Organizations rely on technology to carry out their operations. As the number of users and systems grows, managing access to resources becomes critical. Here’s where identity and access management (IAM) comes in, allowing organizations to control who has access to what resources and when.
Using out-of-the-box (OOTB) IAM policies, though, may not meet an organization's needs. Customizing IAM policies, on the other hand, is key to securing your unique environment.
Customizing IAM policies allows an organization to hone their access control policies to meet their specific requirements. This enables organizations to make sure that users have the appropriate access to resources while ensuring that sensitive information is kept secure.
With OOTB IAM policies, organizations may find themselves in one of two situations — granting unnecessary access to users or restricting access to necessary resources. Customization provides the flexibility to determine the level of access needed for each user or group, making sure that all users can do their jobs effectively.
Industries have different regulations, and each organization's interpretation of those regulations can differ. Customizing IAM policies enables organizations to set access control policies that align with their regulatory requirements, avoiding non-compliance penalties and mitigating security risks.
Insider threats occur when individuals within an organization misuse their access to resources, intentionally or unintentionally. Customization allows organizations to set up policies that prevent users from having more access than necessary, reducing the risk of insider threats. By limiting access to only what’s required, organizations can reduce the potential damage caused by an insider threat.
Because OOTB policies aren’t always suitable for the organization's unique requirements, relying on them often leads to a more complex access management process. Customization simplifies this process by enabling organizations to set up policies tailored to specific needs. This simplification can save organizations time and resources, allowing them to focus on their core business functions.
When creating a custom IAM policy, consider several factors to ensure the policy aligns with your organization's unique needs while maintaining security and compliance. Key considerations include:
By considering these factors when creating custom IAM policies, you can ensure that your policies are well designed, aligned with your organization's unique needs, and provide the necessary level of access control while maintaining security and compliance.
Now let’s take a look at how you can create a custom IAM policy in Prisma Cloud. You have two approaches you could take.
Add a New Policy with the “Add Policy” Action on the “Policies” Page
Go to the “Policies” page and click on the “Add Policy” button, then select IAM.
If you have a specific use case you want to address with Prisma Cloud Alert, you can utilize this option to initiate a clean start.
Clone an Existing OOTB IAM Policy
Go to the “Policies” page and find an existing IAM OOTB policy that you want to clone. Then click the “Clone” button. It’s that simple.
If you’d like to exclude specific resources, or if you need to add company-facing conditions to the current IAM OOTB policy, use this option.
With customized IAM policies, organizations can ensure that users have appropriate access, comply with regulatory requirements, reduce the risk of insider threats, and simplify the access management process.
If you’d like to learn about the CIEM capabilities of Prisma Cloud, take it for a free 30-day test drive.
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