Identity Is the New Perimeter: Redefining Security in Modern, Borderless World - Santosh Pai, Practice Head - Managed Security Services & IAM North America, Inspira Enterprise
In 2024, identity compromises revealed vulnerabilities across several sectors including, financial, telecom, manufacturing, and more, spanning multiple geographies. Russian state-sponsored group targeted the Microsoft test environment by exploiting the absence of multi-factor authentication, getting full access to sensitive corporate email accounts. By leveraging single-factor authentication, cyber criminals accessed Snowflake accounts and exfiltrated 560 million records containing sensitive data revealing vulnerabilities in the organization’s credential management. The identity threat landscape is expanding rapidly across India as well. As highlighted by CyberArk’s Identity Threat Landscape 2024 Report, almost 93% of Indian organizations had experienced two or more identity-related breaches in the previous year.
Those days are gone when users, data, and devices were monitored, controlled, and secured within physical environments or defined perimeters where cybersecurity professionals felt it was adequate to just secure the perimeter to keep the digital assets safe. In recent times, cybersecurity measures have evolved with organizations embracing cloud-based services, remote and hybrid working cultures, and BYOD practices. In today’s corporate digital environments, it is a challenge to define network perimeter amidst the growth of Cloud and IoT with employees accessing the organization’s system from anywhere, anytime, and any device. This shift has weakened the network-based models of cybersecurity and is being replaced by Zero-Trust Architecture which places ‘identity’ at the center of cybersecurity making identity the new perimeter.
Complexities of identity security
In today’s digital era, several factors contribute to the complexities of identity security. Organizations shifting to hybrid environments that combine on-premises systems and cloud services have user data and other attributes duplicated or scattered across these two environments. These scattered identity stores have led to complicating identity management. AI and machine learning have revolutionized cybersecurity enabling teams to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of cybersecurity measures and strengthen defenses. Unfortunately, these technologies are leveraged by threat actors to build more sophisticated attacks too. This double-edged sword nature of AI and ML technologies can create a complex landscape.
Study shows third-party vendors are adding to the cyber risks creating another layer of complexity. Often managing these external identities securely is a challenge as the latter’s security hygiene may not match organizational standards. Additionally, employees using multiple digital identities across diverse applications and systems further increases the challenge of effectively managing and securing identities effectively.
The proliferation of automation, IoT devices, and APIs has led to a sharp rise in non-human identities, demanding strong security measures. Finally, organizations are compelled to balance the need for stringent identity security with providing seamless user experiences, making it a persistent and multifaceted challenge.
Best practices for identity-first security
? Eliminate identity silos and establish centralized control and Governance
o Build a centralized Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) platform for ease of onboarding and one-click offboarding.
? Ensure robust measures for authentication and authorization including MFA and SSO to improve user experience
o Use modern authentication standards like OAuth, OpenID Connect, and SAML.
? Special focus on Privileged Identities
o Privileged identities should be managed through a centralized Privileged Access Management (PAM) solution that enforces consistent policies, monitors activity, and ensures access is granted only when necessary.
? Embrace Zero Trust Implement least-privilege access policies
o Follow the principle of “never trust, always verify” by continuously validating identity, device, and contextual signals.
? Use role-based access control
o Define and enforce roles and permissions based on business functions to ensure ease of governance and reduce over-permission scenarios.
? Enforcing a strong password policy
o Implement password-less authentication options, such as biometrics or hardware security keys, where feasible.
? Identify and manage risk-based systems
o Classify systems and applications based on their risk profile and sensitivity
? Automate workflow
o Use identity automation tools to streamline onboarding, offboarding, and access requests.
? Educate and train employees
o Conduct regular training sessions on identity security best practices and awareness of phishing or social engineering threats.
The path ahead for identity security
The path ahead for identity security is marked by evolving challenges and opportunities that demand a proactive and innovative approach. Organizations must transition to a zero-trust architecture, enforcing “never trust, always verify” principles with contextual and adaptive authentication at its core. Strengthening identity governance and compliance is essential to meet regulatory demands while automating identity workflows can reduce inefficiencies and scale security across hybrid IT environments. A special focus on privileged identities is very essential to ensure “Keys to Kingdom” are secure. As identity becomes the cornerstone of cybersecurity, organizations must place it at the heart of their strategies, building scalable, adaptable, and future-ready frameworks that support secure and frictionless digital experiences.