Building IAM on a Foundation of Zero Trust to Increase its Effectiveness

Zero trust is an essential requirement for getting an IAM right, and identity is at the heart of zero trust. CISOs must adopt a zero-trust framework thoroughly and proceed as though a breach has already occurred. (They should be mindful, though, that cybersecurity providers frequently exaggerate the possibilities of zero trust.)

According to CrowdStrike’s George Kurtz, “Identity-first security is critical for zero trust because it enables organizations to implement strong and effective access controls based on their users’ needs. By continuously verifying the identity of users and devices, organizations can reduce the risk of unauthorized access and protect against potential threats.” He says that“80% of the attacks, or the compromises that we see, use some form of identity and credential theft.”

What Must CISO Know About IAM in 2023? 

According to CISO, one of the significant challenges in staying updated with the IAM technology is the pressure that comes with their cybersecurity tech stakes and goals like getting more done with less workforce and budget. 63% percent of CISOs choose extended detection and response (XDR), and 96% plan to combine their security platforms. The majority of CISOs, up from 61% in 2021, have consolidation on their roadmaps, according to Cynet's 2022 CISO study.

As customers combine their IT stacks, cybersecurity providers like CrowdStrike, Palo Alto Networks, Zscaler, and others see new sales prospects. According to Gartner, global investment in IAM will increase by 11.8% year between 2023 and 2027, from $20.7 billion to $32.4 billion. Leading IAM suppliers include IBM, Microsoft Azure Active Directory, Palo Alto Networks, Zscaler, CrowdStrike, Delinea, Ericom, ForgeRock, Google Cloud Identity, and AWS Identity and Access Management.

We are mentioning some of the IAM aspects that CISOs and CIOs must know of in 2023:

Audit all Access Credentials and Rights to Prevent the Growing Credential Epidemic

An Insider attack is a nightmare for CISOs, raising concerns about their jobs that keep them up all night. According to some CISOs, a notorious insider attack that is not caught on time could cost them and their teams their jobs, especially in financial services. Furthermore, internal attacks are as complicated as or harder to identify than exterior attacks, according to 92% of security leaders.

A common error is importing legacy credentials into a new identity management system. Take your time examining and erasing credentials. Over half of the businesses have encountered an insider threat in the previous year, according to 74% of organizations, who also claim that insider attacks have escalated. 20 or more internal attacks have occurred in 8% of people.

According to Ivanti's Press Reset, a 2023 Cybersecurity Status Report, 45% of businesses believe that previous workers and contractors still have active access to the company's systems and files. “Large organizations often fail to account for the huge ecosystem of apps, platforms and third-party services that grant access well past an employee’s termination,” said Dr. Srinivas Mukkamala, chief product officer at Ivanti.

Multifactor Authentication (MFA) can be a Quick Zero-trust Win

Multifactor Authentication (MFA) is essential as a first line of zero-trust security, according to CISOs, CIOs, and SecOps team members interviewed by VentureBeat. MFA is an instant win that CISOs have consistently told VentureBeat they rely on to demonstrate the success of their zero-trust projects.

They advise that MFA should be implemented with as little impact on employees' productivity as possible. The most effective multi-factor authentication (MFA) implementations combine password or PIN code authentication with biometric, behavioral biometric, or what-you-have (token) aspects.

Protect IAM Infrastructure with Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) Tools

ITDR tools could mitigate risks and strengthen security configuration. Additionally, they may identify attacks, offer remedies, and uncover and repair configuration flaws in the IAM system. Enterprises can strengthen their security postures and lower their risk of an IAM infrastructure breach by implementing ITDR to safeguard IAM systems and repositories, including Active Directory (AD).

Some of the popular vendors include Authomize, CrowdStrike, Microsoft, Netwrix, Quest, Semperis, SentinelOne (Attivo Networks), Silverfort, SpecterOps, and Tenable.