The key objective of any CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) is the prevention of impact to the organization from any form of security breach. This, as we know, is much easier said than done. A good CISO, in fact, comes to work every morning assuming that a breach has already happened, with a view to fixing any vulnerabilities and securing the system to the highest standard possible. Every single day.
In the military, they have a well-known phrase that happens to succinctly describe the definition of the least privilege principle: ‘Need-To-Know Basis’. For the military, this means that sensitive information is only given to those who need that information to perform their duty. In cybersecurity, it’s much the same idea. The ‘least privilege’ principle involves the restriction of individual user access rights within a company to only those which are necessary in order for them to do their job. By the same token, each system process, device, and application should be granted the least authority necessary, to avoid compromising privileged information.
Maintaining visibility and protecting an organization’s most critical data and systems are central components of robust security operations. Privileged users present a unique risk to companies, whose credentials may get into the wrong hands, resulting in devastating consequences. To maintain the level of visibility and control required for numerous compliance regulations, many organizations look toward session management solutions to provide them with the tools they need to ensure proper security 24/7.
Privileged access management, or PAM, is software that helps organizations maintain complete control and visibility over their most critical systems and data. A robust PAM solution ensures that all user actions, including those taken by privileged users, are monitored and can be audited in case of a security breach.
Organizational security often begins with password management. Even the most basic of organizations use passwords to protect email accounts and document management solutions, while larger organizations may need to worry about HIPAA compliance, protecting industrial control systems, and more. Ensuring security with robust password management policies is key, and utilizing enterprise password management software, such as the WALLIX Bastion Password Manager, significantly simplifies this daunting task.
