Free Privileged Account Discovery Tool: Identify & secure credentials to stop lateral movement. Download Free

BeyondTrust
  • Products
    Privileged Password Management
    Discover, manage, audit, and monitor privileged accounts
    Password Safe DevOps Secrets Safe
    Endpoint Privilege Management
    Manage privileges on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Unix endpoints
    Windows and Mac Unix and Linux Active Directory Bridge
    Secure Remote Access
    Centrally manage and secure remote access for service desks and vendors
    Remote Support Privileged Remote Access
    BeyondInsight Analytics
    See All Solutions
  • Resources

    Universal Privilege Management

    Our innovative Universal Privilege Management approach secures every user, asset, and session across your entire enterprise.

    Watch Video

    Learn

    Case Studies
    Competitor Comparisons
    Datasheets
    Glossary
    Product Demos
    Whitepapers

    Attend

    Events
    Go Beyond
    Training
    Webinars

    Support

    Changelog
    Professional Services
    Technical Documentation
  • Blog
  • Partners
  • Contact
  • Support
  • Services
  • Training
  • Events
  • Company

The culture shock (Part 1)

October 20, 2017

  • Blog
  • Archive

In this blog post, I want to share some of my experiences on how company culture can kill a security project, especially when removing admin rights.

Understanding the nuances of company culture is crucial to the success of this type of project - or for that matter any project. I have seen company culture inhibit both innovation and change. People’s natural response is to resist change, and this is no less true in the area of computer security, as users almost universally perceive security as an inconvenience which gets in the way of their user experience. However, it does not have to be this way. Security should be an enabler, the balance between security and freedom can be achieved if done correctly.

I have implemented Defence in Depth security strategies in a whole host of organizations, from those with just a few employees to global enterprises with half a million employees. As you can imagine, the gulf between these cultures is exponential. Obviously, this can affect what can be achieved, and how to go about doing it. Before embarking on a project of this sort you need to understand the organizational culture as this will drive how the project will be conducted.

The culture of a business determines how the employees and management of a company behave. For instance, to what extent do employees:

  • Help one another and contribute to teamwork?
  • Co-operate to achieve common goals?
  • Respect each other?
  • Understand the work of colleagues in other departments?

If the answers to the above are positive then it's likely that your company has a healthy culture. This will make the project easier to implement, as employees will strive to understand why the project is being run.

If the answer is negative, employees may be defensive, unreasonable, have unrealistic expectations, or be aggressive. IT is likely to struggle to get users on side with any new project. However, all is not lost, for with the right solution, implementation plan, and communication approach, it is possible to make the project a success. However, it will take a little longer and need more care and attention.

The political and cultural challenges of implementing DiD can be hard to overcome, if not tackled in the correct way. I cannot stress enough how important this stage is to the success of your project. This and this alone could be the downfall of the project. Consequently, I place a significant emphasis on user education and communication.

It is expected that users will accept change if it is communicated well, allowing them to understand the benefits. This will help minimize helpdesk support incidents related to the removal of elevated rights. It’s also important to set up a feedback mechanism (e.g. Intranet, E-mail, nominated contact) for questions and answers.

For more information on how to achieve admin rights removal in your organization, you can check our my book, The Endpoint Security Paradox, available on Amazon <click here>

Andrew Avanessian

Stay Up To Date

Get the latest news, ideas, and tactics from BeyondTrust. You may unsubscribe at any time.

I agree to receive product related communications from BeyondTrust as detailed in the Privacy Policy, and I may manage my preferences or withdraw my consent at any time.

You May Also Be Interested In:

Webcasts | February 09, 2021

Customer Webinar: Remote Support 21.1 Released!

Webcasts | February 24, 2021

Your PAM 2021 Blueprint: Securing Privileged Accounts for On-Premises and Cloud Assets

Whitepapers

Evolving Privileged Identity Management (PIM) In The 'Next Normal'

BeyondTrust Logo
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

Keep up with BeyondTrust

I agree to receive product related communications from BeyondTrust as detailed in the Privacy Policy, and I may manage my preferences or withdraw my consent at any time.

Customer Support
Contact Sales

Products

  • Endpoint Privilege Management
  • Password Management
  • Privileged Remote Access
  • DevOps Secrets Safe
  • Remote Support

Resources

  • Blog
  • Case Studies
  • Competitor Comparisons
  • Datasheets
  • Glossary
  • Videos
  • Webcasts
  • Whitepapers

About

  • Company
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Leadership Team
  • Partner Program
  • Press

Languages

  • English
  • German
  • French
  • Spanish
  • Korean
  • Portuguese
  • Japanese
  • Privacy
  • Security
  • Manage Cookies
  • WEEE Compliance

Copyright © 1999 — 2020 BeyondTrust Corporation. All rights reserved. Other trademarks identified on this page are owned by their respective owners. BeyondTrust Corporation is not a chartered bank or trust company, or depository institution. It is not authorized to accept deposits or trust accounts and is not licensed or regulated by any state or federal banking authority.