Strengthening Security Through Identity Management

Today, with more internet connections than ever; no one foresaw how integral to our lives it would become. Nor did they foresee the rise of cybercrime and threat actors using the internet as their own virtual playground. However, today, with more internet connections than ever before, and more attack surfaces to target, no business can afford for security to be an afterthought. With 80% of data breaches the result of weak, reused, or compromised passwords¹, it’s clear that businesses who forgo strong password security leave themselves exposed and vulnerable to attacks.

We spoke with Mark Troyer, Senior Director of Solutions Consulting at LastPass to find out how offering identity management solutions can be advantageous to Managed Service Providers (MSPs), along with the benefits it can deliver to their customers.

What is Identity Management?

Identity Management is the practice of making sure that only authenticated and authorised people can access specific resources such as applications, databases and networks. This requires the use of username-password combinations, biometric data, or other security measures.

With the threat landscape constantly evolving, every organisation, regardless of size or sector, is a target due to the financial information and other sensitive data they store that can be stolen and monetised. Identity Management helps to keep that data secure – only allowing the right people access – whilst enhancing the user experience by enabling swift and secure access to appropriate work-based tools.

Discover more about identity management, how it works, and which solution is the best fit for your business here.

Why should SMBs adopt identity management solutions?

While SMBs might not have the extensive resources of larger companies, the stakes in terms of security and efficiency are just as high. Investing in identity management solutions can offer SMBs substantial benefits in the form of enhanced security, efficiency, and user productivity.

Mark Troyer comments: “Identity management is the first tier for SMBs to protect their organisations data. The critical services that must be included are an Identity provider, multifactor authentication, and password management for all the shadow IT applications and services.”

The key benefits of Identity Management for your SMB customers include:

Enhanced Security: As cyber threats become more sophisticated, SMBs are increasingly targeted as they are often perceived as having weaker defences. An identity management solution ensures that only authenticated and authorised users can access sensitive business data, which reduces the risk of breaches.

Operational Efficiency: By automating the set up and removal of user access, businesses can ensure that employees have the right access at the right time. This streamlines the process and leaves less room for human error.

Scalability: Manually managing user identities can become an immense task. Identity management solutions scale with an SMB, accommodating an increase in number of users without compromising security or adding administrative burdens.

Improved User Experience: Identity management provides users with a smoother, more secure access experience. With LastPass, for instance, employees only need to remember their vault password. LastPass autofills login credentials whilst securely storing all sensitive information in the employee’s encrypted vault. This reduces password problems such as forgotten credentials and lock out of essential work applications.

Addressing Real World Challenges

Offering identity management solutions isn’t just about adding another tool to your tech stack. MSPs can offer their customers a solution that addresses real-world challenges and keeps their business secure, whilst also minimising the administrative burden of forgotten or unsecured passwords. If you’re a Microsoft partner currently you’ll be familiar with the likes of Microsoft Entra ID (previously known as Azure Active Directory) which provides capabilities such as single sign on, multifactor-authentication and conditional access, to help safeguard your customers’ cloud identity across their apps, devices and data. Solutions, such as LastPass, can bolt on to these solutions so you can offer a more comprehensive identity management solution to your customers.

Mark Troyer describes how: “Centralised identity management solutions such as Microsoft Entra ID, allow SMBs to cover 75% of their key IT assets. There are always however shadow IT applications and services which cannot be easily integrated. An Enterprise Password Management solution complements the security and productivity benefits for all the hard-to-solve applications and services.”

Why you should offer identity management services

Improve Security: With the growing number of cyber threats, SMBs often don’t have the resources to fend off sophisticated attacks. Tools like LastPass can offer an extra layer of protection by ensuring only the right users have the right access at the right time.

Add Value: Offering identity management solutions can help you stand out in a crowded market. It shows that you are thinking about your customer’s end-to-end IT needs and providing proactive solutions to real-world problems.

Password Fatigue: Everyone hates remembering passwords, which is why passwords are often weak or constantly reused – making a cybercriminal’s job even easier! With tools like LastPass, users can have strong, unique passwords without the stress of recalling each one. It’s a win-win for productivity and security!

Consistent Revenue Stream: Many identity management tools, like LastPass, operate on a subscription model. This means recurring revenue for MSPs with each customer subscription.

Fewer Support Calls: With an effective identity management tool in place, MSPs will benefit from fewer calls about forgotten passwords or locked accounts, saving both time and money.

Take the leap into security

Launching a new security service can be daunting but it doesn’t have to be. At intY, we have a multi-vendor strategic approach and the technical expertise to help you expand your service portfolio without risk or complexity. Whatever your business goals, we can pinpoint the perfect solution to integrate into your tech stack, ensuring you can meet your customers’ expectations and IT needs.

With data such a lucrative currency, no SMB can afford to be relaxed about identity management and password security. Solutions like LastPass can help MSPs enhance their customers’ security posture, protect their financial and confidential data, and ensure compliance with the UK Data Protection Act.

Mark Troyer concludes: “Identity security must be protected holistically covering not only business identity but also personal identity and even identity security for the employee’s family. SMBs can benefit from a solution that covers all these domains in a clear and intuitive manner. It helps change the culture, where employees and their family members change their behaviour and become more secure and productive.”

Secure your customers business and your bottom line

Weak identity management often leads to severe consequences for customers, yet it remains an ongoing problem. In a survey, LastPass found that 62% of people use the same passwords, or a variation.²

MSPs face a daily barrage of forgotten passwords and access requests. This administrative burden is inefficient and distracts from the important task of ensuring customers have robust protection that can withstand sophisticated threats. If you are not providing your customers with identity management solutions right now, then your competitors soon will. Partner with intY and we will provide the resources, support, and expertise you need to evolve your security service portfolio. Contact us today and accelerate your business success by offering identity management services.