Anti-patterns for secure access and delegation

Broad permissions: Granting extensive permissions without regular checks can lead to inadvertent access rights. This poses a significant security risk as potential vulnerabilities or unauthorized activities could occur. Review and adjust permissions periodically, adhering strictly to the principle of least privilege.

Manual identity and access management: Depending on manual methods for both access control and identity management may lead to inconsistencies, delays, and errors. This manual approach is especially problematic as organizations grow, making it harder to scale and maintain security. Transition to using automated processes to manage identity and access management to help ensure timely updates, reduce errors, and enhanced scalability.

Static permission management: Without a method to periodically review permissions as roles or business needs evolve can create both security vulnerabilities and operational inefficiencies. Schedule regular or continuous IAM reviews to perform automated audits to keep IAM configurations updated and aligned with present-day requirements.

Neglecting break-glass protocols: Lacking established break-glass procedures could impair timely responses during emergencies that require elevated access. Incorporate just-in-time (JIT) access controls and regular drills to handle these incidents securely and efficiently.

Not evolving security with DevOps: Adhering strictly to existing or outdated security models as the organization adopts DevOps best practices can introduce vulnerabilities and slow down progress. As organizations integrate new DevOps capabilities, their security models must adapt as well. Ensure that as DevOps practices evolve, the security model does too, prioritizing identity-centric strategies and continuous assessment of potential risks. By evolving security practices alongside DevOps capabilities, organizations  can protect against both internal and external threats.