Google Cloud Platform (GCP) allows DevOps teams to cooperate seamlessly – but it could leave your organization vulnerable to security attacks. Learn how to prevent that with Britive!
The other day I tried to explain the cloud to my dad - but it went over his head.
Terrible jokes aside, if you work in a cloud-native or cloud-hybrid team, you know it brings some challenges along with its many benefits. The number one problem on everyone's mind is security.
But that's where Britive can help!
In its new research, Britive revealed the top frictionless strategies your team can use to reduce risks by improving identity and access management (IAM) on the Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
Check it out at https://www.britive.com/blog/3-frictionless-strategies-to-boost-your-gcp-iam
While GCP provides a solid IAM solution, with measures in place to minimize control access and exposure, cloud identity lifecycles expand over time and can lead to standing privileges. Britive’s research identified several associated risks, including vulnerability to security attacks.
“Standing privileges represent a major threat to an organization; attackers recognize these opportunities and target them aggressively,” explains Britive. “When companies scale with GCP and rely on additional administrators, users, and groups to satisfy key business drivers, their security risks are catapulted to higher levels as their attack surfaces expand.”
Britive further explains that Google itself advises businesses to grant just enough access a user needs complete their tasks. This is in line with the principle of least privilege access, and in combination with a security policy that dictates access levels for all roles, can mitigate cloud security risks.
But what can you do to reduce risks for your DevOps team and organization? Well, Britive identified the top three strategies to improve identity access management in GCP and boost security. And we're gonna take a closer look at each!
#1 Just-in-Time (JIT) Privilege Grants
This one is a must! JIT permissions, which Britve offers as part of its CIEM platform, facilitate zero standing privileges by allowing only temporary access upon request. Once authorized, users will be granted limited-time access to complete the necessary task. By revoking access automatically and as soon as it's no longer needed, with JIT privilege grants, you can say goodbye to risks associated with standing privileges.
#2 Cloud Secrets Management
Similar to JIT privilege grants, cloud secrets should be monitored and managed, as API keys may become vulnerable to attacks. As such, Britive advises that all cloud secrets should be issued and automatically revoked only for authorized authenticated users. Its platform gives you JIT permissioning for dynamic secrets and vault storage for static secrets.
#3 Cloud Visibility
As most teams rely on several cloud solutions along with GCP, as well as various SaaS products, Britive understands the importance of cross-cloud visibility. Its research found that while GCP provides a degree of visibility, its ability to identify comprehensive user behavior and elevated and standing permissions could be improved for optimal cross-cloud visibility. As such, Britive's platform is designed with cross-cloud capabilities, allowing your DevOps team full insights into control access across the entire ecosystem.
So those are three strategies you can implement to improve GCP IAM - and you can do it easily with Britive.
You know just how dangerous unused and unnecessarily broad privileges can be... Get all the features you need to make your cloud environment secure with just one platform!
To find out more about the benefits of JIT privileges, dynamic cloud secrets management, and other cool things you get with Britive, go to https://www.britive.com/blog/3-frictionless-strategies-to-boost-your-gcp-iam
