Everything You Need To Know About Identity And Access Management Systems

Every day, your employees use applications and sensitive business data. Hackers, on the other hand, are out to steal the same information for their own gain. Worse yet, workers who turn rogue can easily steal your data. This is why implementing an identity and access management (IAM) solution is critical.

What is IAM?

Identity and access management is a system that secures, stores, and manages user identities and access privileges. It ensures that users are who they say they are and will grant access to applications and resources only to those who have permission to use them. System administrators can enforce this system to give employees access to only the apps and data they need for work.

Other solutions that go into IAM include single sign-on (SSO) and multifactor authentication (MFA). The former allows users to securely log in to multiple applications that they are authorized to access. Meanwhile, MFA sets an additional method of user verification other than passwords. This includes fingerprint scans, facial ID, or a one-time security code sent via SMS.

These security solutions are designed to protect digital assets even if users attempt to access company accounts through mobile devices and the cloud.

CENTRALIZE ACCESS CONTROL

Too much access to certain systems is risky, while too little can hamper productivity and frustrate users. IAM strikes the perfect balance by letting you set centralized policies for the right access privileges. For example, you can deny your design team access to the accounting system while granting it to your CFO.

Each user’s role and attribute can be used to determine which resources they’re allowed to access and to what extent. This not only offers better security, but also more flexibility and ease of management.

LOWER CHANCES OF DATA BREACHES

With SSO and MFA, your employees will no longer have to remember multiple passwords. Instead, they’ll be able to prove their identity using evidence-based authorization such as answering a personal question that only they would know. IAM also comes equipped with advanced encryption tools to protect sensitive data, reducing the risk of compromised user credentials.

IMPROVE USER EXPERIENCE

Customers today interact with your company across multiple channels, whether in the cloud or via third-party applications. This is where IAM helps provide a better experience through SSO, self-service capabilities, and unified customer profiles that make communication processes quick and easy.

Your employees, on the other hand, will be able to access the information they need securely and conveniently no matter where they are. This means productivity will no longer be confined to their office desk.

ACHIEVE REGULATORY COMPLIANCE

Businesses today must meet the constantly changing regulatory requirements concerning data access governance and privacy management. IAM was designed with exactly that in mind and provides control over who can access data and how it can be used and shared.

REDUCE IT COSTS

IAM automates and standardizes many aspects of identity, authentication, and authorization management. This means you’ll be able to minimize significant labor costs associated with keeping your business environment secure.

An identity and access management solution equips you with much-needed security without compromising on usability and convenience. To operate in a digital business environment, it’s not a matter of if but when you’ll adopt IAM within your company.

If you’re looking to enhance company-wide security, whether with IAM or other solutions, why not give Net Activity a call? We can definitely help with that!

5 Tips to Enhance Your Wireless Connection’s Strength

With more businesses moving in the direction of remote connections and mobile devices, it’s no surprise that wireless Internet is such a pain point for organizations. Sometimes it can be an exercise in frustration to connect to your office’s wireless network, and you might not really know what to do about it. Here are some ideas to try and increase your wireless network’s strength or signal.

Check Your Connection First

Since your router speed is based on the speed of your organization’s wired connection, your first recourse should be to check if you are getting the speed that you’re supposed to have. You can do this by running a speed test via a wired connection. If the numbers don’t add up, you may have to contact your Internet service provider or replace your modem. You should also consider testing your speed on a mobile device that connects wirelessly to the network, but do so close to the device; this will help you determine if it’s a structural problem or one involving the router itself.

Reexamine Router Placement

Depending on your office’s setup, the physical placement of your router could be negatively affecting your organization’s wireless connection. A generally good practice is to keep your router in a location that is out in the open, far from walls and other obstructions, so that they cannot interfere with the wireless signal. If you want your signal to reach all parts of your office, then it should be placed at the center (or as close as possible) to distribute an even connection across the area.

Update Your Router

Just like any other device on your network, your wireless router has firmware that must be updated from time to time. The process for updating your router will vary depending on the manufacturer, so we recommend working with our technicians at Directive to see if your router needs to be updated or not. Oftentimes updating your firmware can allow for enhanced performance in general, so it certainly does not hurt to do it every so often.

Implement a Wireless Extender

If all of your efforts to resolve your wireless network issues simply do not work, then perhaps the coverage issue is caused by the area being too large to be covered by your single router. You can expand your wireless network’s range with an extender, essentially rebroadcasting your signal to reach parts of your office that wouldn’t otherwise receive the connection.

If All Else Fails, Use a Wired Connection When Possible

It stands to reason that the fewer devices that connect to a wireless network, the faster it will be. Therefore, if you can utilize wired connections for devices like desktops and laptops, then you should. This keeps the signals from getting gummed up with tons of traffic while you are trying to connect to the wireless network.

Sometimes it is hard to get your wireless connection to work the way you want it to. Net Activity can help you make any needed adjustments to your business’s wireless network or its network device settings. For more assistance or information, contact us at 216-503-5150.