Identity and privilege management is a core pillar of modern cybersecurity. Gartner predicts that by 2025 more than 70% of security breaches will be related to credential abuse or poorly managed privileged access. That’s a staggering risk—one that organizations need to tackle head-on.
That’s where the Four Rights to Secure Identity Privileges come in. This framework provides a clear, structured way to protect both human and machine identities.
The four principles are:
- Right Identity
- Right Reason
- Right Access
- Right Time
These principles enforce the implementation of strict controls while keeping operations running smoothly. Let’s break them down.
1. Right Identity: Making Sure the Right Person (or Machine) Has Access
This principle ensures that only verified and trustworthy identities—whether human users or machine accounts like APIs and IoT devices—can access critical systems and resources.
The Challenge: False, duplicate, or poorly managed identities pose a significant risk. According to Gartner, 25% of organizations struggle to maintain an accurate inventory of identities.
The Solution: Use Identity Governance, Access Management, and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to continuously verify and manage identities.
2. Right Reason: Making Sure Access is Justified
Even if the identity is trustworthy, validating the reason for access is essential. This principle reinforces that no resource should be accessed without a clear and legitimate justification.
The Challenge: Unnecessary access to critical data is one of the most common causes of information leaks. Gartner reports that organizations that don’t implement purpose-based governance see 40% more compliance violations.
The Solution: Implement approval workflows and Just-In-Time Access policies to limit access based on actual business needs.
3. Right Access: Making Sure Privileges are Granted at the Correct Level
This principle ensures users only get the access they need—nothing more. Overprovisioned accounts create massive security risks and increase potential damage in the event of a breach.
The Challenge: Many companies still rely on manual provisioning, which leads to mistakes and granting access beyond what is necessary.
The Solution: Adopt Least Privilege Access and automate access management to consistently reduce unnecessary privileges.
4. Right Time: Making Sure Access is Temporary
Timing matters when it comes to access. Privileges should only be active when needed and removed once they’re no longer required—reducing risk and eliminating unnecessary permanent access.
The Challenge: Many organizations fail to revoke access after projects end or employees leave. Gartner estimates that 60% of human and machine identities have active permissions beyond the required time.
The Solution: Implement Just in Time Access tools, continuous monitoring, and Privileged Access Management (PAM) systems that automatically revoke expired access.
Securing Both Human and Machine Identities
With the rise of automation, machine identities have grown exponentially. APIs, cloud workloads, and IoT devices often have more access than human users. Applying the Four Rights to both keeps security strong in a hybrid environment.
- For Human Identities: Focus on robust authentication, periodic privilege reviews, and security awareness training.
- For Machine Identities: Use certificates, rotating API keys, and continuous behavior monitoring to track access.
Conclusion
The Four Rights to Secure Identity Privileges aren’t just a cybersecurity best practice—they’re a necessity. Organizations that follow these principles reduce risk, stay compliant, and create a more secure and efficient IT environment.
By applying these controls, you can strike the right balance between security, performance, and peace of mind—knowing that both human and machine identities are managed responsibly.
senhasegura PAM enforces the Four Rights by securing identities, automating access controls, and eliminating excessive privileges. With just-in-time access, real-time monitoring, and automated credential management, we help organizations reduce risk, maintain compliance, and streamline security operations.
Get a firsthand look at how senhasegura protects your most critical assets—see the solution in action.
Alfredo Santos is a leader in the Brazilian IAM community, a professor on the subject at FIA, an author of IAM/IAG books and responsible for the IAM Tech Day event. He has 25 years of experience in the IAM subject having worked in important companies and projects, some of them on a global scale. He currently leads global IAM projects that affect groups of companies in the Americas, Asia and Europe.
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