Identity & Access Management

Compromise of credentials—through phishing, credential stuffing, or insider threat—remains the most common breach vector. Yet a compromised credential's actual damage depends entirely on IAM controls: what systems can that credential access? What actions can it perform? IAM determines whether a single compromised credential causes limited damage or company-wide catastrophe.

Effective IAM requires layered defenses. At authentication, multi-factor authentication (MFA) ensures that passwords alone are insufficient. Single sign-on (SSO) provides centralized credential management while conditional access policies assess device health, location, and risk factors before granting access. The result is stronger authentication that paradoxically improves user experience—employees don't juggle passwords, yet security improves.

Authorization—The Principle of Least Privilege

Each employee should access only systems and data required for their role. A developer shouldn't have production database access. A support representative shouldn't modify billing configurations. By restricting access granularly, organizations ensure that even if credentials are compromised, the attacker's blast radius is limited.

For high-risk administrative roles, Privileged Access Management (PAM) adds another layer: administrators don't have permanent credentials with system access. Instead, they request access through a controlled process, with all actions logged and monitored. This prevents both external attackers and malicious insiders from causing widespread damage.

Multi-Layer IAM Strategy

Authentication Layer:

• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all sensitive systems
• Single sign-on (SSO) for centralized credential management
• Conditional access based on device posture, location, and risk
• Result: Strong authentication without password chaos

Privileged Access (PAM):

• Administrators request access through controlled process
• All actions logged and monitored in real-time
• Temporary elevated access, not permanent admin roles
• Result: Insider threats and attackers can't cause widespread damage

Continuous Governance

Access requirements change as employees move roles or leave the organization. Modern IAM systems handle this automatically: role changes trigger permission updates, and departing employees lose access across all systems simultaneously. Behavioral analysis detects when access patterns deviate from normal—a user accessing systems they've never touched, or accessing during unusual hours—triggering alerts before compromised credentials cause harm.

Compliance Benefits

• GDPR: Demonstrates data access controls
• NIS-2: Mandatory access control compliance
• ISO 27001: Evidence of information security governance

These controls aren't optional compliance checkboxes. GDPR, NIS-2, and emerging regulations mandate access controls as a requirement for organizations handling sensitive data.