In July of this year alone, there were 110 data breaches that exposed more than 100 million sensitive records, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center. As hackers continue to find new ways to get their hands on private information, data security remains a pressing concern for organizations of all kinds around the world.
Establishing and maintaining a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy is paramount for any business looking to achieve compliance and effectively minimize data breach risk levels. User rights management should be part of that strategy.
If you don’t already have a formalized approach to user rights management to ensure sensitive data stays secure, you might have a few questions about implementing one. Here’s some essential information that should help you gain a solid understanding of how to tackle this key aspect of data security.
1. What is user rights management?
User rights management involves controlling which resources a user or employee has permission to access, in addition to what they’re allowed to do with those resources. Basically, it helps your business ensure that only authorized individuals can access sensitive data. It’s also called “access control” and “Identity and Access Management (IAM)” and is an essential risk management strategy for any business.
There are various ways to control access and user rights, depending on your organization’s compliance and regulatory requirements, according to TechTarget SearchSecurity. Some of the main approaches include the following:
Role-based control: Determines access based on a user’s defined role in the business (e.g., executive or engineer).
Mandatory control: Involves a central authority regulating access rights according to multiple levels of security. Each resource gets a security classification, and then the system kernel or operating system grants or denies access according to a user’s security clearance level.
Attribute-based control: Manages access based on a set of policies, rules and relationships that involve attributes of systems and users.
Rule-based control: Determines access based on rules set by the system administrator. These rules might involve conditions like the time or location of the user.
2. Why should my business be concerned about user rights management and access control?
Many organizations must ensure that only authorized users can access sensitive data to achieve compliance with industry regulations. Even if compliance isn’t an issue, controlling user access permissions is imperative for any business looking to avoid a data breach.
If you neglect user role management, you make it easier for someone with malicious intent to get their hands on what should be private information. A breach could come at a high cost for your business: The average total cost of a data breach is $3.92 million, according to IBM. You also risk losing your clients’ trust and damaging your company’s reputation, convincing people to turn to your competitors instead.
3. What is least privilege, and why is enforcing it important?
The concept of least privilege involves granting users the least amount of privilege possible to do their jobs properly. Giving only users who truly need access to do their work the ability to view and use sensitive data is a best practice if you want to reduce the odds of a breach.
4. Can automation help my organization with user rights management?
Yes, an automated solution can make managing user access permissions much easier and less time consuming, especially as people change roles within your organization. We partner with cybersecurity vendors that can provide you with user rights management solutions that efficiently tackle data security processes and ensure your organization meets any regulatory requirements.
If you’d like to learn more about user rights management and/or other data security concepts and solutions, contact our team of cybersecurity experts today by calling 877-599-3999 or emailing sales@stratosphernetworks.com. We have high-level cybersecurity experts on staff who can help create an IT security roadmap for your business and keep your data breach risk level as low as possible.
