To gain the access they want, threat actors commonly leverage vulnerabilities like:
Phishing and social engineering
Think of your typical scam email or fraudulent phone call. In the past, they were fairly easy to spot by looking for grammar mistakes, non-standard email addresses, and high-pressure tactics. These days, however, scammers have gotten smarter and more subtle. Modern phishing and social engineering attacks are more difficult to spot, and employees will likely need additional training to know what to look for.
Insider threats
Insider threats come from inside your organization and may take the form of cyber theft, sabotage, or other malicious activity. In some cases, compromising activity may be unintentional on the part of an employee, but it still puts your data at risk.
Third-party vulnerabilities
Because SLED organizations often collaborate with third-party vendors or organizations, they should be aware of the potential risks of sharing credentials or access with organizations that may not have sufficient security.
Employee non-adherence
Cyber hygiene and awareness form a key pillar of your cybersecurity policies and procedures. These policies are only as effective as your enforcement of them, however. If employees don’t follow the protocols, they could introduce additional layers of risk to your system.
Because SLED entities handle large amounts of sensitive data, they are prime targets for cyber-attacks. These attacks include ransomware, malware, phishing, and identity theft. With so much at stake, these organizations need airtight security protocols to keep bad actors out.
Privileged access management (PAM) is your first line of defense in preventing unauthorized access to sensitive information. By eliminating standing access to privileged accounts, PAM prevents both intentional and unintentional exposure of critical data.
For SLED organizations, controlling privileged access is critical to meeting compliance requirements, maintaining operational accountability, and protecting sensitive data.
A PAM tool like CyberFOX AutoElevate can help you:
Lock down privileged accounts – PAM removes administrative rights from all accounts so that access is granted on an as-needed, just-in-time basis. Once a task has been completed, access is removed. This eliminates accidental or intentional sharing of passwords to privileged accounts and prevents cyber attackers from gaining access through compromised passwords.
Implement zero-trust architecture – Zero trust architecture eliminates standing administrative privileges and requires explicit validation for every task. It is one of the most important ways to reduce risk and address the increasing sophistication of cyber threats. PAM lays the foundation for zero-trust architecture by implementing least privilege and rule-based access to automate requests.
Meet compliance requirements – SLED organizations must meet stringent compliance requirements to protect sensitive data, keep operations running smoothly, and preserve the public trust. PAM tools help you meet those requirements with rules-based access, approval automation, detailed ticketing, and real-time controls.
Monitor activity – Activity logs and built-in threat detection capabilities alert you immediately if unusual activity takes place. IT staff can create rules, audit events and activity, automate PSA time entries, and maintain strict adherence to security protocols without frustrating users.
SLED organizations need comprehensive security solutions that protect critical infrastructure and meet compliance requirements across mobile, remote, and on-premise access needs. PAM securely manages access for complex networks and numerous distributed users, ensuring that public sector needs are met and emerging threats are neutralized without compromising usability.
CyberFOX AutoElevate easily removes admin rights, reduces your threat surface, and makes it easy to approve requests quickly and securely without creating disruptions or bottlenecks.