruptions and potential financial losses.
• Compromised Employee Productivity: Inconsistent, excessive, or additional access permissions can impede employee productivity, as they may struggle to access necessary resources or face delays in obtaining required approvals.

Establishing and enforcing an access management policy is crucial for mitigating these risks, promoting a secure and compliant environment, and safeguarding the organization's data and resources.

Now that you have understood the risks Let's consider what should be included in the access policy to address these risks.

Guidelines For A Well-Structured Access Management Policy

IAM policies can differ from organization to organization. Healthcare and banks, for instance, maintain distinct authentication and account management systems. However, the fundamental principles and structure of these security policies remain consistent.

An effective access management policy typically adheres to the following guidelines or structure:

First, you need to look through a few critical data points:

• Version History: This section records prior policy versions and details about the current version.
• Purpose/Scope: Clearly explains the goals of the policy and emphasizes why it's important.
• Audience: Specify to whom these policies are applicable and who will be liable/accountable if there is any policy violation.Once you have gathered this critical data, you can set identity and access management policies accordingly. For effective policy implementation, you need to ensure the policies align with your organization's structure. Furthermore, your policies should include the following security components:
• Access Control: Outlines rules governing login processes and account creation.
• Account Management: Specify what IT admins need to do. For example, managing account data, shared accounts, user activity logs, and recommendations for de-provisioning redundant accounts.
• Administrator/Special Access: Provides guidance to mitigate the risks associated with administrator accounts.
• Access Rights and Verification Methods: This section covers password management, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and user verification log policies.
• Privileged Access Management: Focuses on granting access while adhering to the principle of least privilege.
• Remote Access: Addresses remote connections, focusing on device security and authentication practices.
• Vendor Access: Concerns policies related to vendor access management, including third-party maintenance and support partners.
• Data Collection Rules: Aims to fulfill regulatory requirements and enhance overall security procedures.
• Exceptions: This section explains the procedure for managing situations that necessitate access in violation of set access rules. It's typically brief since the policy covers the most common scenarios.
• References: Provides information on regulatory frameworks or internal documents cited in the policy for further guidance.
• Enforcement: This section outlines the consequences for identity and access management policy breaches, encompassing internal sanctions and potential civil or criminal penalties.

Now, let's go through a few well-known examples of access management policies, which are also security requirements for many stringent compliance regulations.

Common Policies That Are Implemented In The Organization

Below are some of the access management policies implemented in the organization to manage access and maintain data integrity.

1. Role-Based Access Control

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is a policy and access control mechanism that manages user permissions based on organizational roles. In RBAC, access to resources and data is determined by a person's job function or role rather than their individual identity. This approach simplifies access management and reduces the complexity of assigning and revoking permissions for individual users.

2. Segregation of Duties

Segregation of duty (SoD), also known as separation of duty, is a policy and control mechanism designed to prevent conflicts of interest. It is done by dividing tasks and responsibilities among different individuals or roles within an organization. The fundamental concept behind SoD is to ensure that no single person has more control over critical business processes. This could lead to potential misuse of their authority or manipulate the decision-making process.

3. Principle of Least Privilege

The Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP) is a fundamental security concept and policy that provides users with a limited or minimum level of access permissions necessary to perform their daily operations. In other words, it ensures that users have the bare minimum access required to carry out their specific roles and nothing more.

4. Just-In-Time Access

Just-in-time access (JITA) is an access control policy that allows individuals to access specific apps, data, or other resources for a limited period—precisely—precisely when they need it and only for the duration of that necessity. This policy is enforced to enhance security, reduce risks, and minimize exposure to potential threats.

However, you need to opt for an efficient solution to implement these policies in your organization. Though multiple IAM tools in the market are designed to help your team enforce these critical access policies, but the one that stands out is Zluri. What is Zluri? How does it help to manage and implement access control policies? Here's a quick read-through.

Simplify Access Management Policy Enforcement Via Zluri

Enforcing access policy in today's dynamic environment can pose several challenges; for instance, IT teams need to thoroughly understand their user types, level of access, who to restrict, when to review, and more. So, to address this challenge, Zluri comes into play.

Zluri provides an access management solution that enables your IT team to enforce access management policy seamlessly. It ensures that only the right individuals gain access to organizations' SaaS apps and data, which further helps minimize the risk of potential security breaches.

It also continuously monitors access policies to verify their proper implementation. This way, your team can effectively manage, control, and govern user access rights within your organization without missing any critical steps.

To provide you with more clarity, here is a breakdown of how Zluri works:

• Assign Access Based On Roles

With Zluri's access management, your team can set access policies to specify which app, data, or resources each role can access. This helps ensure that users within a particular role can access the SaaS apps and data necessary for their job role while adhering to security guidelines.

• Separate Individual's Duties

Zluri helps your IT team separate duties, thereby eliminating the potential for manipulation during decision-making processes. This strategy safeguards and prevents issues like granting excessive permissions, over-provisioning, and conflicts of interest.

• Grant Limited Level Of Access Permissions To Employees

Upon onboarding, your IT team can verify every new employee's identity and grant them limited privileges to systems, SaaS apps, and data according to their role, position, and department. This further helps your team ensure that only the right individuals have access to applications with the right level of permissions and minimizes the risk of unauthorized access.

• Provides Just-In-Time Access

Zluri allows your IT team to securely grant employees temporary or just-in-time access to necessary applications for a specified period. Once that time is up, Zluri automatically revokes the access without any delays using its auto-remediation feature. Your IT team doesn't need to manually track and revoke access.

Note: For critical applications requiring extra precaution, your IT team can manually revoke access if needed.

• Conducts Routine Audits To Review The Access Policy Implementation & Ensure Compliance

Zluri conducts regular/periodic reviews and audits to ensure access management policies are effectively implemented. If any violation occurs, your IT team and reviewers can run deprovisioning playbooks or modify access playbooks. This way, your team can revoke or modify access permissions that don't align with the access policy.

Furthermore, Zluri also documents the entire audit process and generates audit logs and reports to show evidence that your IT team has implemented the access policy without fail. This helps meet stringent compliance requirements like SOX and ISO 27000. The above policies are one of the security requirements.

Now that you know how Zluri can be your gaming-changing solution to enforce the access management policy, why wait any longer? Book a demo now to view all the other exquisite access management capabilities. This will further help your team control, manage, and govern access effectively while improving security posture and adhering to evolving compliance standards.

Enforce Access Management Policy To Maintain A Secure Access Environment

In conclusion, the creation and enforcement of an access management policy are critical imperatives for organizations aspiring to maintain a secure and well-governed access environment.

Moreover, by either creating your own policy or adopting pre-established ones like RBAC, PoLP, JIT, and others, you can strengthen your defenses against unauthorized access, data breaches, and compliance risks. Furthermore, you can opt for solutions like Zluri’s access management to ensure effective implementation of your access management policy. Such a solution simplifies access policy implementation, monitoring, and review.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1: What Is User Management Policy?

The user management policy, a subset of the Information Security Policy (ISP-01), outlines the necessary guidelines for efficiently handling user accounts and access privileges. Its purpose is to ensure that access to the data and information systems remains limited to authorized users.

2: What Are The Four Elements Of Access Control Policy?

To understand access control policies, it's essential to comprehend four key ideas: users, actions, resources, and relationships. Users refer to the individuals utilizing the system, resources are the objects within the system requiring protection, and actions encompass the activities users can undertake on those resources.

3: What Is Network Access Control Policy?

Network access control policy, also known as network admission control, is the systematic process of restricting or limiting unauthorized devices and users from obtaining access to a private or corporate network.