The Importance of User Permissions and Two Factor Authentication

A secure security system is based on user permissions and two-factor authentication. The ability to manage permissions for users is a key tool in reducing the possibility that malicious or accidental insider activities will occur, minimising the impact of data breaches and maintaining regulatory compliance.

1. Reduce the threat of insider threats

A common method of limiting user access is to employ the principle of least privilege, which stipulates that users must be granted the minimum amount of privileges needed to fulfill their responsibilities. This helps minimize the potential negative impact of unauthorised activities that could be caused by employees or third-party vendors.

2. Reduce the Risk of Data Breach

Many industries are governed by strict regulations that require the use of strong data protection methods. Management of user permissions enables organizations to ensure compliance by ensuring that only authorized individuals can access sensitive information.

3. Reduce the risk of Third-Party Vendor Activity

Many security breaches result from compromised credentials held by third-party vendors. Reviewing and updating regularly the permissions of users could help reduce the risk that external vendors gain access without authorization.

4. Flexibility for Privilege Escalation

Role-based access control (RBAC) is a well-known method of managing permissions for users that assigns specific access rights depending on predefined roles. These roles can be nested to provide specific access control. For instance, a senior physician may have higher authority than lasikpatient.org/2020/11/18/surgery-technology a junior doctor in terms of accessing patient data. RBAC can also be configured to require two-factor authentication (2FA) even for certain roles to limit the risk of unauthorised entry, even if a password gets compromised.