Cloud Governance is kinda hard

Cloud Governance is kinda hard

With many businesses moving to the cloud for their data storage and computing needs, identity governance is becoming an increasingly important topic of conversation. While cloud-based identity solutions offer several advantages compared to traditional on-premises ones, some organizations still face key challenges when it comes to managing identities in the cloud. Here's a look at some common difficulties companies face when attempting to implement an effective cloud identity governance system.

Visibility

Cloud identity governance presents a challenge when it comes to visibility, as it can be difficult to keep track of users' access and authorization levels as resources become increasingly distributed. Companies are now responsible for monitoring and adjusting access levels of users on multiple realms, platforms, and services - all from different providers. This puts the burden on organizations to embrace new approaches for leveraging identity data for maximum efficiency. Cloud identity governance allows companies to maintain awareness of their user base by utilizing access analytics tools that provide better insight into risk, usage, and compliance. With cloud identification management, organizations have a better way to protect their digital assets and develop security strategies tailored to their environment.

Data Synchronization Difficulties

When multiple systems are connected together, keeping data synchronized across all platforms is critical - however, this can present difficulties in scenarios where different information needs to flow bi-directionally or when complex tasks must be completed between two different services. For example, if an employee’s contact information changes within one system but fails to update across others, then the user may no longer have access privileges within those applications until certain processes are manually triggered by administrators (i.e, re-syncing the data).

Integration & Automation Challenges

Most issues related to cloud identity governance arise from integration issues; ensuring that all relevant parts are connected properly and that each respective user has the correct permissions assigned can be time-consuming and may require additional manual steps throughout its completion. Therefore, automation is paramount for reducing complexity and saving time for admins who would otherwise have to make adjustments on a case-by-case basis whenever necessary manually. Additionally, integrating existing infrastructure with third-party solutions adds further complexity, so organizations must choose wisely when selecting partners/providers with whom they wish to establish such relationships. This gets even more challenging when you add in factors such as multi-cloud. Managing change across the different cloud environments is enough to drive any administrator out of a second-story window.

So what's a practitioner to do? Here are some quick tips to get you headed in the right direction. The first one, which I feel is the most important, is creating an Identity Blueprint. Understand the makeup of a digital identity within your organization. What attributes do you need to collect and why? Where are those attributes sourced from? Do those attributes contribute to access? This will give you the game plan for your want your digital identities to exist within your organization.

The next thing is to understand the relationships between your identities and the resources being accessed. This can get out of hand quickly when it comes to the cloud because of cloud services' dynamic nature and scalability. Start at the application level and work your way down.

Finally, review your configurations often. Things move fast in the cloud. Services are updated constantly; what was once recommended is now legacy, so make sure you are vigilant about the configurations of access to resources.

Cloud identity governance is essential to any organization’s digital security strategy. By leveraging access analytics tools, understanding data synchronization difficulties, and implementing automation solutions to manage change across cloud environments, organizations can ensure their user base remains secure while simultaneously providing efficient access privileges for employees. With a clear Identity Blueprint in place and by regularly reviewing configurations, companies will be well-positioned to maximize the power of cloud identity management within their environment. Ultimately, this should lead to improved risk mitigation strategies that keep confidential information safe from malicious actors while also ensuring users can work effectively with the resources they need.