What is IAM, and why should you care?
Identity and Access Management (IAM) is the system that controls who can access what within an organization's environment. Think of it as the digital equivalent of a security checkpoint. It ensures the right people have the right access at the right time while keeping everyone else out.
In a world where everything is shifting to the cloud and remote work is the norm, IAM is more critical than ever. It dictates how employees, contractors, and even automated services authenticate and interact with your systems.
Done well, IAM strengthens security, minimizes insider threats, and keeps attackers from exploiting weak access points. Done poorly? It's an open door for breaches, privilege abuse, and compliance failures.
Yet, many organizations overlook key IAM risks until it's too late. Let's talk about some of the most common (and dangerous) IAM blind spots and, more importantly, how to fix them before they turn into full-blown security incidents.
1. Stale and orphaned accounts: the ghosts in your system
The risk:
Ever heard of an ex-employee who still has access to company systems months (or even years) after leaving? It happens more often than you'd think. Stale accounts, especially those with admin privileges, are prime targets for attackers. If those accounts get compromised, you've just handed an attacker the keys to your kingdom.
Orphaned service accounts are another hidden threat. These are accounts created for automation or integration that no one really owns anymore. They often have excessive privileges and sit forgotten until an attacker finds them.
How to fix it:
- Automate deprovisioning by integrating IAM with your HR system so accounts get disabled as soon as someone leaves
- Regularly audit inactive accounts and set policies for automatic deactivation
- Assign ownership to service accounts and require periodic revalidation
2. Privilege creep: the snowball effect
The risk:
Employees start with the right access, but over time, they accumulate more permissions than they actually need. Maybe they moved teams, worked on a temporary project, or were given admin access "just in case." This slow build-up of unnecessary access is called privilege creep, and it's a major security risk.
Excessive privileges increase the attack surface and make insider threats more dangerous. If an attacker compromises an over-privileged account, they get far more access than they should.
How to fix it:
- Enforce least privilege and give users only the permissions they need for their job, nothing more
- Use Just-in-Time (JIT) access for admin roles, such as Azure Privileged Identity Management (PIM), so elevated privileges expire after a set time
- Run quarterly access reviews to remove unnecessary permissions
3. Weak or missing multi-factor authentication: a hacker's dream
The risk:
You wouldn't leave your house with the front door unlocked, so why allow accounts to operate with just a single password? Weak or missing MFA is one of the easiest ways for attackers to take over accounts.
Even when MFA is enforced, many organizations still rely on easily phishable methods like SMS-based codes, which attackers can intercept through SIM swapping.
How to fix it:
- Make MFA mandatory for all critical systems, especially admin accounts
- Use phishing-resistant MFA like app-based authentication or FIDO2 security keys
- Regularly test MFA policies to ensure they're properly enforced
4. Over-reliance on role-based access control (RBAC): the one-size-fits-all problem
The risk:
RBAC is great until it isn't. The problem? Many organizations create broad, over-permissive roles that grant more access than necessary. Over time, roles accumulate excessive permissions, leading to, you guessed it, privilege creep.
How to fix it:
- Use Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) or Policy-Based Access Control (PBAC) for more granular control
- Regularly review and clean up RBAC roles to ensure they match actual job needs
- Adopt risk-based access policies that dynamically adjust based on user behavior
5. Poor API and service account management: the silent backdoors
The risk:
APIs and service accounts are often overlooked in IAM strategies, and attackers know it. Hardcoded credentials in code repositories, excessive API privileges, and service accounts with no expiration are common weak points.
These accounts don't follow normal authentication flows, making them attractive targets for attackers who want persistent access without triggering alerts.
How to fix it:
- Use a secrets management tool like AWS Secrets Manager or Azure Key Vault to store API keys securely
- Rotate API keys regularly and apply least privilege access controls
- Prefer identity-based authentication (like OAuth tokens) over static credentials
6. Lack of IAM monitoring and logging: flying blind
The risk:
If you're not actively monitoring IAM activity, you're operating in the dark. Attackers love exploiting weak IAM configurations, and without proper logging, you may not notice until it's too late.
Common oversights include failing to log failed login attempts, privilege escalations, and unusual access patterns.
How to fix it:
- Enable IAM logging in cloud platforms like Azure AD and AWS IAM
- Set up alerts for suspicious IAM activity, like multiple failed logins or privilege escalations
- Use behavioral analytics to detect anomalies in user access patterns
7. Insufficient IAM governance: when compliance is an afterthought
The risk:
Many companies treat IAM as a technical issue, but it's also a governance issue. Without clear policies and regular audits, IAM can quickly spiral out of control, leading to compliance failures with frameworks like SOC 2, ISO 27001, or NIST 800-53.
How to fix it:
- Conduct regular IAM audits to ensure policies match actual access needs
- Implement an IAM governance framework that assigns clear roles and responsibilities
- Use Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) tools like Microsoft Entra ID Governance to automate compliance
Final thoughts: don't wait for a breach to fix IAM
IAM isn't just about managing accounts, it's about managing risk. Weak IAM practices leave your organization vulnerable to data breaches, insider threats, and compliance failures.
The good news? Most IAM risks are fixable with proactive policies, automation, and regular audits.
Don't wait for an attacker to show you where your IAM gaps are. Start identifying and fixing them today.
Your move: When was the last time your organization reviewed IAM risks? If it's been a while, now's the time.
This article appeared originally on LinkedIn here.
