Journey through Access Control

For small and growing businesses, especially those in sectors like law and wealth management, access control can seem like an overwhelming topic. It’s often seen as a technical issue, but it’s actually a key part of building a secure, trustworthy business. Proper access control is essential for protecting sensitive information, managing who has access to what, and ensuring that the right people have the right permissions at the right time.

To simplify this, we use a Journey-Based Ranking System for Access Control. Instead of technical jargon and confusing maturity models, we view access control as a journey. This approach helps you understand where you are now, where you can go next, and what the benefits are along the way. Let’s walk through the levels in this journey and what each one means for your business.

At the Foundation level, we establish basic protections to ensure only authorized people can access your systems. This is where we implement fundamental access controls such as setting up a directory service (like JumpCloud or Microsoft Active Directory) to centralize user accounts, creating a process for onboarding and offboarding, and ensuring that everyone has a unique login.

• Key Features:

  • Basic user accounts set up with individual logins.

  • Manual tracking of access requests and permissions.

  • Onboarding and offboarding procedures to add or remove access.

• Why It Matters: With these foundational protections in place, you’re already ahead of businesses that lack centralized control. You’re reducing the risk of unauthorized access and ensuring that each employee only has access to what they need.

At this stage, we go beyond basic protections and start implementing controls that make access management smoother and more secure. Enhanced Control involves adding elements like Single Sign-On (SSO), which allows users to access multiple applications with one secure login, and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for key systems to prevent unauthorized access even if a password is compromised.

• Key Features:

  • Introduction of SSO for core applications.

  • Implementation of MFA for enhanced security.

  • Increased automation for managing access permissions.

• Why It Matters: Enhanced Control improves efficiency and reduces risks. With SSO, users spend less time managing multiple logins, and MFA provides an extra layer of security, especially for sensitive applications. These controls provide a smoother experience while reducing the risk of data breaches.

At the Integrated and Tracked level, we focus on building consistency and transparency into your access controls. This stage includes setting up audit trails to track who has access to what, ensuring access changes are logged, and implementing SCIM (System for Cross-domain Identity Management) to automatically sync user permissions across systems.

• Key Features:

  • Automated tracking of access permissions and changes.

  • Regular reviews of access to confirm appropriate permissions.

  • Use of SCIM to automate user provisioning and de-provisioning.

• Why It Matters: With consistent tracking and automation, you gain visibility into who has access to what resources, and you can easily verify that permissions are correct. This level helps prevent “access creep,” where users accumulate more permissions over time than they actually need, which reduces security risks.

At this stage, access control is both proactive and adaptable. We introduce Device Trust mechanisms, ensuring that only trusted devices can access sensitive information. We also start leveraging conditional access policies to control access based on the context, such as location or device type.

• Key Features:

  • Device Trust to limit access to verified, secure devices.

  • Conditional access policies for context-based security.

  • Regular access audits to fine-tune permissions.

• Why It Matters: Advanced and Adaptive access control lets you manage risks dynamically. By enforcing Device Trust, you can ensure that sensitive data can only be accessed from secure, approved devices. This level of access control minimizes vulnerabilities from compromised or untrusted devices.

At the Proactive Resilience level, access control is fully optimized, incorporating zero-trust principles to continuously verify every access request, regardless of the source. Controls are in place to monitor user behavior and detect anomalies in real-time, making access control both comprehensive and resilient against sophisticated threats.

• Key Features:

  • Full zero-trust model, with continuous verification of all access requests.

  • Real-time monitoring and alerts for unusual access patterns.

  • Automated responses to unauthorized access attempts.

• Why It Matters: Proactive Resilience represents the pinnacle of access control, providing your organization with the ability to detect and respond to potential threats instantly. This level is especially beneficial for companies handling highly sensitive information, as it offers the strongest possible defense against unauthorized access.

Using the Journey-Based Ranking System for Access Control lets you see exactly where you are and what steps you can take next. It’s a roadmap, not just for security, but for business growth and peace of mind. Each level builds on the previous one, giving you stronger, more efficient ways to manage access as your needs evolve.

By understanding where you are on this journey, you’re better equipped to make informed decisions that align with your business goals. You’ll know what investments will have the greatest impact and how each step will improve your security posture and reduce risk. Whether you’re at the Foundation level or moving towards Proactive Resilience, every step on this journey is designed to protect your business, support your growth, and ensure your data is secure.

This journey-based system provides a simple, structured way to communicate the value of access control without overwhelming your team with technical details. Instead of focusing on complex terms or abstract maturity models, it brings access control down to earth, making it easier to understand, appreciate, and act upon.