Securing Privileged Access: A Defensive Tackle

The Super Bowl is one of the most tightly protected sporting events in the world. Approximately $3.1 million will be spent on security at this year’s Big Game, with dozens of cameras, 2 miles of fences, and 100 police dogs. For those who have tickets, it can take hours to make it through all of the security checkpoints to actually get into the stadium and in your seat.

Wouldn’t it be great if organizations had the same high standards for securing their networks and IT assets?

According to the recent Cyber Incident & Breach Trends Report, 93 percent of last year’s breaches could have been avoided by taking appropriate action. Let’s take a look at some defensive strategies that all organizations should be practicing; keeping their home field (or network) protected, while allowing appropriate access to those who need it.  

Make It a Team Effort

While cyberattacks are continuously evolving, it’s important to keep all employees in shape to block (or mitigate) any potential threats to the network. Conducting regular training sessions and creating a culture of persistent learning will help employees understand why security guidelines exist, as well as recognize any email and social media phishing scams threatening the organization.

Protect the Most Valuable Ticket in Town

Tickets to the Super Bowl are limited, costly, and in high demand. Just as these tickets offer admittance to the biggest game of the year, the login credentials for privileged accounts allow access to the most critical systems of an organization. As administrative accounts and passwords are often shared across teams, an enterprise password vault will help securely store privileged credentials and facilitate the correct level of access to systems within an organization’s network.

Grant VIP Access

It is extremely easy for threat actors to utilize unsecured remote access or compromise poorly protected privileged credentials as pathways into a network. By implementing a modern and robust privileged access solution, companies can granularly control who has access to their network, when and for how long. This allows organizations to efficiently support users and critical systems without putting sensitive data at risk.

Security professionals must be able to monitor, manage, and control privileged access to critical systems by authorized employees, contractors, and third-party vendors. By taking this strong defensive approach, organizations can keep themselves safe from security threats, while allowing access to the right people.