When it comes to managing access within your organization, delegation is key
Whether you’re a small startup or a large enterprise, it’s simply not possible for one person (or even one team) to keep track of every access request and review that comes through. It becomes even more complicated when direct managers of application owners are not the ones best suited to review access requests. Access requests and reviews can also be encumbered when people are on vacation, out sick, take leave, or depart from the organization. By delegating access reviews to different individuals or teams, you can ensure that access is granted quickly and efficiently, while also maintaining a high level of security.
The benefits of delegating access
One of the biggest benefits of delegating access reviews is that it helps to prevent bottlenecks. When all access requests must go through one person or team, it can be easy for things to get backed up. Think of an example also where a group of three, let’s call them Alice, Jane, and Sally, have been assigned to review access requests for a certain application. One day, Alice is out on vacation, and Jane calls out sick, leaving Sally as the sole person responsible for all access reviews. This can lead to delays in access being granted, which can be frustrating for business users and can also put your organization at risk if critical access is needed for a particular task. By spreading out the workload and setting up workflows so that Alice can delegate access to someone reporting to her, and Jane routes her requests to her manager, they can ensure that access requests are being reviewed and granted in a timely manner and that the full burden does not fall on Sally.
Another benefit of delegating access reviews is that it helps to ensure that access is granted to the right people. When different individuals or teams are responsible for reviewing access requests, they can bring different perspectives to the table. For example, a security team may be more focused on ensuring that access is granted only to those who truly need it. In contrast, a team responsible for managing a specific application may be more focused on ensuring that users have the right access to perform their job. By having multiple perspectives involved in the access review process, you can be more confident that access is being granted to the right people.
Delegating access reviews also helps to promote accountability within the organization. When different teams or individuals are responsible for reviewing access requests, they are more likely to take ownership of the process. This can lead to better communication and collaboration between teams and a greater sense of accountability for ensuring that access is granted securely. This is beneficial for the organization in the long run, as it helps to prevent breaches and other security incidents. It also helps to reduce burnout, as people will be less inclined to view these types of tasks as busy work and can see the organizational benefits of the process.
Finally, delegating access reviews can also help to reduce the workload on the IT and security teams. IT teams are often stretched thin, with many different responsibilities and competing priorities that result in too many alerts and not enough action. By delegating access reviews to other teams or individuals, you can help to reduce the workload on your IT team and allow them to focus on more critical tasks. Having a variety of workflows that delegate access to other team members with better, granular insights, such as specific application or line of business (LoB) owners, can also help make more intelligent decisions. This can lead to improved efficiency and better use of resources within your organization.
Delegating access is an essential part of any IAM program
So there you have it, folks. Delegating access reviews is an essential part of any IAM program, particularly as they scale. It helps to prevent bottlenecks, ensure that access is granted to the right people, promote accountability, and reduce the workload on your IT team. By delegating access reviews, you can ensure that access is granted quickly and efficiently, while also maintaining a high level of security. Remember, sharing is caring and when it comes to access management, intelligently sharing the responsibility is the smart way to go.
Omada helps our customers confidently deploy and scale IGA, with a full-featured SaaS solution that offers out of the box workflows to enable delegation processes. For a deeper dive into other use cases that can help organizations walk the tightrope and properly balance security and efficiency, check out our webinar on February 15th!
