Every organization is vulnerable
The 2023 RSM US Middle Market Business Index Cybersecurity Special Report found that companies are regularly under attack from cyber criminals, from data breaches to business takeovers. Of respondents in the survey:
- 20% experienced a data breach in the last year
- 35% experienced a ransomware attack or demand
- 45% know someone whose firm has been attacked
- 58% said outside parties attempted to manipulate employees by pretending to be trusted third parties or company executives
- 48% of attempts to manipulate employees were successful
And the threat continues. In the next 12 months:
68%
anticipate unauthorized users will attempt to access data or systems
76%
said they are at risk of an attack by manipulating employees
To combat threats:
77% have a dedicated function focused on data security and privacy
But it’s not enough:
According to Verizon, 80% of data breaches can be connected to digital identity, making identity access management (IAM) critical to security.
IAM is the gatekeeper for security
IAM answers the question: “Who has access to what?” It verifies identity, and grants and revokes privileges to your organization’s resources for individuals, systems and devices.
In addition, IAM:
- Protects against unauthorized access
- Ensures compliance
- Enhances security and efficiency
- Improves incident response
- Supports data governance
But wait, isn’t my data safe in the cloud?
It is, and it isn’t. RSM MMBI research found that:
50%
of organizations moved or migrated data to the cloud due to security concerns
91%
of those believe the data in the cloud is more secure
Yet, even in the cloud, you need IAM:
Every cloud provider manages its identities and access a bit differently
There’s no common vernacular
Non-human identities are managing your cloud environment—but if programs take more access or don’t destroy accounts, you’ll have over-provisioned accounts that compromise your security
IAM also helps meet regulatory requirements: 90% of organizations in RSM MMBI research believe privacy requirements will increase
Remember:
Your organization is ultimately responsible for digital identity and security.
What’s next in IAM?
Cyber criminals constantly update their game—and so should your organization. Here are four identity trends to keep an eye on:
Identity providers (IdP) manage digital identities and grant customers or employees access to systems and resources they need
Robots (code) create accounts and grant access as needed
Trusted issuers create cryptographic proofs that can be used by others to verify identity digitally
AI makes device identity more efficient, reduces errors in provisioning and detects connections that could indicate a data breach or unauthorized access
Secure digital identity with RSM
We focus on enabling your organization to securely achieve its business strategy and objectives using a three-pronged approach:
Our IAM team has decades of realworld experience assessing and designing modern, scalable and secure IAM strategies across all industries and organization sizes.
Our certified and trained engineers implement and configure the leading IAM technologies in complex environments using proven methodologies to help ensure success.
Our IAM advisors can act as an extension of your existing team, from strategy, program management, project management, engineering and daily support.
Related insights
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Are you protecting your organization’s data?
Implementing who gets access to your data is the key to keeping all others out. Learn why identity and access management is your security foundation to keep attackers at bay.
