Access control

IAM (Identity and Access Management) and PAM (Privileged Access Management) are complementary but distinct: 

IAM: Manages all identities and their standard access to applications and systems. It covers the entire identity lifecycle (creation, modification, deletion), authentication, basic access, and authorizations for all users. 

PAM: Focuses specifically on high-privilege accounts (system administrators, service accounts, emergency access) that can modify configurations, install software, or access sensitive data. PAM adds enhanced controls such as secret management, just-in-time access, session recording, and behavioral analysis. 

The Zero Trust approach is a security model based on the principle of "never trust, always verify. " It eliminates the notion of implicit trust traditionally granted to internal users and requires continuous verification of every access attempt, whether it comes from inside or outside the network. 

This approach is crucial because:
- It significantly reduces the attack surface by limiting lateral movement
- It is perfectly suited to today's hybrid and multi-cloud environments
- It protects against internal threats and compromised identities
- It provides a consistent user experience regardless of location 

Our Zero Trust implementation focuses on three fundamental pillars: explicitly verifying each user, limiting access with the principle of least privilege, and assuming that every access can be compromised. 

SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) represents a fundamental transformation of security architecture into: 

Unifying network security and cloud access: Consolidating previously scattered features (SWG, CASB, ZTNA, FWaaS) into one integrated platform. 

Adopting a cloud-native model: Moving security to the edge to be closer to users and reduce latency. 

Focusing security on identity: Identity becomes the new perimeter, replacing the traditional network-centric model. 

Simplifying operations: A unified console replaces multiple disparate solutions, reducing operational complexity. 

Improving the user experience: Transparent and consistent access to all resources, regardless of where they are hosted. 

This approach is particularly relevant today with the explosion of remote working, the widespread adoption of SaaS, and multi-cloud environments that have rendered the traditional perimeter security model obsolete. 

An effective IAM strategy is based on five fundamental components: 

Identity governance: Formalized process for managing the entire identity lifecycle with regular access certification, separation of duties, and regulatory compliance. 

Modern authentication: Implementation of adaptive multi-factor authentication (MFA), passwordless authentication, and biometric technologies to enhance security while improving the user experience. 

Centralized access management: Unified system for managing permissions across all applications and environments, with consistent, role-based policies. 

Workflow automation: Automated processes for access requests, approvals, changes, and revocations, reducing manual errors and accelerating productivity. 

Analytics and monitoring: Advanced analytics capabilities to detect abnormal behavior, anticipate risks, and generate actionable compliance reports. 

Our approach focuses on aligning these components with your specific business objectives and your existing technology environment. 

To effectively integrate a NAC solution into your infrastructure, we recommend a methodical, multi-phase approach: 

Discovery phase: Initial deployment in observation mode to identify all devices, understand traffic patterns, and establish a baseline before applying controls. 

Progressive segmentation: Gradual implementation of access control policies, starting with the least critical segments to minimize potential disruption. 

Integration with the existing ecosystem: Connect the NAC with your IAM infrastructure, endpoint management solutions, SIEM, and other security tools for unified visibility and control. 

Automated responses: Configuration of automated responses to non-compliance events (quarantine, guided remediation, enhanced authentication) rather than simple blocking. 

Training and adjustment: User awareness program and policy adjustment period to reduce false positives and improve user experience. 

Our team supports you every step of the way, ensuring minimal impact on your operations while maximizing security benefits. 

To measure the effectiveness of your access control program, we recommend tracking these essential KPIs: 

Security:
- Average time to detect abnormal access
- Percentage of inactive or orphaned accounts
- Number of incidents related to identities and access
- Failure rate of authentication attempts 

Operational efficiency:
- Average provisioning time for access
- IAM process automation rate
- Cost per managed user
- Ratio of IAM administrators per user 

User experience:
- Rate of tickets related to access issues
- User satisfaction with authentication processes
- Average time to resolve access issues
- Adoption rate of new technologies (MFA, SSO) 

Compliance:
- Access policy compliance rate
- Percentage of access reviews completed on time
- Number of segregation of duties violations
- Coverage of periodic access certifications 

Our customized dashboards allow you to view these key metrics and quickly identify areas requiring special attention. 

Artificial intelligence is profoundly transforming access control in four major ways: 

Advanced contextual authentication: AI analyzes multiple factors in real time (user behavior, locations, devices, usage patterns) to determine the risk level of an access request and dynamically adapt authentication requirements. 

Proactive anomaly detection: Machine learning algorithms establish behavioral baselines for each identity and detect subtle deviations that may indicate compromise or an internal threat, long before a traditional static rule is violated. 

Intelligent governance: AI automatically identifies excessive access, recommends privilege adjustments, predicts future access needs based on similar roles, and optimizes security policies to reduce friction while maintaining a robust security posture. 

Cognitive automation: AI systems can now make nuanced access decisions based on complex contextual understanding rather than binary rules, reducing false positives and improving the user experience.