User management in cybersecurity: your key to greater security

User management is a cornerstone of robust cybersecurity strategies. Whether you are an experienced IT professional in a critical sector such as healthcare or manufacturing, or just getting started with IT security, understanding and effectively implementing user management is critical to protecting sensitive data and maintaining operations.

Without strict access controls, unauthorised persons could move around freely, open doors that do not belong to them and cause chaos. This is exactly what effective user management prevents in the digital world. It is the ‘doorman’ and ‘locking system’ of your IT infrastructure and defines exactly who has access to which rooms – i.e. data and applications – and who is allowed to access and use them.

But what exactly does this term mean, and how can optimised user management strengthen your company's security and protect you from cyber threats that are growing in complexity and frequency every day? In this blog post, we dive deep into the world of user management and shed light on how it works, why it's important, and the best practices for protecting your digital resources.

A. What is user management in cybersecurity?

User management in cybersecurity encompasses all processes and technologies necessary to manage user accounts throughout their entire lifecycle – from creation and authorisation to deactivation. The goal is to ensure that only authorised individuals have access to the right resources at the right time. This is closely linked to the concept of access management, as user management forms the basis for how access rights are assigned and controlled in the first place.

B. How user management works – step by step

User management is much more than just creating passwords. It is a dynamic, cyclical process that ensures that the right people have access to the right resources at the right time – throughout a user's entire lifecycle in your organisation. At its core, user management is about managing and controlling digital identities to ensure the security and efficiency of your IT systems.

To understand the full scope of user management, we need to take a closer look at the individual phases of this process. From a new employee's first interaction with your systems to the moment an account is no longer needed, every user follows a structured path. This path is critical to preventing unauthorised access, ensuring compliance, and keeping workflows running smoothly. Let's take a look at the individual steps that together form the foundation of robust user management.

Effective user management follows a clear, cyclical process:

1. User account creation: This is the first step, in which new user accounts are created for employees, contractors or external partners. Basic information such as name, department and role is recorded.

2. Provisioning of access rights: After the account has been created, the user is assigned the necessary access rights. This is usually based on the user's role within the organisation and the principle of least privilege. A financial accountant requires different access rights than an IT administrator.

3. Authentication and authorisation: Each time a user attempts to access the system, they are first authenticated (who are you?) – often through passwords, multi-factor authentication or biometric data. This is followed by authorisation (what are you allowed to do?), which checks whether the user has permission to access the requested resource.

4. Monitoring and auditing: Ongoing monitoring of user activities is essential to detect suspicious behaviour at an early stage. Audits and logs help to verify compliance with security policies and identify potential security vulnerabilities.

5. Modification and deactivation of access rights (deprovisioning): When roles change, employees leave the company or projects are completed, the corresponding access rights must be adjusted or revoked. Quick and complete deactivation of accounts that are no longer needed is crucial to prevent misuse.
   
   

C. Access management vs. user management

Although the terms are often used interchangeably or considered closely related, there is a subtle but important difference between access management and user management:

• User management focuses on managing user accounts themselves – creating, maintaining and deactivating digital identities. It is about who has access to systems.

• Access management, on the other hand, focuses on what users can do once they have access. It defines and enforces the permissions assigned to an authenticated user and regulates which resources they are allowed to use or manipulate.

User management is therefore a fundamental part of the broader access management process. Without well-structured user management, effective access management is virtually impossible. Topics such as privileged access management (PAM) and identity management and control (IAM) are also closely related to these concepts and form the next level of the security strategy.

D. Advantages and challenges of user management in cybersecurity

Well-designed user management is not just a technical necessity, but a strategic investment that ranges from improved security to more efficient compliance. The benefits are numerous and directly noticeable when it comes to protecting digital assets and ensuring smooth operations.

However, as with any complex security strategy, user management comes with its own set of challenges. A clear and comprehensive understanding of both sides – the potential benefits and the inevitable pitfalls – is absolutely critical. Only then can organisations fully leverage the advantages of user management while proactively developing strategies to minimise potential risks and strengthen their resilience to cyber threats.

Advantages:

1. Improved security: Precise control over who can access what minimises unauthorised access and data leaks.

2. Compliance: Robust user management helps companies comply with industry standards and legal requirements (e.g. GDPR in healthcare) and provide evidence during audits.

3. Risk reduction: The principle of least privilege minimises the attack surface, as users are only granted the permissions they absolutely need for their tasks.

4. Increased efficiency: Automated processes in user management can reduce administrative overhead and increase productivity.

5. Better transparency: Logging and monitoring enable clear tracking of user activities, which is helpful when investigating security incidents.

Challenges:

• Complexity: In large or dynamic environments, managing thousands of users and their permissions can quickly become confusing.

• Lack of automation: Manual processes are error-prone and time-consuming, which can lead to inconsistencies and security gap

• Shadow IT: Unapproved applications or services can exist outside of central user management, posing an uncontrollable risks.

• Phishing and social engineering: Even the best user management is vulnerable if users fall victim to phishing attacks and disclose their login details.

• Role and permission inflation: Over time, users often accumulate more rights than they actually need, which is known as permission inflation and poses a significant security risk.
  
  

E. 7 tips for effective user management in cybersecurity

Now that we have covered the basics, how it works, and the advantages and disadvantages of user management, one thing is clear: an effective user management strategy is essential for the cybersecurity of any organisation. But knowledge alone is often not enough. It's about adopting best practices and taking concrete steps to put theory into practice and truly protect your systems.

The digital landscape is constantly evolving, and so are the threats. That's why it's crucial to be proactive and implement best practices in your user management. Below, we present seven practical tips to help you take your user management to the next level and make your digital environment more secure.

1. Implement the principle of least privilege: Grant users only the minimum access rights they need to perform their tasks. Review and update these permissions regularly.

2. Use multi-factor authentication (MFA): Add an extra layer of security by requiring users to confirm their identity with at least two different factors (e.g. password and SMS code).

3. Automate provisioning and deprovisioning: Use tools and scripts to automate the creation and deactivation of user accounts and the assignment/removal of access rights. This reduces errors and increases efficiency.

4. Define clear roles and responsibilities: Create detailed role profiles that specify which access rights are required for which areas of responsibility.

5. Conduct regular audits and reviews: Regularly review user accounts and their access rights to identify and remove permissions that are no longer required.

6. Train your employees: Make all employees aware of the importance of cyber security and the risks of phishing, social engineering and the unsafe handling of access data.

7. Implement a strong password policy: Enforce complex passwords and regular password changes to make brute force attacks more difficult.

Well-designed and consistently implemented user management is not an option, but a necessity in today's threat landscape. By understanding the basics of user management and applying the tips presented here, you will lay a solid foundation for your organisation's cyber security.