The Evolution of Access Reviews: From Manual Checks to Automated Systems

User Access Reviews (UARs) have been a cornerstone of digital security since organizations first recognized the need to control who could access sensitive information and resources. In the beginning, these reviews were simple, often involving basic manual checks through lists or logs. The primary objective was straightforward: ensure that only authorized individuals could access critical systems and data, reducing the risk of breaches.

Access reviews were often reactive, triggered by security incidents or compliance mandates. The process was labor-intensive, with security teams painstakingly reviewing user lists, permissions, and logs to ensure proper access controls were in place. As business technology expanded, the burden associated with these reviews grew significantly.

Increasing Complexity in Digital Ecosystems

Fast forward to today and UARs have not evolved much while the digital landscape has evolved substantially. The number of systems within the standard IT environment has exponentially increased, meaning manual review is far less feasible. IT is no longer responsible for verifying if a user should have access, organizational leadership positions are now responsible.

Many organizations that run periodic UARs today do so because of compliance and regulatory requirements. There may be some automation involved, typically in distribution of the reviews themselves. Managers often view UARs as a necessary checkbox. Managers often don’t know which systems their employees are really using. Without that necessary context, they rubber stamp the lists for their reports to get back to real work.

As UARs have increased the organizational burden, they have become more of a checkbox for compliance. They rarely lead to deprovisioning accounts. They no longer augment the security posture of an organization, they merely hold managers culpable to blame if an employee is compromised.

The Future of Access Reviews: Increasing Automation and Efficiency

The future of access reviews will be shaped by improvements in the technology that supports processes like continuous monitoring and self healing. Instead of periodic manual checks, access reviews will become a part of an ongoing process, continuously monitoring and assessing access rights across all digital platforms. Behavior and usage data will be combined with identity data to look for anomalous patterns in context to drive decisions. Machine learning and advanced analytics are particularly useful in this kind of monitoring and will greatly aid in sorting through the daily noise to find the real risks.

When an account within a particular application ceases to be used, the process of deprovisioning will become automated in a self-healing state. Users and managers will be notified that their accounts are being disabled because they haven’t used them and optionally be given an opportunity to reset the usage clock by logging in. If the user no longer needs access, the access will expire. Managers will review recommendations that come in to proactively remove access when pertinent rather than having to tacitly checkbox in a periodic access review. 

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Benefits of Automation in Access Reviews

There are three key benefits to consider when thinking about automating access reviews:

• Streamlining the Review Process for managers

Managers will no longer be burdened with manually reviewing all access just to check a box.  Automated recommendations will provide instant notifications in a timely manner, simplifying compliance verification and reducing the workload. This shift will not only enhance efficiency but also improve the accuracy of audit results.

• Improving the auditor’s quality of life

Auditors no longer have to check compliance at one point in time. They can see the complete history of access and usage to verify compliance. Rather than reviewing a list of rubber stamped reviews, they can see the enforcement actions taken and know the actual goals of the auditing are being met.

• Enhancing Security and Compliance

For organizations, continuous monitoring will offer greater peace of mind. Continuous monitoring will ensure that access controls are always up-to-date and optimized, meeting the highest standards of security and compliance. Security and identity teams will no longer be stuck waiting for managers to complete reviews, they’ll be able to see the up-to-date information anytime. This proactive approach will make access reviews a strategic asset rather than just a compliance obligation.

Embracing the Future

While access reviews have evolved significantly since their inception, the journey is far from over. By adopting new technologies and reimagining the access review process, organizations can transform this essential task into a powerful tool for safeguarding their digital assets. The future of access reviews is promising, and the opportunities it presents are within reach.