A solid security infrastructure is based on user permissions and two-factor authentication. The ability to manage user permissions is a key tool in reducing the possibility that malicious or accidental insider activity will occur, minimizing the impact of data breaches, and ensuring regulatory compliance.
1. Reduce the threat of insider threats
A common method here are the findings of limiting access to users is to use the principle of least privilege which stipulates that users must be granted the minimum level of privileges that they require for their job. This reduces the impact of any unauthorized activity that may be performed by employees or other vendors.
2. Minimize the Risk of a Data Breach
Many industries are subject to strict regulatory requirements which require robust data security practices. By controlling permissions for users, organizations can ensure compliance by making sure that only authorized users have access to sensitive information.
3. Reduce the Risk of Third-Party Vendor Activity
Many data breaches occur as a result of compromised credentials owned by third-party vendors. Regularly reviewing and updating user permissions can help to minimize the risk of unauthorized access by external vendors.
4. Provide Flexibility for Privilege Escalation
Role-based access control (RBAC) is a well-known method of managing user permissions that assigns specific access rights based on predefined roles. These roles can be grouped to provide granular control of access. For example, a senior physician may have higher privileges than a junior physician in terms of accessing patient data. RBAC can also be configured to require a two-factor authentication (2FA), even for specific roles, to reduce the risk of unauthorised entry even if a password has been compromised.
