The cloud has progressed beyond being just an option and has become an essential part of enterprise infrastructure. Many organizations have already completed successful cloud transformations, and nearly all firms are adopting cloud-native applications. Certain trends in the cloud space have taken precedence over others.
In the realm of cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM), security remains a top concern for businesses, whether in private data centers or cloud environments. Implementing IAM with a zero-trust approach and a comprehensive defense plan is critical to mitigating risks.
The Principle of Least Privilege (POLP) has long been a fundamental aspect of IAM, and while it requires modernization, it remains relevant today. In 2023, POLP is a major trend in IAM, particularly as machine and application IDs are now incorporated into this practice. POLP restricts access privileges to only what is necessary for users to perform their tasks, which helps minimize security risks.
For example, applications may use static access tokens that remain continuously active, posing a risk if hackers gain access. By applying POLP, these risks can be reduced by limiting the application’s access permissions.
POLP has become a central theme in cloud security, where IAM plays a more significant role in controlling access than it does in traditional infrastructure.
