How do you handle IAM for temporary or contingent workers?

It is also important to define the types of temporary or contingent workers, how they will be managed and what their access requirements will be. Many HR functions do not manage temporary of contingent workers so defining a decentralised process where those accountable and/or responsible for these identities can manage them directly can help. Allow them to register these identities with strict guidance on minimum required attributes for good governance - such as department, start date and end date. This is often line manager or owners of business units who will be directly involved in recruiting these workers into your organisation. Take time to also consider applying governance around B2B accounts invited onto your network too.

1. Standardized Access Process: Establish a clear process to assess and approve access based on contingent workers' roles. 2. Integrated Onboarding: Integrate access management with the onboarding process, confirming access during onboarding. 3. Regular Access Reviews: Periodically review and update access permissions for contingent workers. 4. Documentation and Automation: Maintain detailed records and leverage automated systems for efficient access control. 5. Audits and Monitoring: Conduct regular audits and implement continuous monitoring for access controls. 6. Vendor Management: Coordinate with external vendors to ensure compliance with access policies.

Start with a solid foundation by defining the exact roles and responsibilities of temporary or contingent workers. This step is crucial in understanding the specific access needs of these workers. By establishing clear definitions, you create a framework that ensures they have access only to the necessary resources, thereby safeguarding sensitive information and maintaining operational integrity.

In managing Identity and Access Management (IAM) for temporary or contingent workers, it's imperative to ensure that they are held to the same standards of security and compliance as regular employees, if not more stringent ones. The basic ones include:-1) Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) 2)Time bound access wherever possible 3) Authentication and Authorization by using MFA & strong password policies 4) Automated Provisioning and De-provisioning (especially if SSO is not possible) 5) Mandating trainings tailored to continent workers

Traditional RBAC structures struggle to keep pace with the rapid evolution of roles, projects, and collaborations within modern organizations. As new tasks arise or team compositions change, the rigid nature of static RBAC often leads to access gaps or inefficiencies, impacting productivity and security. Dynamic RBAC addresses these challenges by offering the flexibility to grant temporary or situational permissions on an as-needed basis. This adaptability allows organizations to respond swiftly to shifting demands, empowering users with the necessary access for specific tasks or timeframes without compromising security.

Relying on traditional RBAC structures might not suffice in today's dynamic work environments. Static RBAC models often struggle to adapt to the rapid evolution of roles and project requirements. To address this, implement a more dynamic RBAC system. This approach allows for greater flexibility, enabling you to grant temporary or situational permissions that align with the ever-changing needs of your organization. It ensures that access rights are responsive to shifts in team compositions, project scopes, and collaborations, thus enhancing productivity and maintaining robust security.

RBAC can be an effective feature to ensure temp or contingent workers are not provisioned to applications that are not required. An example is agency temp workers hired in healthcare organizations - these users are hired last minute as replacements in nursing homes/ hospitals to fill in of full time workers. Since they will most likely not return to this role in the near future, they do not need email addresses. The rules can be configured to not mailbox creation and license assignments to such users.

Implementing RBAC is a prudent strategy for managing IAM for temporary or contingent workers. Consider a technology company employing numerous contingent developers. Using RBAC, they assigned roles like "Developer" with predefined access permissions to specific development environments. This streamlined access management, reducing administrative overhead. RBAC enhances security, simplifies access management, and streamlines auditing and reporting. It ensures that workers are granted only the access necessary for their roles, reducing the risk of unauthorised access or data breaches. Regularly review and update role definitions to align with changing worker requirements and project needs for a robust IAM strategy.

Adhering to the Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP) is crucial in IAM management for temporary or contingent workers. Imagine a scenario where a temporary worker had unrestricted access to sensitive financial data, leading to a security breach. Implementing PoLP ensures that access permissions are strictly aligned with job responsibilities. PoLP minimises the risk of unauthorized access or misuse, simplifies access management, and aligns with regulatory requirements, such as GDPR and HIPAA. It's vital to regularly review and adjust access permissions to maintain the principle's integrity throughout a worker's engagement, protecting sensitive data and enhancing overall security.

Consider an organization with frequent workforce fluctuations. Automating these processes using tools and workflows ensures that workers receive timely access and are promptly deprovisioned upon contract completion, reducing the risk of unauthorised access or neglect. Automation minimises manual errors, enhances efficiency, and allows organisations to respond promptly to workforce changes. Implementing automated provisioning and deprovisioning workflows simplifies IAM administration, improves security, and ensures a smoother experience for both workers and administrators. Regularly review and update these workflows to align with changing worker requirements and contractual terms for optimal IAM efficiency.

Yes, SIEM tools can collect application user activity logs, but challenges include log availability, formats, volume, and scalability. Performance impact and data retention/storage are significant considerations, as well as security and privacy concerns. Effective correlation and analysis are vital for detecting security threats, while regulatory compliance may mandate monitoring and auditing. Overall, while feasible, implementing this requires careful planning, configuration, and ongoing management to address scalability, performance, security, and compliance needs. Best approach would be to provide break glass access to continent workers and make the app owner/admin to perform a log review on a periodic basis or post access removal.

Use delegated sponsorship to extend your idenity security framework over your contingent workers, use a third party access governance solution.

It is advisable to integrate the Identity and Access Management (IDAM) tool with Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) to monitor logs for potential threats and take proactive measures such as revoking access to mitigate risks.