Improving Security With User Access Reviews

User access reviews are a critical component in any robust GRC user access program. Users are and always will be susceptible to social engineering attacks, you could receive a phone call one day from what sounds like your manager who got logged out of the accounting database and needs the credentials to process employees' payrolls on time. But, in this case it's not actually your manager and a hacker has been able to gain access to sensitive data.

These types of phishing attacks are meant to put you in a state of urgency to prevent critical thinking. The risks associated with user access to the systems are numerous, but a robust GRC user access strategy requires aligning people, processes, and technology. This includes enforcing the principle of least privilege, conducting regular user access reviews, and maintaining strict control over access rights.

In this article, we'll discuss user access revies, the principle of least privilege, and best practices to help your organization remain secure.

Why User Access is a Security Risk

Hackers frequently exploit the path of least resistance. This often involves users who unknowingly expose sensitive information or credentials. For example, a phishing email that mimics a manager requesting credentials may succeed if users are not trained or if access controls are too lax.

When users have more access than necessary, the potential impact of a successful attack increases dramatically. That's why managing user access rights through proper review and governance is critical.

What is the Principle of Least Privilege?

The Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP) also known as the principle of minimal privilege, dictates that users should have the minimum level of access required to perform their roles and only for as long as necessary. his prevents unauthorized access and minimizes the potential damage of a compromised account.

Adopting this methodology can save the organization from unwanted information disclosure. Rather than treating all employees with the same level of user access, which is not only unnecessary but hazardous, the organization must only grant the bare minimum access rights to whoever is requesting a resource.

Example:

• An HR associate should not have access to source code repositories.

• A developer should not access payroll systems.

Limiting access rights improves security by containing potential threats and reducing the risk of privilege escalation.

Key Benefits:

• Smaller Attack Surface: Restricting privileges reduces opportunities for lateral movement within systems.

• Prevention of Malware Spread: Malware can only affect resources accessible to the infected account.

• Improved Audit Readiness: Clearly defined access levels support regulatory compliance and simplify audits.

Why Is a Periodic Revision of Access Rights Required?

Over time, user roles change, employees are promoted or leave, and contractors complete their engagements. Without periodic user access reviews, outdated or excessive access rights can accumulate unnoticed.

Risks of Unreviewed Access Rights:

• Temporary administrative privileges may be left in place indefinitely.

• Former employees may retain access to sensitive systems.

• Job transfers may result in overlapping or outdated permissions.

Regular access reviews help organizations maintain accurate, role-based access across departments.

Creating Appropriate Risk Management Policies & Procedures

Risk identification is the first step towards the remediation process. To develop strong policies and procedures you must first identify the associated risks to your critical assets, analyze their scope and their business impact. Once you know the severity of the involved risks you can easily prioritize them as high, and low-level risks. Our goal is not to completely get rid of the risk rather it is to contain it as much as possible, for that purpose we treat the risk to minimize it. Generally, the risk management policies and procedures revolve around the steps mentioned earlier, but there are two most popular approaches that go about the Deny-all approach, where no one has access unless otherwise stated, and the Allow-all approach, where everyone has all the access unless otherwise stated.

The type of approach you follow depends upon the size and nature of the business. The safest and most useful plan of action is to incorporate the principle of least privilege:

• Alerts from Monitoring Software: Alerts from a monitoring software can help establish the best practices for asset protection, reviewing these alerts daily must be part of the policy to ensure up-to-date procedures.

• Review User Access Changes: For smaller organizations, the user access changes report can be reviewed monthly for any discrepancies and untimely access revocations. Whereas, larger organizations may only need to review a sample of the report and request the full version in case of inconsistency.

• Manager Reviews of Employee Profiles: Managerial level reviews are necessary to add an extra layer of protection, as the managers have full knowledge of the existing and terminated contracts. They can catch something in case it was missed earlier. These are mostly carried out annually.

• Review Termination Procedures: A cross-reference list of former employees against employees who have system access must be maintained and reviewed at least once a year.

• Automate Reviews and Compliance: Automated compliance tools must be used when needed especially for larger organizations, they are proficient and eradicate human error.

• Communication between Departments: Harmony between the different departments especially between managers. IT professionals and HR must be ensured for efficiency.

• Train Employees: Access risks, phishing tactics, and the importance of reporting suspicious activity should be communicated to all levels of staff. Access reviews are not just an IT task, they require cross-functional collaboration between IT, HR, and departmental managers.

Steps for Conducting Effective User Access Reviews

1. Assess Access Risks

Start by identifying high-risk user groups and access types:

• Developers and IT Staff: Typically have the broadest access and pose the highest risk.

• Third-Party Vendors: May require temporary access to critical systems.

• New Employees: Should not be granted full departmental access on day one.

• Terminated Staff: Must have access removed immediately upon exit.

• Transferred Employees: Previous access should be reassessed to avoid overlap.

2. Establish Review Frequency Based on Risk

• High-privilege accounts should be reviewed monthly or quarterly.

• Standard access accounts may be reviewed biannually or annually.

• Automate recurring reviews to reduce manual workload.

3. Use Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Define clear roles and assign permissions based on job functions. Avoid granting access on an ad-hoc basis. RBAC simplifies provisioning and deprovisioning processes.

4. Involve Line Managers

Managers are best positioned to validate current access levels for their team members. Managerial reviews add a crucial layer of accountability.

5. Monitor and Alert for Anomalies

Integrate monitoring tools that flag access changes, privilege escalations, and unusual login activity. These alerts support proactive threat detection.

Additional Recommendations:

• Daily review of system alerts for real-time detection of access anomalies.

• Monthly reports of access changes in small organizations.

• Annual audits of employee profiles and termination procedures.

• Cross-reference access lists against HR rosters to catch access discrepancies.

How StandardFusion Supports GRC User Access Management

StandardFusion's GRC software simplifies the management of user access, access rights, and compliance tasks through its centralized GRC platform. The system enables:

• Automated user access reviews

• Enforcement of the principle of least privilege

• Seamless collaboration across departments

• Audit-ready reporting and monitoring

With StandardFusion, you can proactively manage access risks and ensure compliance without burdening your team with manual tasks.

Final Thoughts

Implementing user access reviews and enforcing the principle of least privilege are not optional—they are foundational practices for modern cybersecurity and GRC. With clearly defined access rights, regular reviews, and the right technology in place, your organization can minimize risk and improve operational integrity.