Navigating Multiple Identities, Logins, and Roles

As businesses’ reliance on cloud services continue to grow, managing multiple cloud service providers (CSPs) and maintaining control over identity access, security, and governance has become increasingly complex. In a recent webinar, identity and access solutions experts Jason Moore and John Morton from Britive led an in-depth discussion about the critical challenges facing modern cloud teams. 

The speakers dug into these challenges by looking at a day in the life of cloud teams, offering insights into managing the intricacies of cloud identity, access, and security. Below is a recap of their conversation.  

The Cloud Identity Challenge 

Managing identities and access is already enough of an auditing nightmare. But as businesses increasingly adopt new platforms, software, and microservices across multiple clouds, security and operations teams face the daunting task of managing identities, logins, and roles across each of these systems. The challenge only continues to compound itself with the complexities of on-premises networks, and normal business dealings such as mergers and acquisitions. 

Now more than ever, it’s critical for organizations to strike the delicate balance between innovation and security to take advantage of the agility of the cloud without compromising security. 

Managing the Complexity of Multiple CSPs 

One of the most pervasive challenges teams face is the operational burden of managing multiple CSPs. Cloud teams are often tasked with navigating different tools, standards, and security frameworks depending on the CSP in use. As organizations acquire new services or engage in mergers and acquisitions, this complexity deepens. Security teams may find themselves managing identities, roles, and permissions across an ever-expanding ecosystem of cloud providers, making operational consistency difficult to achieve. 

In this context, managing privileged access across CSPs becomes essential – and unifying privileged access management (PAM) across all environments is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Organizations need to move beyond siloed solutions and implement comprehensive, centralized approaches to cloud identity management.  

Security Risks from Friction in the Cloud 

Friction in cloud security and operations can lead to serious security risks. When cloud environments become too complex, cloud teams may cut corners to meet key performance indicators (KPIs) or keep environments running smoothly. This often results in improper handling of sensitive assets, such as storing production keys on local machines—an easily avoidable yet dangerous practice. 

Britive’s 2023 State of Privilege and Identity Report, revealed a staggering statistic was: across major CSPs, 40,000 different permissions are available, half of which are considered high-risk. Worse yet, less than 1% of these permissions are necessary. This indicates that organizations must not only streamline their processes but also tighten their controls around which permissions are granted and how they are managed. 

Reducing the Blast Radius 

The concept of reducing the "blast radius" is a crucial security strategy for minimizing the damage from potential breaches. By segmenting applications into separate accounts, cloud teams can contain the impact of a security incident, preventing it from spreading across the entire environment.  

While this segmentation adds complexity, the security benefits are significant, as it ensures that breaches are confined to smaller, more manageable areas of the system. Without proper segmentation, organizations risk exposing multiple critical applications through a single compromised account, leaving them vulnerable to wider attacks. 

Collaboration Between Cloud and Security Teams 

Successful cloud identity management hinges on the ability of cloud and security teams to collaborate effectively. When communication breaks down between these teams, organizations may overlook key security risks or fail to streamline access management processes, leading to vulnerabilities and inefficiencies. As organizations expand their cloud operations, finding the right balance between access management and operational simplicity becomes increasingly important. 

Tools like Britive’s Cloud PAM platform are designed to bridge the gap between cloud and security teams, providing comprehensive visibility and control over privileged access. By centralizing identity management across CSPs, organizations can reduce risk, streamline workflows, and maintain compliance with security standards.

Critical Questions Security Should Ask of Their Cloud Teams

• What are the bottlenecks you face today in your daily routine when it comes to accessing the cloud?
• If your team is handling sensitive data, are they ensuring secure and safe practices?
• Does the cloud team have any recommendations on tooling that aligns with their current workflow?

Conclusion: Mastering Cloud Identity Management 

In the evolving world of cloud operations, managing identity, roles, and logins across multiple CSPs is a multifaceted challenge that requires collaboration, the right tools, and a proactive security mindset. Cloud teams must work closely with security to implement comprehensive identity management solutions that span across environments. Leveraging centralized tools like Britive can enable organizations to protect sensitive assets, minimize friction, and stay ahead of potential security risks. 

If your organization is struggling to navigate the complex world of cloud identities, tools like Britive’s Cloud PAM platform may offer the solution you need. Contact our team to learn more and see a custom demo.