Identity and Access Management (IAM) PDF

4.6 Implement and maintain identity and access management Effectively managing identities and access within an organization is crucial for securing data, systems, and resources. This encompasses user provisioning, permission assignments, authentication, and authorization controls to ensure the righ...

4.6 Implement and maintain identity and access management Effectively managing identities and access within an organization is crucial for securing data, systems, and resources. This encompasses user provisioning, permission assignments, authentication, and authorization controls to ensure the right people have the appropriate access. Provisioning and De-Provisioning User Accounts Establish user accounts with appropriate permissions and access rights Automate the process of creating new accounts for employees, contractors, or other authorized personnel Promptly remove user access when employment or engagement ends to prevent unauthorized access Regularly review and update user accounts to ensure they reflect current roles and responsibilities Maintain detailed records of all user account changes for auditing and compliance purposes Permission Assignments and Implications Carefully assigning permissions to users is critical for maintaining secure access and preventing unauthorized activities. Each user should only have the minimum necessary permissions required to perform their job duties. Overly permissive access can lead to data breaches and compliance issues. Organizations must consider the implications of each permission assignment, evaluating potential risks and ensuring the appropriate level of access control. Regularly reviewing and updating permissions as roles and responsibilities change helps uphold the principle of least privilege. Identity Proofing Identity proofing is the process of verifying an individual's identity through the collection and validation of identifying documents and information. This helps ensure that users are who they claim to be, mitigating the risk of unauthorized access and fraud. Federation Federation is a method of identity management that allows users to access multiple systems and applications using a single set of credentials. This enables secure cross-domain authentication and authorization, improving user experience and reducing administrative overhead. By federating identities, organizations can leverage trusted identity providers to authenticate users, streamlining access to resources and enhancing security through centralized control and auditing. Single Sign-On (SSO) 1 Centralized Authentication SSO allows users to access multiple applications and systems with a single set of login credentials, improving user experience and reducing password fatigue. 2 Increased Security By consolidating authentication to a trusted identity provider, SSO enhances security through stronger access controls, auditing, and reduced risk of credential compromise. 3 Streamlined Administration SSO simplifies user onboarding, offboarding, and permission management, as changes made in the central identity provider are automatically reflected across connected applications. Mandatory Access Controls System- Centralized Sensitivity Strict Enforced Policies Labeling Enforcement Mandatory access MAC policies are set MAC uses sensitivity Under MAC, users can controls (MAC) are by system labels, such as "Top only perform actions enforced by the administrators and Secret" or that are explicitly operating system or cannot be overridden "Confidential", to permitted by their security policies, not by users. This classify data and assigned access by individual users. ensures consistent restrict access level. This prevents Access is granted or enforcement of accordingly. Users unauthorized access, denied based on security controls must have the even by privileged predefined security across the appropriate clearance users. labels and clearance organization. to access resources. levels. Discretionary Access Controls User-Controlled Flexible Policies Discretionary access controls (DAC) allow DAC policies can be customized to meet the individual users to determine who can specific needs of different users and access the resources they own or manage, organizational units, providing more granular based on their own discretion. access control. Delegated Administration Potential Security Risks Users can grant or revoke access Poorly managed DAC can lead to unintended permissions to their own files, folders, or access and privilege escalation, increasing applications, decentralizing the management the risk of data breaches or misuse of of access rights. resources. Role-Based Access Controls Predefined Roles Improved Efficiency RBAC assigns permissions based on a user's By grouping permissions into roles, RBAC predefined role within the organization, such simplifies access management and reduces as manager, employee, or IT administrator. the administrative overhead of individually assigning rights. Flexible Permissions Increased Security Roles can be easily modified to adapt to RBAC helps enforce the principle of least changing organizational needs, without having privilege by ensuring users only have access to to update permissions for individual users. the resources required for their job function. Rule-Based Access Controls Predefined Rules Custom Policies Automated Detailed Logging Rule-based access Organizations can Enforcement RBAC systems provide controls (RBAC) create tailored RBAC RBAC automates the comprehensive logging enforce access policies to align with enforcement of access and auditing permissions based on their unique security controls, reducing the capabilities, allowing predefined policy rules, requirements and potential for human organizations to track such as time-of-day, operational needs. error and ensuring and analyze access location, or other consistent policy activities. contextual factors. application. Attribute-Based Access Controls Attribute-based access controls (ABAC) grant or deny access based on user attributes, resource attributes, and environmental conditions. This flexible approach allows organizations to define custom policies that adapt to changing needs and contexts. User Attributes Role, department, location, security clearance, job function Resource Attributes Classification, sensitivity, owner, access requirements Environmental Attributes Time of day, device type, network location, threat level By combining these dynamic attributes, ABAC can enforce highly granular and context-aware access controls, improving security and compliance without sacrificing flexibility. Time-of-Day Access Restrictions 1 2 3 Set Operating Hours Restrict After-Hours Enable Automated Establish specific time Access Enforcement windows when access to Implement controls to limit or Use access control systems sensitive systems or block access outside of to automatically enforce time- resources is permitted, based designated operating hours, based restrictions, ensuring on business needs and unless explicitly authorized for consistent policy application security requirements. essential tasks or emergency and reducing the risk of situations. human error. Least Privilege Principle Grant Minimal Access Only provide users with the minimum permissions required to 1 perform their designated tasks. Restrict Unnecessary Privileges 2 Continuously review and remove any unnecessary or excessive access rights. Segregate Duties 3 Divide responsibilities to prevent a single user from having full control over critical systems. Multifactor Authentication Increased Security 1 Requires multiple factors to verify identity Improved Access Control 2 Reduces risk of unauthorized access Enhanced Compliance 3 Meets industry and regulatory standards Multifactor authentication (MFA) is a critical security measure that goes beyond just a username and password. By requiring multiple verification factors, such as a security token, biometric scan, or location- based challenge, MFA significantly enhances access control and protects against credential-based attacks. Biometric Implementations Fingerprint Iris Recognition Facial Voice Scanning Iris scanners analyze Recognition Authentication Fingerprint scanners the intricate patterns in Facial recognition Voice biometrics leverage unique the colored ring around systems use advanced leverage the unique fingerprint patterns to the pupil to confirm a computer vision characteristics of an verify a user's identity. person's identity. This algorithms to map the individual's speech They provide a biometric is highly unique features of a patterns and vocal convenient and secure accurate and difficult person's face. This traits to authenticate method of to spoof. allows for seamless, their identity. This authentication. contactless identity technique offers verification. convenience and liveness detection. Security Key Implementations Security keys are dedicated hardware devices that provide a robust second factor of authentication for user logins. These small, portable USB or Bluetooth-enabled keys generate unique one-time codes to verify a user's identity, bolstering security beyond just a password. Something You Something You Know Have Passwords and passphrases - Knowledge- Security tokens, also known as hardware tokens based authentication relying on information or authentication devices, are physical objects only the user knows, like a secret password or that a user possesses to verify their identity. passphrase. These compact devices generate unique one-time Security questions - Predefined questions that codes or digital signatures to supplement the user answers to verify their identity, such password-based authentication. as "What is your mother's maiden name?" By requiring users to present both a password Personal identification numbers (PINs) - Short and a token, the risk of unauthorized access is numeric codes that the user memorizes and significantly reduced, as an attacker would need enters to authenticate, often used for ATMs or to compromise both factors to gain entry. mobile device unlocking. Something You Are Biometric authentication leverages unique personal characteristics to verify a user's identity. This "something you are" factor relies on inherent physical or behavioral traits that are nearly impossible to replicate, providing a highly secure and convenient authentication method. Common biometric modalities include fingerprint, iris, facial, and voice recognition, each offering distinct advantages in terms of accuracy, liveness detection, and user experience. Somewhere You Are Location-Based Authentication Proximity-Based Access Verifies a user's physical location to grant or Allows access only when a user is within a deny access to sensitive systems or specified distance of a controlled entry point resources. or device. 1 2 3 Geofencing Establishes virtual boundaries that trigger security actions when a user enters or leaves a designated area. Conclusion and Key Takeaways 1 Comprehensive IAM Framework 2 Prioritize Security and Implement a robust identity and access Compliance management system that covers user Adhere to industry best practices and provisioning, permissions, authentication, regulatory standards to enhance security and access controls. and meet organizational compliance requirements. 3 Leverage Multifactor 4 Continuous Monitoring and Authentication Improvement Implement multifactor authentication to Regularly review and optimize your IAM create an additional layer of security beyond processes to address evolving threats and just a password. user needs. Practice Exam Questions Question 1: Which of the following is Question 2: Which access control not considered a valid authentication model enforces permissions based factor? on user roles and responsibilities? A) Something you know A) Discretionary access control (DAC) B) Something you have B) Mandatory access control (MAC) C) Something you are C) Role-based access control (RBAC) D) Something you own D) Attribute-based access control (ABAC) Correct answer: D) Something you own. The four Correct answer: C) Role-based access control authentication factors are something you know, (RBAC). RBAC grants permissions based on an something you have, something you are, and individual's job function or role within the somewhere you are. Ownership of a device is not organization, making it an effective way to considered a standalone factor. manage access rights. Practice Exam Questions Question 3: What is the primary Question 4: Which of the following is a purpose of implementing best practice for implementing the multifactor authentication? principle of least privilege? A) To improve user experience A) Granting users the maximum permissions they B) To enhance security by requiring multiple might need verification steps B) Assigning the minimum permissions required for a C) To reduce IT support costs user to perform their job duties D) To comply with industry regulations C) Allowing users to self-manage their own access rights Correct answer: B) To enhance security by D) Disabling all user permissions by default requiring multiple verification steps. Multifactor authentication adds an extra Correct answer: B) Assigning the minimum layer of protection beyond just a password, permissions required for a user to perform their job making it much more difficult for duties. The principle of least privilege states that users unauthorized users to gain access. should only be granted the access they need, no more, to reduce the risk of misuse or data breaches. Practice Exam Questions Question 5: What is the primary function of security tokens in multifactor authentication? A) To store user credentials B) To provide remote access to systems C) To generate one-time codes for additional verification D) To enforce location-based access controls Correct answer: C) To generate one-time codes for additional verification. Security tokens, or hardware tokens, are physical devices that generate unique, time-sensitive codes that users must provide alongside their passwords to authenticate. Further resources https://examsdigest.com/ https://guidesdigest.com/ https://labsdigest.com/ https://openpassai.com/