How to Build a Strong IAM Framework for Your Organization?

As a business owner,cyber security strategyis a crucial aspect of your day-to-day work. However, what many business owners overlook is their Business data security, which can leave them open to cyber attacks or data breaches. To ensure business data securiry, such as the Oracle database, is safe and secure, you must implement an Identity and Access Management strategy.

This strategy plays a key role in maintaining secure databases through various levels of access based on an individual’s role within the organization. By carefully managing who has access to specific resources, businesses can protect sensitive information and streamline daily operations. Let’s explore how your business can implement an IAM strategy to improve security and optimize workflow.

6 Crucial Steps for IAM Strategy Integration

Step 1 – Assess Current Environment and Needs

The first step to creating a well-thought-out strategy is conducting a thorough audit of the existing system. This includes listing the various software, entities, users, and devices that are part of the business. Once that’s done, follow this up by defining your strategy goals and objectives. Through this, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of the current system to establish the business and security needs, such as compliance requirements (GDPR, HIPAA, etc.), data sensitivity, user roles, and organizational size.

Step 2 – Establish a Governance Structure

Once you have a clear idea of the IAM strategy’s goal, follow this up by creating a clear list of policies and procedures. This includes the systems, software, and people involved in the process to ensure each role and access level has been defined without any confusion. An additional procedure that can benefit the IAM is assigning accountability management, which enforces the Identity and Access Management strategy.

Step 3 - Adopt a Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) Model

Although the roles are defined, setting up clear job functions and assigning the appropriate access level for the roles is crucial for the success of this strategy. This reduces the risk of data breaches by ensuring that individuals within your business have access to only the data they need to accomplish their work, without exposing unnecessary information.

Step 4 - Centralize Identity Management

Having multiple systems for access might seem convenient, but it can create security problems. That’s why we suggest using a centralized identity management system. With everything in one place, it becomes easier to manage, secure, and track. Instead of juggling several systems, a  single access platform  offers a more secure and efficient solution.

Step 5 - Implement Strong Authentication Mechanisms

Layered security is the best way to safeguard your business data security from cyber threat. However, it’s not as easy as it sounds. An effective method is implementing strong authentication mechanisms, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA). This can include something the user knows (password), something they have (a token), or something they are (biometric). Additional layers can include password managers and monitoring to ensure those who need access receive it without third-party involvement.

Step 6 - Continuous Monitoring and Auditing

After implementing an Identity and Access Management (IAM) system, the job isn’t over. It’s crucial to set up logging and monitoring to track all access events and catch any unauthorized activity or policy breaches. Regular audits should also be conducted to ensure your IAM policies are being followed and to spot outdated or excessive permissions. Additionally, deploying tools for real-time threat detection and alerts can help you respond quickly to suspicious behavior.

As your business grows, your security needs to grow with it. To not only sustain but thrive in the industry, it’s vital to keep your defenses strong. At Bizionic, we provide comprehensive cyber security solutions, including Cyber security Assessment, Cyber Security Strategy, CyberSecurity  Governance, Auditing, Reporting, and Azure Sentinel Consulting, to protect your business at the highest level. To learn more about how we can help, visit our website today.