The Importance of User Permissions and Two Factor Authentication
Two factor authentication are the most important element of a robust security system. The ability to manage the permissions of users is a vital tool to reduce the risk of accidental or malicious insider activities, minimizing the consequences of any data breaches and maintaining the compliance of regulatory authorities.
1. Reduce the risk of insider threats
A common way to limit user access is to employ the principle of least privilege, which stipulates that users must be granted the minimum amount of privileges required for their job responsibilities. This minimizes the negative impact of unauthorised activities that may be caused by employees or third-party vendors.
2. Reduce the risk of a Data Breach
Many industries are governed by strict laws that require rigorous data security practices. By managing user permissions, organizations can ensure compliance by making sure that only authorized employees have access to sensitive information.
3. Reduce the risk of third-party vendor activity
Many data breaches are the result of compromised credentials owned by third-party vendors. Regularly reviewing and updating permissions for users can help minimize the risk of unauthorized access by third-party vendors.
4. Provide Flexibility for Privilege Escalation
Role-based access control (RBAC) is a well-known method of managing user permissions that assigns access rights based on predefined roles. The roles can be nested to permit fine-grained access control. For instance, a senior physician, for instance, might have higher privileges when examining patient information than a benefits of premium diagnostics junior physician. RBAC can also be configured to require two-factor authentication (2FA) even for specific roles, to minimize the risk of being unauthorized to access the system even if passwords are compromised.