A modern enterprise is only as good as the intelligence it can generate. Cloud infrastructure, in particular, offers a unique opportunity to not only cater to users’ needs but also eliminate problems of latency and data security that would otherwise reduce productivity.
However, the cloud is a complex and ever-changing environment, and businesses need to ensure that their cloud infrastructure is up to the task of supporting their intelligence initiatives. That is where cloud infrastructure entitlement management (CIEM) proves most effective.
What Is Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management?
CIEM is the practice of managing and governing access to cloud resources to optimize performance, ensure data security and meet compliance requirements. By using these solutions, businesses can ensure that their users get the most out of the cloud without compromising safety or performance.
However, not all CIEM solutions are the same, so enterprises need to make sure that they find the right option for their specific cloud infrastructure.
What to Search For In Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management Solution?
When looking for a Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management solution, enterprises should consider the following factors:
1. Scalability to Support Future Growth
The cloud is a constantly evolving platform, and businesses need a solution to scale with them. It should support an ever-growing number of users and cloud resources, and changes in business needs.
Look for a solution that can easily add new users and manage an ever-growing infrastructure. For example, a solution that provides only basic entitlement features will be adequate for some users. At the same time, more advanced capabilities like data loss prevention (DLP) and vulnerability management can help enterprises prevent and protect against cyber threats.
A complete and comprehensive CIEM strategy should include user entitlement and access management, infrastructure monitoring and protection, and audit tracking, all integrated into the same system to provide an end-to-end view of the entire infrastructure.
2. Flexibility to Meet Changing Security Needs
Businesses cannot afford non-flexible solutions because access management, user entitlements, and compliance requirements constantly evolve. Look for a solution that can quickly adapt to these changes, so you don’t have to invest time and resources in building new integrations.
The solution should be flexible enough to meet constantly changing business needs. For example, many organizations find that their data loss prevention requirements are more stringent than ever before, while compliance mandates have become less demanding.
A Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management solution that cannot keep up with constantly evolving security and compliance requirements will quickly become obsolete. Therefore, look for a flexible solution to rapidly add new features and plug-in with existing toolsets.
3. Data Security
Businesses need to ensure the data they store on cloud resources is secure at all times, even when employees share passwords or leave a company. They should look for a solution that includes a complete set of capabilities to prevent data loss, land theft, or inappropriate information sharing.
The solution should also have the ability to manage user identities across all connected systems, including cloud solutions, mobile devices, and email recipients, in addition to physical access control cards. It should also provide access controls for digital resources like social media accounts.
Therefore, look for a CIEM solution that provides comprehensive data loss prevention capabilities to prevent data from being stored on unauthorized systems.
4. Ability to Meet Corporate Compliance Requirements
Compliance requirements are a primary driver for many enterprises’ cloud services, but they also create more work for IT departments. Therefore, CIEM solutions should be able to automate compliance monitoring and reporting to help reduce workload.
The solution should also meet global compliance requirements like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), effective in Europe on May 25, 2018. Look for a solution that is GDPR-compliant and can support other local data protection laws. It should also be able to automate compliance monitoring and reporting.
5. Ease of Use
IT staff need a Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management solution that is easy to use to focus on their primary task of protecting the organization’s infrastructure. The solution should be intuitive and must provide clear visibility into all aspects of the infrastructure. The solution should also support multiple users with varying access levels to make them more productive.
So, you must look for a solution that is easy to use and can provide a single sign-on, so users do not have to log in multiple times.
6. Flexible Deployment Options
Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management solutions should provide flexible deployment options so IT staff can deploy the solution to meet specific business needs. The solution should also have the ability to scale from small organizations to large enterprises without disrupting existing systems and processes.
Thus, look for a solution deployed in-house or in the cloud with minimal disruption of the overall security infrastructure. It should also have a flexible deployment model so customers can deploy it in the cloud, on-premises, or as a hybrid model.
