Third-party Delegation: Striking the Balance Between Risk, Trust, and Control

Did you know that 48% of the digital identities you are managing belong to individuals external to your organisation, such as partners or suppliers? As businesses rely more on networks of third-party partners, managing their access needs becomes essential. Allowing partners to access company resources introduces complexities and risks, making it vital for security leaders to strike a balance between granting autonomy and maintaining control to ensure these external identities add value without compromising security.


 


A nuanced approach is needed to find this “sweet spot.” After all, uncontrolled access opens the door to vulnerabilities, yet rigid controls stifle agility. The question for businesses is how they can navigate this tension and achieve a healthy equilibrium between seamless access, risk, trust, and control when working with third-party identities. This is precisely the value proposition of delegated user management.


What’s at Stake with Third-Party Access?


The most significant risk in third-party access management is the loss of direct oversight. Delegating access to external partners opens new avenues for data breaches, non-compliance with regulations, and brand reputation issues. This is particularly true in sectors that handle sensitive data or operate under stringent regulatory mandates, such as healthcare, finance, government, and manufacturing.


 


Failing to manage third-party access properly can land a company in hot water, causing fines, legal action, and significant financial loss. Even a minor lapse—like a partner not securing customer data appropriately—can lead to cascading issues that affect the whole company. This risk becomes even more daunting when cyberattacks are highly sophisticated and target supply chains.


Balancing De ..

Support the originator by clicking the read the rest link below.