Identity and Access Management (IAM) refers to the technologies, policies, and processes involved in managing digital identification and user access controls within an organization. IAM includes the framework required to maintain security, the software platform(s) used to manage credentials, and the regulatory compliance governing the standards various industries must uphold.
IAM is an essential system for tracking individual user access and administrative rights. It allows the right people to use systems that match their credentials and safeguards against unauthorized access, making it a vital element of a company’s cybersecurity.
Identity and Access Management is equally important in providing documented data for audits, increasing an organization’s efficiency, and automating all of these tasks so they don’t require manual resources.
We will discuss the secure data transmission protocols and the critical role of workforce training in maintaining an organization’s cybersecurity.
Understanding IAM Protocols
IAM protocols are unique messaging systems used to securely transfer authentication information. They consist of a sequenced series of messages protecting data when transferred from a network or server to another location.
These IAM protocols use third-party authentication, eliminating the need for organizations and institutions to store login credentials on-site. This level of security helps to protect data from cyberattacks and data breaches.
IAM protocols are vital to maintaining an organization’s security, which means they are central to the ability to follow regulatory guidelines for specific institutions, like banks, credit unions, and higher education.
What Are Specific Examples of IAM Protocols?
Numerous Identity and Access Management protocols play an integral role in transmitting data securely. The following are some of the more widely used examples:
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System for Cross-Domain Identity Management (SCIM)
SCIM is used to manage individual user identities. It helps organizations manage provisioning and de-provisioning users who access a system. It works by allowing data exchange between identity and service providers.
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Open Authorization (OAuth)
OAuth is a protocol many use for logging authorizations where integrated third-party applications require access to user data. This protocol can grant access based on numerous limitations without the entity having to share credentials directly with a third-party platform.
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OpenID
This authentication protocol lets users log in to several websites without entering their credentials every time. Using OpenID, a user’s credentials can gain access using a single login. This is popular for helping users simplify how they access multiple accounts daily.
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eXtensible Access Control Markup Language (XACML)
XACML is a protocol that allows for complex dynamic authorization. It can be used to integrate multiple rules and policies for authorization, so unique industries can define specific attributes and conditions required for access. This can be useful, for example, in defining different tier levels of administrative access based on user credentials.
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Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS)
This protocol is often used for network access control. It is used to authenticate connections to a given network. Common examples of RADIUS in use are for local networks and Wi-Fi.
The Role of Staff Training in IAM
The number of data compromises in the US financial services sector rose from 138 in 2020 to a shocking total of 744 in 2023.
Breaches that expose personally identifiable customer data erode the public’s trust in financial institutions and cost millions to remediate. Proper training for every individual in an organization is just as necessary as the platforms and protocols that deliver secure data.
Essential Components of IAM Training Programs
Training your workforce to follow proper procedures is critical to keeping your systems secure.
The fundamental underlying principles of Identity and Access Management are preventing the need to store critical data on-premises regarding employee administrative access, keeping log data encrypted when transferred between systems, and following all regulatory requirements to protect an institution's data and the data of its customers.
Understanding Access Control and Authorization
Every member of your workforce should be aware of the importance of not sharing their personal credentials with others and never logging another user in with their credentials.
Systems are designed around specific administrative privileges appropriate for users at different levels of approved data access. It is just as crucial that systems only allow privileges to people who can use the appropriate tier for their position as it is for institutions to de-provision users who leave the organization.
Recognizing Phishing and Social Engineering Attacks
Phishing and social engineering attacks prey upon human weakness. Every member of an institution’s workforce must be aware of common phishing techniques, learn about the danger of clicking on links from unknown sources, and know how to recognize fake emails that can lead to an unintentional breach.
All of the security in the world can’t protect an organization from the weakest point of entry: an employee who is fooled into allowing access through phishing or social engineering.
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and Least Privilege Principle
RBAC is an essential element of proper IAM protocols across the workforce. It represents structuring login and access credentials based on each person’s position. This tiered access means that even if every employee can log into an institution’s system, each individual only has access to the elements of the system directly related to their role.
The concept of least privilege works hand-in-hand with RBAC. It means that each employee only has access to the elements of the system that are necessary for them to perform their role and nothing more. Therefore, access is limited to only what is required.
Compliance with Regulations
Regulatory compliance is unique from one industry to the next, but financial institutions, the medical industry, and higher education are among the strictest sectors with the highest compliance requirements. These regulations may differ from state to state in addition to national requirements.
Examples of regulatory requirements include:
- The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): This privacy-centric regulation for the EU and European Economic Area governs individual human rights to have private personal data reasonably protected from cyber attacks. GDPR regulations apply to institutions that transfer and store data to or from any country within the EU.
- The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): HIPAA is a similar set of regulatory requirements dealing with people’s personal health records and expectations placed on institutions within the medical sector to protect private data that is stored or transferred.
Implementing Effective IAM Training
An Identity and Access Management training program can only be effective when every individual and team coordinates efforts together to maintain the highest level of compliance. Every industry faces unique security challenges, and every organization is structured differently, making it vital to develop effective IAM training that addresses every specific element of cybersecurity.
- Assessing an organization’s IAM needs and identifying security gaps: Institutions should coordinate with cybersecurity experts to assess weak points in their processes, systems, and workforce.
- Developing customized training modules: Based on an organization’s unique challenges and regulatory requirements, training modules should be designed for every access level and department so every member understands their roles and responsibilities in keeping data safe.
- Utilizing interactive and scenario-based learning: People need to learn to recognize specific threats and the various forms they may take, like tricky social engineering attacks.
- Incorporating regular updates and reinforcement: Cyber criminals devise new attack techniques daily, and technological advances constantly create new vulnerabilities.. Teams must receive ongoing training to remain current when new attack trends are uncovered.
Best Practices for Staff Engagement
Everyone needs to be aware of the importance of following strict rules and procedures. What may seem like an innocent gesture, like sharing credentials or clicking on an external link, could end up costing millions of dollars to remediate a breach and a severe loss of public trust.
Organizations must also involve leadership at every level and from every department to promote strong training initiatives. Employees should be incentivized to take up their safety and security roles and be rewarded for strict adherence.
Measuring Success and Continuous Improvement
Metrics for evaluating the effectiveness of IAM training programs:
A well-trained workforce should receive ongoing benchmarks that accompany training to measure how quickly security teams respond to a breach and how well a cyber attack can be recognized, assessed, mitigated, and remediated.
Quizzes and assessments should be used for staff to assess the workforce’s retention of security data processes.
Future Trends in IAM Training
As technology advances, so does the level of sophistication of cyber attackers. The following are just a few of the emerging technologies and trends shaping IAM training:
- Integration of AI and machine learning (ML) for adaptive training: To the same extent that AI can be used as a weapon to help cyber attackers develop more sophisticated attacks, this technology is a valuable asset in helping to update, adapt, and personalize training to be more effective based on data regarding individual employees, changes in legislation, and individual organization challenges.
- The shift toward continuous learning: Using a continuous learning model for workforce training in IAM processes is an effective way to ensure people retain the knowledge they gain and make it easier to test and assess progress over time.
- The impact of remote work and distributed teams on IAM training strategies: Remote work and video conferencing bring the world together in many ways that would have been hard to imagine years ago. Along with all of the benefits comes the higher risk of individuals who log in from systems based around the world. IAM training has to be coordinated and requires the personal responsibility of a remote workforce to take the same care off-premise as in-person employees do. It also emphasizes the importance of safe and secure cloud systems for storing critical data and connecting remote systems to login validation through third-party systems.
Provision IAM for Financial Institutions that Need the Best Identity and Access Management Solution
Using well-established IAM protocols is vital to protecting sensitive user data across industries with the highest regulatory requirements. It is just as vital that a well-trained workforce rises to that same standard with proper training and a unified understanding of the importance of protecting access data and processes.
Choosing the right platform for managing IAM helps organizations automate user access without sacrificing security, privacy, or data integrity. That’s where Provision IAM comes in. Now, you can solve your organization’s security and compliance challenges while gaining improved efficiency.
Ready to learn more? Get in touch with us for a thorough consultation today.
