Missed last week’s blog? Read it Here!
At the core of your Pinewood Derby car is obviously the wooden body. What might not be as obvious is what should be at the core of your Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA). The answer? Identity, or Identity Access Management (IAM) as the foundation in which to build the rest of your ZTNA.
IAM is the core of ZTNA because it is the first step in granting entry. Much like showing your ID to enter a bar or board a plane, you are presenting verification that you are allowed to enter. Furthermore, It answers the question “Who has access to your most valuable asset – your data?” Most cyber-attacks take advantage of misused credentials in some fashion. Putting in measures to limit who within your organization has access and to also verify each attempt to access said data, is an important step in protecting your organization against the threat of a ransomware attack. Having a plan in place to grant and revoke access across your organization provides visibility across a remote workforce and enhance your overall security.
Identity Tips
Just as complexities to the car design can slow down your Pinewood Derby car, simplifying your identity access is a great way to help protect your cybersecurity stack. Here are tips to start tightening your IAM:
- Automation and Orchestration: Use a solution such as Okta as the hub for your User Lifecycle Management efforts to reduce administrative burden for your workforce and improve internal customer satisfaction
- Enforce Least Privileges: Ensure that the right users have the right access to the data and applications required to perform their job duties.
- Multi-factor at scale: Reduce cumbersome Multi-Factor Authentication cycles by consolidating behind the Single Sign-On portal. One challenge to cover dozens of applications!
Pinewood Derby Tip
The simplest car design is called the wedge car – it only takes one cut of wood! Just cut the block from the top edge to the opposite bottom edge so the car is shaped like a wedge of cheese or an axe blade. Other tips for a better body include:
- Creating a design plan a head of time – draft out ideas on paper!
- Avoid the urge to get fancy – keep in mind the principles of aerodynamics
To learn more about Okta’s position in the Spectra Alliance, Click Here
