We need to keep learning about all aspects of cyber security. For the next seven days I'm going to extract one short segment out of the Cyber and Physical Security Special Report to highlight an aspect of cyber security that you need to be aware of. I have to say I initially did not like the use of passwords and the constant changing that is required to keep your personal information safe. I'm much better at it now since I better understand the threat and the frequency for the theft of information and identities. The fifth cyber tip is below:
Identity Management and Access Control Systems
What they are: Safeguards against unauthorized access to
agency IT resources.
What they do: Use passwords, identity cards, biometrics and
other measures to identify individuals as they try to log into
networks and access data and applications.
Bottom line: Identity management systems guard against intrusions
by both outsiders and insiders, including employees or
contractors who try to access resources they’re not cleared to
use. The best systems provide a central management console
to make it easy for security managers to update clearances as
employees change duties or leave the organization. Also important
is the ability to finely tune access rights according to job function.
For example, some members of the finance department may be
allowed to access the accounting modules of the ERP system, but
not databases that contain data about employee salaries.
