Best Practices for Identity Proofing in the Workplace
In today’s digital age, catfishing extends beyond dating apps and phishing is more than just a cyber threat. Businesses now face the significant challenge of distinguishing identities online. Identity fraud impacts financial stability and the hard-earned trust that companies value greatly.
Identity proofing services are vital in confirming identities, reducing fraud risk, and ensuring protection for both businesses and individuals. Join us as we explore the essentials of identity proofing and how to integrate it effectively into your business practices.
Table of Contents
Employee Onboarding
Before granting new hires access to company systems and data, HR teams must confirm that the individual being onboarded possesses a verified identity proofing and truly owns the identity they claim.
Authenticate that the new employee is indeed the person interviewed for the position. Identity verification processes must be in place before a candidate physically or virtually enters the office. Additionally, it is vital to securely link the verified identity of the new employee to IAM systems through methods that cannot be easily compromised.
Oversee Privileged Access
A privileged access management solution empowers security leaders to protect critical assets effectively. During authentication, they understand the request better by considering the user’s access profile, the requested resource or data sensitivity, and the level of elevated permissions involved. To further enhance security, security leaders should implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for privileged access and continuously monitor and discover these accesses.
Attackers often exploit compromised identities to infiltrate protected systems, moving laterally to obtain elevated permissions. This tactic allows them to exploit weak identities to access resources safeguarded by robust privileged access controls. Alternatively, an ID card reader can be used to verify the identity of users before they can access restricted areas or systems.
Credential Resets
In numerous organizations, identity verification ends once HR assigns a digital identity to a new employee. From then on, the process only involves confirming the digital identity, without verifying its connection to the actual person. This gap exposes the organization to social engineering attacks during credential resets. For instance, if an attacker has the necessary details, they can pose as an employee claiming to need a new phone enrolled in multi-factor authentication.
Adopt a Centralized IAM Strategy
Implementing effective identity access management strategies is crucial for tackling security challenges within your organization. Adopting a centralized IAM system is a key measure, allowing for efficient management of user identities and access permissions across various platforms and applications.
Centralized identity management relies on collecting and storing user identity proofing data. This system enables users to access all their applications, websites, or systems using a single set of credentials. This centralized approach ensures user onboarding, modifications, and offboarding consistency. It minimizes errors and vulnerabilities that can arise from fragmented identity management processes. While this approach simplifies the user experience by requiring just one set of login details, it also increases the risk of vulnerability if credentials are compromised.
Implement Single Sign-On and Enforce Strong Password Policies
Integrating single sign-on (SSO) and implementing stringent password policies significantly improve authentication security. With SSO, users benefit from using a single set of login credentials across multiple platforms, making the login process more efficient and straightforward. This approach simplifies user access and enhances security through effective authentication practices.
Many people find it challenging to create and use strong passwords. They often resort to simple options like “123456,” “admin,” and “password.” Such weak passwords can be breached almost instantly. Enforcing strong password policies significantly bolsters password security, minimizing the risk of unauthorized access due to weak or compromised passwords.
Continuously Perform Access Audits
Regular access audits are crucial for assessing the efficiency of IAM policies and controls. They are also key in uncovering discrepancies, unauthorized entries, or obsolete permissions. Reports indicate that 92% of remote workers use tablets or smartphones, significantly increasing the risk of malware spreading within the corporate network.
By thoroughly reviewing user access rights and activities, your teams can quickly identify and address security vulnerabilities, ensuring ongoing compliance and reducing risks linked to incorrect access permissions.
A significant 66% of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) plan to increase their cybersecurity investments. However, simply allocating funds isn’t enough; they must implement the most effective solutions to address these challenges. To enhance your organization’s IAM system, choosing CloudEagle’s IAM Solutions is a smart move for numerous reasons.
Single Sign-On
Single sign-on (SSO) is an aspect of identity management that enables users to log in once and access various applications or systems without additional logins. This feature boosts user convenience and lowers the risk of password security issues.
SSO establishes a central session and authentication service that different applications and systems can utilize. After logging into this central service, users can access any other recognized systems or applications without re-entering their credentials.
Zero Trust
Zero trust is a key principle in identity management. It assumes no one is inherently trustworthy, whether inside or outside the organization. Every access attempt must be fully verified, authorized, and encrypted before access is permitted.
In identity management, zero trust involves continuously validating every user and device, including those within the network boundary. The goal is to ensure that each access attempt is genuine and that users are exactly who they claim to be. Trust must be continually established and reestablished with every new access request.
Endnote
Ensuring strong identity-proofing solutions is essential, not optional. Whether you’re in finance or healthcare, accurately verifying identities is crucial. By carefully selecting appropriate technologies and keeping your team informed, you protect sensitive data and establish trust with your users.
