In my last blog post which was posted on our IAM community last week, I discussed the tradeoffs between productivity and security. More specifically, I went into the fine line that Security and IT professionals have to walk between placing so much security on the infrastructure that it impacts productivity. The converse to that is placing so little security that while it may not affect productivity, security will absolutely suffer. Riding this fine line is the bane of Security and IT professionals everywhere.
So how can managing identities help solve this challenge and more specifically, how can the products from Dell solve them? I’m glad you asked. First, it should be noted that if you would like to learn about we solve this challenge AND you happen to be at Interop this week, you should visit Dell Security at booth #851. In the booth you will find Todd Peterson who will be happy to talk Identity and Access Management all day long!
Ok, so here's how we go about solving your security tightrope challenge. First, our products are what we call “modular and integrated.” What this means is that you can purchase the products that solve your top Identity and Access Management and security challenge today. What this doesn’t mean is that you will have to invest millions and years to solve the “admin password safe” problem. Modular means you buy what you need today. Integrated means you can build on that investment later.
Moreover, our solutions have a “security dial” or “security thermostat.” If you want to dial security way up, you can. For instance, in the case of privileged accounts, you can require a massive amount of workflow and multiple approvals for each request for an admin credential. Indeed, this is great security, but in an emergency, this workflow will definitely slow things down. So, the converse is true as well. Admins can request and receive the admin credentials (don’t worry, it’s all still audited) nearly instantly. While great for productivity, this creates a security gap; namely, if that admin “goes rogue” and does something nefarious with the credential. So, what’s the right answer? Depends on your organization and security needs. The point here is that our solutions enable you to dial that “security thermostat” as far as you want in either direction.
As I said, if you want to learn more about our security / Identity and Access Management solutions, please visit us at the Dell Security booth at Interop and look for Todd.
Bill