5 ways workforce identity will improve your security

Workforce identity is Identity and access management solely focused on your workforce: your employees, external partners, consultants, and so on. Making it easy for all your users to access what they want, wherever they are, and when they need it.

That will make it easier for your users, but how will easier access improve security?

It might sound like trying to merge two opposing forces. However, a heightened focus on your users' daily work lives will drastically improve your organization's overall security. In this article, we have collected five examples of how focusing on better user experience will enhance organizational security.

Since October is “cybersecurity awareness month,” we wanted to share five ways that Workforce identity can improve your overall security while making your users more productive.

#1 Get phishing-proofed

Passwords are a thing of the past and should stay that way. Even if trusted organizations like NIST update and improve their guidelines for how passwords should look and be used, they are still the most insecure form of authentication we have available.

Adding one or more factors to passwords will improve things by a mile. But while you are adding factors, why not get rid of passwords as a factor altogether?

Enabling your users to authenticate themselves using FIDO2 or passkeys is great for preventing successful phishing attempts. Adding physical security, like a YubiKey or smart card, along with a PKI solution, will make your authentication phishing-proof.

#2 Make sure everything is equally secure

If you implement a system where your users can easily and securely access everything they need, whether on-premises or in the cloud, you automatically improve security everywhere.

Connecting your applications and other resources to the same identity provider and single sign-on solution automatically ensures that every connected service has the same level of security, ensuring that all your resources benefit from the added security you give your users.

#3 Implement zero trust through the users

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If you are familiar with the ideas behind zero-trust, then it is no surprise that the solutions within workforce identity and the focus on users are actually the most straightforward way to implement a zero-trust strategy.

At its core, Workforce identity is about managing proper access for everyone while protecting it with secure MFA solutions.

Proper access management and secure authentication are also the foundation of zero trust.

The zero-trust approach to security means there are no inside or outside organizational perimeters. The same goes for the core ideas in workforce identity, where all users can get secure access to what they need, whether in the cloud or on-premises, from wherever they are.

#4 Modern access for modern compliance

Another nice bonus in connecting everything so your users can work in a friction-free environment is the overview and control you get from it.

When all access is controlled through a single interface, you have one place to see all access logs, who granted access, and whether unnecessary access rights are floating around. This is not only an essential part of a zero-trust strategy; it is also a great way to stay up to speed with compliance regulations and have your books in order for upcoming audits.

#5 Protect your reputation

Something that is very tricky to calculate, but nonetheless important, is how your security will affect the organization’s reputation.

Building up your organization's reputation takes a lot of effort and time. If anything happens to your organization, that reputation will be damaged quickly, which could directly affect the overall business.

To the public eye, it usually does not matter what kind of security incident happened to you. It could have been a phishing attack with the only goal of getting some fake invoices signed or a similar limited form of incident. The general internet grapevine will most likely simplify it to that you suffered a security breach and do not take your overall security seriously.

With a better focus on security, many of these incidents can be avoided, keeping your organization out of any bad press in the process.