Beyond IGA: The Pathlock Approach to Fine-Grained Access Risk Analysis

The key to protecting data is controlling who has access to it. However, given the modern multi-application environment that most organizations operate in, this seemingly simple task is getting increasingly complex. Traditional Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) solutions have long been the go-to for managing user access following the concept of Zero Trust for least privileged access, but their capabilities often fall short when it comes to accurately identifying and addressing access risks that reside within existing role assignments. This is where Pathlock steps in, offering a solution that goes beyond the limitations of traditional IGA by enabling fine-grained access risk analysis at the permission level and supporting organizations in their journey to Zero Risk.

The Limitations of Traditional IGA

Traditional IGA solutions, even those offered by leading industry vendors, typically operate at a coarse-grained level. They assess access risks primarily at the role level, which means that risks, when identified, are based on the combination of roles assigned to a user. While this approach can be effective to some extent, it often leads to significant gaps in risk management.

The primary issue with coarse-grained IGA is the prevalence of false positive and false negative risks. For instance, a traditional IGA solution might flag a combination of Role A and Role B as a risk, without considering whether the user actually possesses the specific permissions within those roles that could lead to a separation of duties (SoD) conflict. This lack of granularity means that organizations may spend valuable time addressing risks that aren’t real (false positives) while simultaneously missing out on identifying actual threats (false negatives).

Moreover, traditional IGA solutions struggle with the complexity of pulling in permission-level data from various applications. Most organizations are only equipped to pull user and entitlement information, but they lack the capability to dig deeper into the specific permissions associated within each entitlement. This limitation leaves them with an incomplete view of their risk landscape.

The Pathlock Difference: Fine-Grained Access Risk Analysis

Pathlock Access Risk Analysis is designed with a different approach in mind—one that addresses the shortcomings of traditional IGA by enabling fine-grained access risk analysis. Pathlock’s solution is built on the ability to pull in detailed permission-level information from a wide range of applications, providing a much more accurate and comprehensive view of access risks.

Key Differentiators of Pathlock

1. Fine-Grained Permission Extraction: Pathlock can extract fine-grained permissions from various applications, going beyond the user and entitlement data typically pulled by traditional IGA solutions. This capability allows organizations to analyze risks at the permission level, revealing the true risk exposure rather than just role-based assumptions.
2. Out-of-the-Box Rule Sets: To help organizations get started quickly, Pathlock provides more than a dozen out-of-the-box rule sets designed for common use cases. These rule sets can be easily customized to fit the unique requirements of each organization.
3. Advanced Rule Set Structure: Pathlock offers a flexible rule set structure that allows organizations to check fine-grained permissions against predefined or custom rules. This ensures that the risk analysis is tailored to the specific needs and risk appetite of the organization.
4. Comprehensive Multi-Application Support: Unlike other access governance solutions that typically focus on a single application, Pathlock supports fine-grained risk analysis across multiple applications. This capability enables organizations to gain a holistic view of their risk landscape, not just within individual applications but across their entire app ecosystem.

The Impact: Revealing True Risk

By going beyond traditional IGA and focusing on fine-grained access risk analysis, Pathlock empowers organizations to see the totality of their risk. This approach reduces the likelihood of false positives and false negatives, allowing organizations to govern and secure their access landscape more effectively.

In an era where cyber threats are increasingly sophisticated and compliance requirements are more stringent than ever, the ability to accurately assess and mitigate access risks is crucial. Pathlock provides the tools and capabilities needed to achieve this, ensuring that organizations can protect their sensitive data and maintain trust with their stakeholders.

In conclusion, while traditional IGA solutions may still play a role in access management, they are no longer sufficient on their own. Pathlock’s fine-grained access risk analysis goes beyond IGA and offers a more precise, comprehensive, and effective approach to identifying and managing access risks, setting a new standard for the industry.

Request a demo to experience how Pathlock can redefine the way you manage access risks across your application landscape.