Access management is increasingly the answer to #TrustedAccess
With two decades of cloud computing now under the belt, this question is increasingly more relevant in our hyper-connected world. Massive amounts of data are constantly produced globally, shared and stored by a rapidly growing number of devices in an expanding cloud environment. But the tremendous capabilities and convenience we’ve come to depend on via the cloud often leaves the door open to increasing vulnerabilities. Leaks, breaches and hacks will continue to challenge enterprises until one very big problem is solved: access management.
Trusted access is the key to the digital kingdom. Data is useless unless it can be accessed, so it must reside in a place that’s penetrable, but only by those who are authorized. Secure and successful management of data access may still be an Achilles' heel for many organizations, but if there’s a silver lining to cloud breaches, it’s that they highlight where changes need to be made.
Recent high-profile breaches, such as the Choice Hotels cloud breach which spanned 40 countries and exposed 700,000 records, is a poignant example of a lesson learned. Clearly, IT decision makers are paying attention and making the right changes. According to the 2019 Thales Access Management Index , cloud applications are identified as one of the top vulnerabilities that can lead to a cyberattack, as reported by more than 1,000 IT leaders. The study also revealed that 94% of IT professionals say their organizations’ security policies around access management was influenced by breaches of consumer services in the last 12 months. Additionally, 58% of the data security leaders surveyed indicated that multi-factor authentication was the most likely technology to protect cloud and web-based apps.
This expanding awareness is leading organizations to implement cloud access management solutions that are perimeter-free, and compatible with a zero-trust model that’s adaptive. Investments in IT security are on the rise and policies are evolving for the better. For example, the study shows that when it comes to cloud solutions, three-quarters (75%) of organizations already rely on access management.
But there’s still a long way to go. According to our 2019 Thales Access Management Index, the majority (97%) of IT leaders know that access management is necessary for the adoption of cloud services within their organizations, and 95% believe ineffective cloud access management is a top concern. IT and business decision makers must be vigilant in understanding the risks to their cloud solutions in order to implement the ones that are most relevant and effective.
Important Changes Are Happening
This study shows that over half (52%) of IT leaders surveyed are now more focused on staff training on security and access management – a big step in the right direction. Other critical trust access tools, such as two-factor authentication (which 96% expect their organization’s use will expand in the future) and smart single sign on, are also paving the way for more secure digital environments. Perhaps someday, password fatigue, frustration and password resets can truly be a thing of the past.
I invite you to download a copy of our 2019 Thales Access Management Index to learn other key findings from this important study. In addition, for more information on how you can secure access to your cloud services and applications, please download our eBook, Four Steps to Cloud Access Management.