When an organization expands its infrastructure, the complexity of its security increases in proportion, owing to factors such as cloud adoption, SaaS expansion, and multi-cloud environments. Remote work, which remains a popular work mode for many companies, poses its own set of risks, including a lack of secure home networking, antivirus, and Internet security software. In current times, identity is the primary attack surface, so it should be the primary focus for companies seeking to maintain strong security while scaling their infrastructure.
The Unique Vulnerabilities Caused by Infrastructure Growth
As businesses adopt new systems, applications, and cloud services, the number of user identities increases. Without due care, growth can lead to problems such as overprivileged accounts, in which users are granted more access than they strictly need. Additional issues include misconfigured permissions (in which too much or too little access is granted), shadow IT (when staff use apps, devices, or cloud services that are not approved or monitored by the IT department), and dormant accounts (in which user accounts exist even if they are no longer used). Organizations seeking to scale quickly or adopt new technologies may prioritize speed over security, thereby making identities more valuable to attackers. Modern organizations are therefore embracing a multilayered approach to cybersecurity.
Maintaining Continuous Visibility
Organizations that expand their operations and embrace hybrid or remote work models can benefit from continuous identity visibility, which involves continuous monitoring of user and system activity. Identity security posture management is one of the most robust forms of security, since it helps organizations identify excessive permissions, risky configurations, and hidden vulnerabilities. This is especially useful at a time when workloads run across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and hundreds of SaaS platforms. Users may authenticate from numerous locations. As such, continuous visibility into their identity attack surface is vital. Today, periodic audits have been replaced with always-on posture assessments that flag misconfigurations before attacks occur.
Controlling Access and Permissions
Organizations seeking to ensure their clients’ sensitive data is kept safe must avoid granting excessive privileges to users. Tight control of access and strict permissions, including least-privilege access and role-based access control (RBAC), can reduce unnecessary access rights. Companies must also conduct regular permission audits, removing unnecessary access rights and using temporary privileged access rather than permanent administrator permissions. For instance, an employee who changes departments may no longer need access to the files or software used by their former department.
Reducing Risks of Shadow IT
Shadow IT occurs when employees use unauthorized software, cloud platforms, devices, or online services without obtaining approval from their IT department. They may do so to enhance their productivity or perform additional functions, without fully comprehending the security risks involved. For instance, they may use a browser extension that requests excessive permissions or rely on unauthorized password managers, preventing their IT colleagues from monitoring data, controlling user access, or verifying whether the software is inherently risky. Organizations can manage this risk by combining staff training, clear policies, and continuous visibility into all tools being used by staff. For instance, IT staff can rely on monitoring tools to detect unauthorized access to cloud platforms, software, and file-sharing services via company devices or within the company’s network. Regular audits of systems, accounts, and application usage can also curb risky behaviors before they transform into larger security issues.
Enforcing Device Security Standards
The rise of remote and hybrid work models has brought an entirely new set of risks to organizations, which must now secure employee access beyond the traditional office environment. Any devices used by employees should have full desk encryption enabled to protect data in the event of theft. Companies should also specify the exact antivirus and antimalware software to be installed and equip devices with remote-wipe capabilities so that data can be erased if a device is lost or stolen. To secure network access, remote workers can use VPNs to encrypt their Internet connections, firewalls to block unauthorized access, and WPA2-PSK encryption for home Wi-Fi networks.
Organizations in the process of scaling their operations should approach cybersecurity through a multilayered approach, one that takes into account the needs of both in-office and (if relevant) remote and hybrid workers. Continuous visibility, controlled access, battling shadow IT, and enforcing device security standards can all help protect sensitive data. So, too, can training staff to operate their devices and networks safely prevent device loss from resulting in data loss.
