While the internet has made it much easier to conduct business on a global scale, it’s also introduced some tough challenges for businesses. Internet access often opens the door for hackers who wish to access private information.

When it comes to cybersecurity, there are two main components on which to focus: access and education. Identifying who is able to access what in your organization, educating them about your cyber security measures, and adding fail-safes are all essential for protecting your sensitive information.

What are Access Rights?

Implementing access rights is controlling who can work within your network and who can access specific information. Access rights are about more than ensuring that the wrong person doesn’t get into your system. It’s also an important part of ensuring your business is in compliance following an audit from shareholders or licensing agencies.

For example, everyone in your business may be able to access the main network. However, you might have checks and balances put in place so an accounts payable person can draft a check, but they require another person to approve it and yet another person to print it out. The idea is that no one can cut themselves a check and commit fraud.

Access rights management also protects your customer information, such as their credit card and addresses. This ensures that you are adhering to privacy laws and that you won’t experience both a data breach and a major lawsuit.

Access Rights Management Technology

To create the right checks and balances throughout your network, you’ll need the right tools for the job. Implementing access rights management software can assist with your cybersecurity needs. Look for software that can deliver comprehensive user access reports, such as a user permissions analysis, or APM solutions tool. Additionally, you’ll want to be able to audit and monitor file sharing and exchanges.

A well-crafted access rights management tool will be able to enhance your security and productivity and showcase your compliance in a simple, straightforward manner.

Other Benefits of Access Rights Management

The main benefit of having strong access rights management practices in place is your ability to keep your assets safe while adhering to business regulations. There are other benefits to having strong access rights management as well.

First and foremost, you protect your employees by having these systems in place. If anything goes amiss, employees can feel secure that they won’t get wrongfully blamed for something. Additionally, knowing you won’t have to deal with a data breach and lawsuit ensures the continuity of the business. Both of these summarize in offering job security to your people.

Another way access rights management and monitoring helps your business is by providing information about who is in your building in the event of an emergency. While many large offices use a sign-in sheet at the front desk, your active user report acts as a strong cross-reference to ensure everyone is out safely.

Finally, having access rights management makes it more feasible for employees to work remotely in a secure way. This reduces downtime when you live in an area with inclement weather or have employees with children who may experience gaps in their care.

Challenges with Access Rights Management

The main challenge when using access rights management protocols is a symptom of a systemic problem within the organization: not having access when someone goes on leave. Using the check-cutting analogy from before, if the person who prints the checks isn’t present, the checks don’t get printed. This isn’t always acceptable.

In these situations, the technology often gets blamed. In reality, this is a human management issue, as implementing these protocols will require some policy changes regarding shift covering and vacation periods.

Implementing access changes will take some planning and is bound to introduce a few learning curves along the way. It might take time and adjustments to determine who needs to access what and identify who would make an appropriate cover person for absences.

Education

It’s important to educate your employees not only about how the access rights will impact your business, but why they’re so important. Discuss what would take place if you lost licensing from the governing bodies or if you experienced a major data breach. Discuss internal cybersecurity and how these checks and balances protect their jobs if any fraudulent behavior is detected.

Even with strong access rights management protocols and technology in place, an employee’s behavior can still put the organization in jeopardy. It’s important to cover every aspect of cybersecurity, including visiting sites that aren’t secure, reporting suspicious emails and not clicking the links, and downloading files on the company network. It’s also important that you have separate wifi for secure business functions and casual use.

By implementing access rights management protocols and tools, your business will become more secure and protected against cyber attacks. In our modern society, this business practice isn’t something you can afford to ignore.