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The opportunity for cyber criminals to commit online fraud by stealing identities is widespread, with 37% of all breaches involving the use of stolen credentials. To avoid falling victim, we need to safeguard our digital footprint and identities. Keep your important data padlocked by granting keys to strictly authorised users only. Don’t let intruders unlock access to your important assets…

Protect what matters the most by having a strong cyber security plan ready to go if an emergency strikes. An important part of that consists of implementing Identity and Access Management processes within your business, especially for large-scale workforces with growing teams. There’s no use in sharing sensitive data amongst staff without having secure user control and access management in place. The two should go hand in hand!

Due to the rise in remote working and expanding staff bases, confidential data is more likely to be exposed. Prioritising your business’ security has never been more important. The new normal – relying on cloud-based, collaborative systems – carries greater risks than internal data sharing and access. And the risk of falling victim to cyber crime is hard for any business to bounce back from.

So, What Is Identity & Access Management?

Identity and Access Management (IAM or IdAM) consists of products, policies and processes that ensures the right users have appropriate access to internal systems and technology resources. In a nutshell, it verifies that you are who you claim to be (authentication) and grants you access to what you’re allowed to see (authorisation). It aims to prevent cybercriminals from breaking through business barriers, emphasising the importance of having effective IAM procedures in place.

Identity and Access Management systems have three key aims: to identify, authenticate and authorise. The core components that make up an IAM framework include:

• Users’ identities and access privileges database

• The ability to create, monitor, modify and delete access privileges

• A system for auditing login and access history

Failure to define the roles and access privileges amongst network users can increase your risk of a security breach. It may be the case that Identity and Access Management is the missing link within your business’ security plan. Research shows that 44% of security professionals believe an IAM solution will address their current security gaps.

Whilst IAM is a useful tool, it might be one your organisation hasn’t considered. Not having it in place can increase the likelihood of attack. Identity and Access related breaches result in huge negative consequences. These can include data loss (60%), compromised accounts or credentials (52%), ransomware infections (47%), malware infections (29%) and financial loss (18%).

The Benefits of Identity & Access Management

But, it’s not all bad news – these damages can be avoided. With secure user control and access management, businesses will see the advantages of keeping their digital data safe. Let’s take a look at the benefits of IAM:

• Enhances security – The most important benefit of IAM. By controlling user access, companies can eliminate the chances of a data breach, identity theft and illegal access to confidential information. IAM can prevent the escalation of compromised login details, avoid unauthorised entry to internal networks, and provide protection against potential cyber-attacks.

• Improves user experience – Reduce the need to enter multiple passwords to access systems by using a combination of the following: Single Sign-On (SSO) with one-time user verification, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for added protection that requires codes to access, Biometric Authentication like fingerprints and facial recognition, and Risk-Based Authentication where risks are detected due to differentiating IP addresses.

• Streamlines IT workloads and reduces IT costs – Access privileges can be changed altogether, at the same time, when security policies are updated. IAM can reduce password reset requests by creating automated procedures for tiresome IT tasks, therefore reducing internal costs required for additional IT staff.

• Increases productivity and collaboration – Organisations can provide users outside of their network with access to their systems safely without putting security on the line.

• Helps with compliance – Allowing businesses to meet the requirements of industry regulations or implement IAM best practices.

How Your Business Can Implement Identity & Access Management

If navigating IAM processes to protect your business data feels overwhelming, don’t worry. Check out the tips below to get started, which include a mix of human-focused and technical solutions.

• Strengthen access – Ensure you have a strong password policy in place for all employees to view. It should include tips on how to create, store and share passwords safely. It’s a good idea to consider password management solutions. These involve storing passwords within encrypted vaults and providing password generator tools.

Invest in Privileged Access Management (PAM) solutions to monitor and control the access and authorisation of users. PAM increases security by ensuring that only correct and verified users can access data. What they are able to access is based on their assigned roles and responsibilities. Hackers target these accounts the most because of their higher-level control, so it’s important to keep them extra secure.

• Authenticate users – Enforce Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) methods. Users need to prove their identities in two or more ways to ensure they receive the correct access. This avoids the chance of unauthorised, illegal access outside of your organisation.

• Educate employees – If your employees are more vigilant, they’ll be more alert, and better at identifying areas within the business that may be vulnerable to attack. Adapting a more forward-thinking approach will keep organisations protected and encourage safe user activity, which is especially important with remote working. Investing in security training solutions will prove worthwhile for businesses as a way to increase safety awareness amongst staff and ensure good cyber hygiene.

Our Solutions

Wondering how to bring it all together? Look no further! Get expert guidance from the team at Infosec K2K. We’ll help your business to streamline its Identity and Access Management solutions and protect your integral assets and digital identities.

Take the hassle out of investing in costly, confusing solutions, or weakening security barriers with internal ambiguous test-and-learn approaches. Our tools and technologies allow internal IT teams to manage IAM processes quickly and efficiently by removing the need for questions, leaving no room for error. With advanced solutions owing to our partnership with CyberArk, users can access and manage information securely using AI technology to monitor activity and keep systems bot-free.

Enlist the help of the experts at Infosec K2K to implement effective Identity and Access Management solutions for your business.

Get in touch with us to find out more about how we can help you.

Though it may be the last thing on our minds right now, the reality is, cyber attacks tend to peak during the Christmas period. As we drop our guard, hackers rise to the opportunity. A survey by Cybereason showed that 86% of cybersecurity professionals across the globe indicated a concern for repeat cyber intrusions over this year’s festive season, with 36% stating they had no specific contingency plans in place for a response. Don’t let cyber criminals have the final sleigh. Get protected, and fast, with these Christmas cyber security tips!

For most, Christmas is the time of giving, spreading festive cheer and showing love. But for cyber criminals, it’s the prime time to stock up on opportunities to take advantage of our weaknesses. Santa’s not the only one who can sneak in undetected – cyber criminals can do it too, and dare we say it, but they can do it better. So, whilst we’re sporting our Christmas jumpers, celebrating over a glass of Champagne and winding down for a well-needed break, hackers are ready and waiting to attack, preying on our unattended critical systems.

To mitigate the risk of cyber threats for your organisation, it’s important to invest in solid security plans that’ll keep you protected when you need it most. After all, cyber security solutions are for life, not just for Christmas. As the gift that keeps on giving, you’ll want to make sure you’ve bagged yours in time. That’s why we’ve rounded up some on common Christmas cyber security tips to protect your network over the holidays.

What Should I Be Looking Out For?

With reduced teams and interim IT skeleton staff to cover the workload, businesses could be leaving themselves vulnerable to attack. As we switch off for the festive break, priorities shift. At this point, cybersecurity may no longer be at the top of the list, but it sure needs to be. When businesses leave critical systems, networks, and data unsupervised, they grant hackers their Christmas wish: easy targets with easy access.

The Christmas period sees huge increases in retail e-commerce activity, and off the back of this, cybercriminals thrive. By posing as reputable, legitimate companies, hackers can have you in the palm of their hand in just one click. As 80% of cyber attacks start through phishing, it won’t be hard for hackers to worm their way through the mass emails hitting your inbox. We can put our feet up and enjoy our downtime, whilst simultaneously being vigilant. And businesses aren’t exempt from this, as harmful emails can catch you out in the most unsuspecting ways. Go check that those spam filters are on point!

It may sound obvious, but with desks unoccupied for some time, it’ll be a good idea to ensure that confidential information is filed away. This is one of the most important Christmas cyber security tips. Don’t leave passwords out on post-it for all to see, as you never know what prying Scrooges might have access. The same goes for data-storing devices like USB sticks and hard drives, keep them locked away! The more attentive we are, the better we can stay protected.

What Security Measures Can I Take to Prevent an Attack?

Here are some Christmas cyber security tips on how to safeguard your staff and business over the festive break.

• Implement incident response plans in case of emergency. If your cyber strategy isn’t strong enough to counteract an attack – or you haven’t been able to identify areas of weakness – your systems will likely be vulnerable to infiltration. Arm your teams with technical response capabilities to prepare for an attack at all times.

• Educate both permanent and temporary staff on common Christmas cyber security tips. The more they know, the better they’ll be able to ward off potential threats. It’s a joint effort, after all – it only takes one click to put the whole business at risk. Ensure these practices are communicated clearly and effectively amongst your organisation.

• Perform regular patch and system updates to repair vulnerabilities and flaws within versions, upgrades and features. We want to be lighting up our trees, not our vulnerabilities.

• Enable two-factor authentication across critical systems and programs to avoid letting in you-know-who. Ensure you’ve invested in password management for a safe place to keep all your logins whilst you’re away, as writing them down will no longer do. Think about implementing identity and access management tools to let the right users in, and keep the wrong ones out. We see you, logging in from home…

• Be wary of connecting to public Wi-Fi networks whilst you’re browsing as that will make it easier for criminals to get hold of your private data due to easily-accessible networks.

• Apply good cyber hygiene learnt at work at home, too! Cybercriminals don’t just target cooperations, but every one of us, at any time. Think about your increased device use this Christmas, as it’s easy to get caught off guard when you’re least expecting it.

The Impact of Cyber Crime on Your Business

The negative impact that a cyber attack can have on your business is disastrous. With such long-lasting damage, you’ll more likely be cursed this New Year than blessed if your company takes a hit. Having a strong cyber plan in place might seem like a big stretch and dent on your bank balance, but believe us when we say it’s probably the most worthwhile thing you’ll ever do for your business. If you don’t, yule sure be sorry. One of the biggest Christmas cyber security tips we can give you is to invest in long-term protection. This way, you can avoid the following:

• Long-term reputational and legal damage
• Financial loss affecting the operation of the wider business with budgets adjusted and projects paused to counteract the impact
• An unmotivated, disgruntled workforce for having to work overtime to investigate the incident and recover what was lost
• Loss of customer loyalty, sales and trust
• Business leaders experiencing feelings of regret thanks to hindsight, having not invested in cyber security

New Year, Same Priorities

According to the National Institute for Standards and Technology, 2021 is already a record year for cyber vulnerabilities, on a five-year high. As cyber strategies and solutions strengthen, and the number of skilled professionals in the field increase, ringing in the New Year with a statistical break doesn’t seem as big an ask. Cybercrime is an ongoing battle, one that we won’t win without putting in extra time, effort and dedication from collective resources. So, if you haven’t invested in security solutions to safeguard your business, there’s no better time than now. Or, if you’re managing to stay on top of it, keep it going! Don’t let cybercriminals take the happy out of the new year, for ‘tis the season to be jolly, not melancholy.

At Infosec K2K, we’re here to help whatever stage of the cyber security journey you’re on, as keeping your assets protected is our utmost priority. The last thing we’d want is for you to take a hit this festive season. For prevention from attack, our Vulnerability Management solutions are the perfect gift. Or, for those who’ve already been affected, we’ll help you to get back on track with our Managed Services for support all-year-round. Unwrap the gift of the year for your business.

Get in touch with us to find out more about how we can help you.