Adding more security solutions to try to fix your organisation’s cybersecurity posture is like putting a bandage on a broken arm – it might look good but it’s not really taking care of the real problem. You need a robust corporate security culture if you want to bolster defences long-term. No matter how much technology you deploy, you won’t likely be able to fix security concerns if your culture isn’t aware of how to participate in cybersecurity or of cyber hygiene and best practices. It takes a cultural transformation to truly take control of identity governance, as well as the understanding that security is an organisational challenge that needs to be solved, not just an IT one.
In the US the new National Cybersecurity Strategy demonstrates that this mindset has spread all the way to the White House. “The most capable and best-positioned actors in cyberspace must be better stewards of the digital ecosystem,” the plan declares. The brief explains how a single careless click made by an ignorant user shouldn’t have repercussions for national cybersecurity. Owners, operators and builders of our interconnected digital society should be in charge of overseeing our collective cyber hygiene.
Poor identity governance and administration persists
The consequences of substandard identity management, access and privileges can be extensive. According to the Identity Defined Security Alliance’s 2022 Trends in Securing Digital Identities report, 84 percent of organisations reported an identity-related breach in the past year – a 6.3 percent increase from the prior year. And those breaches are growing in terms of cost and the damage that can result – the latest IBM Cost of a Data Breach report found that the average cost of a breach is $4.35 million.
Security and efficiency must coexist in harmony. It’s not beneficial to have security that is so tight that it slows operations, nor is it helpful to have lax security but super-fast efficiency. Finding the ideal balance and a way to combine the two is key.
Leading culture change
It’s simple to attribute a scenario in which data security wasn’t emphasised to the demand for more solutions. Those are significant, but like the metaphor in the beginning, it’s like putting a bandage on a broken arm. Security and identity management can’t be solved by technology alone; the culture must support change. Furthermore, securing identities is not solely the responsibility of IT or security teams, nor is it a purely technological issue.
You need a top-down strategy, and leadership must initiate it. Those who don’t have leadership positions lack the power to compel others to change. Typically, it takes a boss standing up and saying, “You will make this adjustment.”
Toward a culture of governance
Understanding the value of identity management to the organization as a whole is the first step in implementing change. Organisations must ensure that they have all the required capabilities in place for success before beginning, because there are potential pitfalls that must be sidestepped. These include being overly ambitious at first, not involving stakeholders, the lack of best practices and underestimating the importance of data quality.
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For whatever area you are protecting, you must be aware of the assets that need to be protected and the hazards. When you have grasped the more critical elements and threats, you need clarity on who can access the assets, what access they receive, who grants the access and how long the access is allowed for.
Identify which doors need to be secured; start with the most important ones, then move on to the others. Everything will be a top-tier security priority if labels are not applied; such a model is not viable.
Technology is only as successful as the processes put in place to implement the solutions, and it is only as secure as the users. Whether it’s the CEO, independent contractors, IT administrators or auditors, everyone has a role to play in guaranteeing the security of their organisation.
It’s crucial to implement least privilege, automate procedures like identity lifecycle and access management, and build a strong foundation for IGA processes like audit. Nevertheless, cybersecurity programs genuinely achieve the next level of maturity when these steps are joined together by coordinating with multiple departments and business leaders across the organisation.
A top-down approach to stronger security
Businesses today are up against more sophisticated and numerous cybersecurity risks than ever. Most organisations assume that this risk comes from nefarious outsiders. That is frequently true, but when appropriate security controls are lacking, risk can also originate from within. This can spring from a cultural issue.
Culture can only be fixed by the leaders of the organisation, and they must play a strong, proactive part in changing a poor security culture. Technology only functions to the extent that well-designed policies and procedures are in place. The administration and governance of identities are essential to achieving this goal. This establishes a solid base for a more robust security culture.
