Best Practices for Securing Privileged Access in the Cloud

This post describes how to protect access for your IT administrators and privileged business users to the systems, apps, and data they need to do their tasks from any place while complying with robust access security restrictions and continuous identity verifications.

Enable Least-Privilege Access Security for Widespread Use

Least-privilege approach allows for the implementation of a zero-trust, risk-based security strategy. After a user has been validated, the user’s access is restricted to only what is required to complete a specified task or assignment. Employees previously perceived the least privilege as a bad experience that impeded them from accomplishing their tasks when privileges were reduced and increased IT support calls to acquire access. As a result, businesses frequently granted local privileged access to practically every employee - a highly hazardous practice that fraudsters may exploit to gain privileged access.

Fortunately, some technologies provide just-in-time (JIT) privileged access to the cloud while maintaining strict security restrictions. In light of this, IT and business users can: •Get them the access they require when they require it. •Boost productivity •Reduce your support costs •Reduce your exposure to cyber threats

Implementing the least-privilege on servers or endpoints isn’t adequate for many enterprises that operate in hybrid on-premises and cloud environments. All privileged access, including cloud-based systems, apps, databases, and infrastructure, must be subject to least-privilege security rules.

Make security work for you by automating access

Security measures must be scalable, efficient, and need the fewest resources feasible – which necessitates automation. Organizations that have a breach, for example, may cut the cost of a cyber disaster in half if they have automated measures in place. With a scarcity of trained IT security specialists, automated techniques for maintaining consistent and secure cloud privileged access are critical. Automation reduces the amount of manual effort necessary to execute laborious and repeated low-level operations, which reduces the chance of human mistake.

Create a Security Society by Integrating Solutions

Cloud security solutions that are siloed are no longer acceptable. Your cloud security policies should allow for the automated integration of additional security technologies through API. Integrated solutions contribute to the development of a “security society,” in which all tools and components may enhance and complement one another in order to improve security posture and minimize overall cyber threats. Security solutions that integrate operate in the background, adding value to a business.

Implement Usable Security Solutions to Reduce User Friction

Users have all too frequently perceived security restrictions as a hindrance to work. Time and again, it is productivity and simplicity of use that drives people to migrate to the cloud. Your privileged access cloud security solution must be simple to use and run in the background as much as feasible. Overly sophisticated security technologies are not just difficult to use; they are also harmful.

Security solutions must provide value to the organization on various levels: • Having a friendly interface • Being easy to understand • Providing instant benefit • Making each user’s work simpler

Beyond Zero Trust and Into Adaptive Risk-Based Trust

As more vital resources and data migrate to the cloud, your security policies must be dynamic and adaptable to emerging threats. Create policies or rules for identities, services, apps, data, and systems across the company. For third-party vendor or contractor identities, for example, you can have a “always-verify” and “always-monitor” policy. Internal employee classifications would be adaptable dependent on the sensitivity of the data. A credential and multifactor authentication are required for an always-verify policy, whereas an always-monitor policy audits and records all activity.

Only essential access to key assets is granted under zero-trust. Typically, organizations begin with a zero-trust strategy, starting with high-risk areas such as supply chain, contractors, temporary staff, sensitive networks, and privileged accounts. Companies are broadening their zero-trust security strategy to include remote employees, third-party suppliers, and contractors that require access to company resources.

Adaptive risk-based trust allows businesses to decrease risk by utilizing zero trust as the basis for how companies establish trust scores that are used to decide how much protection is required to obtain access to the cloud, apps, networks, and systems.

See also

Want to learn practical cloud skills? Enroll in MCSI’s - MCSF Cloud Services Fundamentals