Source URL: https://www.britive.com/resource/blog/break-glass-account-management-best-practices
Source: CSA
Title: How to Secure Break Glass Accounts in Multi-Cloud
Feedly Summary:
AI Summary and Description: Yes
Summary: The text discusses the criticality of managing “break glass” accounts in multi-cloud environments, highlighting the associated security risks and providing best practices for effective access management. It is particularly relevant for IT professionals focused on security and compliance.
Detailed Description:
– **Understanding Break Glass Accounts**:
– Also known as emergency or global admin accounts, these accounts have privileged access and are reserved for use in emergencies when conventional admin access fails.
– They play a vital role in disaster recovery, allowing quick restoration of operations during outages.
– They are considered high-risk assets due to their elevated privileges and potential for significant security breaches if mishandled.
– **Challenges in Multi-Cloud Environments**:
– Managing privileged access across multiple clouds (AWS, GCP, Azure) complicates security due to different identity and access control models.
– Permission drift and inconsistent security policy enforcement can lead to vulnerabilities affecting the entire cloud infrastructure.
– Gaining visibility into which identities have privileged access becomes difficult, posing risks of lateral movement by attackers.
– **Best Practices for Break Glass Account Management**:
– **Minimal Use & Limited Access**: Reserve accounts for emergency use only; monitor access tightly.
– **Strong Authentication & MFA Integration**: Implement Multi-Factor Authentication and conditional access policies to enhance security.
– **Isolation & Monitoring**: Keep break glass accounts separate from regular accounts and continuously monitor their activity.
– **Access Control & Approval Workflow**: Ensure all access to these accounts is logged and requires prior authorization.
– **Documentation & Communication**: Keep updated documentation on account usage and ensure all stakeholders comprehend the protocols.
– **Periodic Testing**: Test the accounts regularly to confirm functionality and ensure rapid access during emergencies.
– **Eliminate Standing Access**: Limit static privileges and rotate credentials to minimize unauthorized access risks.
– **Separation of Duties**: Avoid conflicts of interest by separating responsibilities related to these accounts.
– **Review & Audit**: Conduct regular reviews of the access controls to ensure compliance and efficacy.
– **Disable or Limit Remote Access**: Restrict remote access to these accounts to maintain control; ideally use them from secure internal networks.
By adhering to these best practices, organizations can bolster security, maintain compliance, and manage risks associated with privileged access in a multi-cloud environment.