data protection - PATECCO GmbH

Why Identities are the heart of digitalization and cyber security?

Everyone is talking about digital transformation. It helps companies to improve the customer experience, simplify business processes and prepare for future challenges and business requirements. However, this modernization also poses new challenges in terms of cyber security and data protection. This is because the use of local and multi-cloud/remote environments means that users can access data from anywhere. Identity governance is therefore shifting with the use of identity federation and personal devices (BYOD). At the same time, the number of data access points, roles and user accounts is increasing – including privileged accounts. In such a complex IT ecosystem, it is difficult to manage and control identities and their access effectively. Attacks on identities are a daily routine It is well known that the top management level is directly responsible for its corporate risks and consequently their management. This also includes risks relating to Identity Governance & Administration (IGA), as they have a major impact both operationally and financially. Identifying and managing identity-related risks is fundamental, as the consequences of a security breach in connection with identities range from reputational damage to financial losses in the form of fines or ransomware payments. In order to create effective risk-based access and identity management programs, the focus is on the risks of each individual identity: These risks have been exacerbated by the global pandemic, but the theft of access data is also on the rise. In this regard, we recommend focusing on distributed, remote workplaces and employees as well as efficient monitoring of digital threats and the fulfilment and assessment of legal and industry-specific data protection and security requirements. It is also advisable to check access to sensitive customer and financial data as well as transactional processes. Identities take centre stage Today’s requirements are forcing companies to place identity and its context at the centre. For example, an identity can be both an employee and a customer, a doctor can be a patient or an employee can be a citizen. In combination with agile business models, job sharing, job rotation, etc., access management has evolved from a traditional perimeter-based to an identity-centric approach. We see time and time again that organisations struggle with the following four areas in particular: A holistic Identity Governance & Administration (IGA) that not only targets cloud, hybrid and/or on-premises security, but also the expectations of users and companies with regard to data protection, data security and cyber security can provide a remedy here. IGA solves open issues in IAM IGA is an important aspect of managing and controlling identities and the corresponding access authorisation. At the same time, IGA helps to solve IAM challenges such as inappropriate and/or outdated access to company resources, remote employees, time-consuming provisioning processes, weak Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies or strict compliance requirements. All of these issues increase the security risk and weaken the compliance position of companies. With IGA, companies can automate their access management workflows extensively – even beyond their own perimeter – and thus reduce risks. IAM guidelines can also be defined and implemented. Last but not least, this enables companies to actively review user access processes for compliance reporting and proactively initiate automated measures. For this reason, more and more companies are modernising to IGA in order to continue to meet the increasing compliance requirements of eHealth, SOX, ISO/IEC 27701, PCI DSS etc. in the long term. But it’s not just compliance that benefits from IGA! IGA improves the overview of what users can and cannot access. This enables IT administrators to optimise identity management and access control, efficiently mitigate risks and protect business-critical systems and data. With the right IGA tools, organisations can protect themselves in today’s complex IT and cyber security landscape, improve their resilience and achieve scalable growth. Business-to-identity as a key element IGA is the secret supreme discipline in the areas of governance, risks and compliance. Identity Governance & Administration with all its disciplines such as Privileged Access Management (PAM), Customer Identity & Access Management (CIAM) etc. are key functions for strategic security objectives such as: Zero Trust Completeness, Need-to-know, Security by Design, Security by Default. A central element in identity-centric management is to place identity at the centre of security strategies, based on a business-to-identity framework with IGA. Such a framework includes best practices for effective management of the identity-related threat landscape, overcoming hurdles in the context of automation and ensuring security by design in the centralised governance of identities. IGA tools also support the tracking and control of user access, both for local and cloud-based systems. This allows you to ensure that the right users have the right access to the right systems throughout the lifecycle, as well as detect and prevent unauthorised access. By implementing the right controls with Identity Governance and Administration, organizations can significantly enhance their security posture, ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, and streamline user access management to improve efficiency. IGA solutions provide a comprehensive framework to manage digital identities, define and enforce access policies, conduct access reviews, and generate audit-ready reports. This holistic approach not only reduces the risk of data breaches but also enables businesses to adapt rapidly to changing security landscapes and align IT processes with corporate governance objectives.

How does blockchain positively impact data protection and digital identity management?

Uncategorized / Von Ina Nikolova

In this fast-paced digital age, where the exchange of personal data permeates online interactions, protecting data privacy and establishing foolproof digital identities has become a compelling challenge. Blockchain technology is a concept often associated with cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. However, the reach of blockchain is much broader and goes beyond its roots in cryptocurrency. Beyond revolutionising digital transactions, it has the remarkable ability to reshape the landscape of data privacy and digital identity management on an unprecedented scale. This article explains how blockchain is positively impacting data privacy and digital identity management. Blockchain in the context of digital identity management Blockchain in the context of digital identity management refers to the use of blockchain technology to manage digital identities securely and transparently. Basically, digital identities are managed by centralized entities like governments, banks, or social media platforms, which store personal information in their databases. However, this centralized approach poses several risks, including single points of failure, data breaches, and lack of user control over their own data. Blockchain technology offers a decentralized and immutable ledger where digital identities can be securely stored and managed. Besides, the blockchain-based digital identity management systems have the potential to revolutionize how identities are verified, authenticated, and managed in various sectors, including finance, healthcare, government services, and online interactions. The role of blockchain in data protection Have you ever thought about gaining complete control over your personal data? Well, blockchain technology helps you gain that authority. Imagine being able to keep your information secure and private without any organisation having control over it. This is possible with the help of decentralisation. This means that blockchains do not store your data in one central location, as is the case with conventional databases, but distribute it across many different computers. This creates a network of copies of your data, which in turn makes it more secure. But wait, if everyone has access to these copies, doesn’t that mean your privacy is at risk? Let’s find out how blockchain keeps your data private and secure. Think of blockchain as a chain of blocks, with each block containing data and a special code called a hash. Instead of having all the data in one place, copies of this chain are stored on computers around the world. Each time a new block is added to the ledger (chain), it must be approved by other miners. If more than half of these computer agree, the new block becomes part of the chain, otherwise it is rejected. This approval process is called consensus. The blockchain keeps your data secure by distributing it across many computers, ensuring that everyone agrees on any changes. It secures blocks using hashes and the clever proof-of-work method. With zero-knowledge proofs, you can prove things without revealing too much. And public addresses hide your identity but still allow you to make transactions. The impact of blockchain on digital identity management Advances in digital identity protection technology have introduced options such as robotic process automation and machine learning. However, these new solutions can be expensive and less efficient in centralised digital identity systems. Instead of giving control of identity data to centralised entities, using blockchain for digital identity projects may offer a better solution. How does blockchain help solve identity management problems? It works by creating a digital identity on a decentralised system, which brings several benefits. Here are some ways blockchain improves digital identity management solutions: Security is a big deal for the growth of blockchain digital identity companies in the future. Think of blockchain like a super-secure digital vault. It keeps the data super secure and locked away so no one can change it. It also uses secret codes, called cryptography, to ensure that no one can take a peek at your digital identity. This makes your digital identity super secure and easy to trace. In addition, using blockchain for digital identity means that we don’t have to worry so much about weak passwords that can be easily broken. Another cool thing about blockchain-based digital identity is data protection. There’s a lot of talk about protecting our personal data. Blockchain uses really strong secret codes and digital signatures to ensure that your private data remains private. Every time something happens on the blockchain, it’s like putting a special lock on it that can’t be opened or changed later. Blockchain makes trust easier. It’s as if everyone in the club agrees on what’s true. The information is shared on many computers and everyone agrees that it is correct. It’s a bit like many friends confirming a story. When different groups use the same system, for example a special code for your country, digital identities become even better. Blockchain operates on principles of decentralization, transparency, immutability, and cryptographic security, making it a reliable and tamper-proof system for recording and verifying transactions across various industries. The future of blockchain in terms of data protection and digital identity The future of blockchain in terms of privacy and digital identity promises a transformative development in the way personal data is managed and protected. By utilising blockchain technology, digital identities can be managed securely and transparently while maintaining user privacy. Through decentralisation and encryption techniques, blockchain enables secure storage of identity data, reducing the risk of data misuse and identity theft. The immutability of blockchain ensures the integrity of stored data and prevents tampering. In addition, blockchain gives users complete control over their own identity data. They can choose what information they want to share and with whom, without having to rely on centralised intermediaries. This promotes user confidence in the security and protection of their data. In the future, blockchain-based identity management systems could be widely used in various sectors such as finance, healthcare, government services and online interactions. These systems not only offer improved data protection, but also efficiency and ease of use by eliminating the need for repeated identity verification and the management of multiple credentials.

Role-Based Access Control as a Cybersecurity Imperative for the Business

Uncategorized / Von Ina Nikolova

Defining and granting access rights is a constant challenge for IT departments. Managing access rights based on a role-based approach makes controlling system authorisations for users in complex IT environments clear and simple. On one hand, as many regular users – whether employees, external contractors or others – require the same or similar access rights to perform their work, the assignment of access rights can be greatly simplified by grouping employees based on their tasks and associated competences within the organisation. On the other hand, a lack of access control or automatic provisioning of rights and access can be costly and risky for the enterprise in a number of ways. It means that new employees and contractors may not be up and running as quickly as necessary, they may gain access to systems they shouldn’t have access to, they may retain their access rights when they change roles or leave the organisation, and they may inadvertently compromise the organisation’s security profile. The power of RBAC Role-based access control is a procedure for managing and controlling access to files or services. Instead of giving users in the network direct access rights to various systems or making spontaneous decisions about who can access what and for how long, access is granted according to a role previously assigned to the user. When used systematically, RBAC reduces the risk of a user being granted too much access and thus promotes the implementation of a least privilege strategy. With clearly defined roles, protocols are created that specify exactly which role is suitable for which type of user, which prevents inappropriate inheritance of authorisations. In the event of a compromise, authorisations can also be blocked extremely quickly and on a large scale, effectively preventing the spread of cyberattacks. This is the reason why the RBAC concept is often used, particularly in companies with more than 500 employees. This ensures that employees always have the rights they need and that there are no interruptions to operations. RBAC allows organizations to define roles and permissions based on their specific business requirements and security policies. Roles can be tailored to reflect different job functions, departments, or projects, and permissions can be fine-tuned to accommodate variations in access needs across different user groups. With RBAC, companies can react more flexibly to employee changes according to the Joiner, Mover Leaver (JML) process. Especially when employees join, change departments or leave the company, RBAC makes work much easier and safer. At the same time rights can be granted and withdrawn at any time via role memberships, which makes RBAC very adaptable and dynamic. Role-Based Access Control also makes the time-consuming assignment of individual authorisations obsolete by predefined authorisations to roles once and can be rolled out to several people in one go or withdrawn again. If the roles are named in a way that is easy to understand, this also increases Transparency and traceability on the user side. The allocation of individual authorisations without RBAC is not only time-consuming. It also means less control and overview of who has access to what. It also leaves room for errors and over-authorisation. Thus, security gaps can arise if the individual authorisations are no longer withdrawn or are retained for longer than necessary. If users are given too many authorisations, this can lead to errors. With a well thought-out and predefined authorisation concept, the company not only saves work but is also on the safe side: access rights are defined exclusively via the role concept. Over-authorisation of individual employees is thus avoided in accordance with the Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP) in order to fulfil compliance requirements. In this way, RBAC helps to significantly increase efficiency and security in IT and throughout the entire company. Changes are made automatically, rights no longer have to be applied for and assigned individually and the waiting time for approval is also eliminated. This not only makes managing access rights easier, but more error-resistant, as well. Role-based access control includes role authorisations and user roles and can be used to meet a variety of company requirements, from security and compliance to efficiency and cost control. With role-based access control, organisations reduce both the complexity of assigning access rights and the associated costs. It provides the ability to review access rights to ensure compliance with various regulations and streamline processes so that new employees are up and running from day one by pre-defining which systems the new employee should have access to based on their role in the organisation. RBAC facilitates auditing and reporting by providing a structured framework for access control. Audit logs can track user activities and access attempts based on role assignments and permissions, enabling organizations to monitor compliance with regulatory requirements and internal policies. RBAC helps demonstrate accountability and transparency by documenting who has access to sensitive resources and how access is being used, which is essential for compliance audits and investigations. RBAC supports segregation of duties by defining roles with mutually exclusive sets of permissions. This prevents conflicts of interest and reduces the risk of fraud and errors by ensuring that no single user has excessive privileges that could be abused. SoD controls help prevent unauthorized activities such as unauthorized transactions, data tampering, and fraud, thereby enhancing security. Having in mind the above listed advantages, we can conclude that RBAC is important for businesses in terms of enhanced security, facilitated compliance with regulatory requirements, mitigated risks, and improved operational efficiency. By implementing RBAC, businesses can strengthen their security posture, protect sensitive information, and maintain trust with customers, partners, and regulatory authorities.