How can you enforce least privilege and separation of duties with cloud data access controls?

1 What is least privilege?

Least privilege is the idea that each user or role should only have the minimum level of access required to perform their tasks. This reduces the risk of unauthorized or accidental data exposure, modification, or deletion. For example, a data analyst who only needs to read data from a cloud storage service should not have the permission to write or delete data from the same service.

2 What is separation of duties?

Separation of duties is the idea that different users or roles should have different responsibilities and access rights to prevent conflicts of interest or fraud. This ensures that no single user or role can perform a complete transaction or operation without the approval or oversight of another user or role. For example, a data engineer who creates and maintains cloud data pipelines should not have the authority to approve or deploy changes to the data sources or destinations.

3 How to use cloud data access controls?

Cloud data access controls are the tools and methods used to define and enforce who can access what data and how in your cloud environment. These controls can vary depending on the cloud provider and service, and may include identity and access management (IAM), encryption, auditing and logging, and data classification and labeling. IAM allows you to create users, groups, roles, and policies that specify the permissions for accessing cloud resources. Encryption helps protect data at rest and in transit by using cryptographic keys that make it unreadable to unauthorized parties. Auditing and logging allow you to monitor activities related to cloud data access, such as who accessed what data, when, where, and how. Data classification and labeling helps you categorize data according to its sensitivity or regulatory requirements, so that the appropriate access controls can be applied.

4 How to apply least privilege with cloud data access controls?

To apply least privilege with cloud data access controls, you need to identify your data assets and their sensitivity levels using data classification and labeling tools. Additionally, you should identify your users and roles and their data access needs using IAM tools. Afterward, assign the minimum level of permissions and conditions to each user and role based on their data access needs utilizing IAM policies. Furthermore, encrypt your data at rest and in transit using strong keys and algorithms with encryption tools. Finally, review and update your data access controls regularly to reflect any changes in your data assets, users, roles, or business requirements.

5 How to apply separation of duties with cloud data access controls?

To apply separation of duties with cloud data access controls, you need to define your data workflows and processes, divide the workflows into discrete tasks, and assign them to different users or roles. Additionally, implementing checks and balances to ensure each task is completed and verified by different users or roles is essential. Finally, auditing and logging your data workflows and processes to track and report activities related to data access is necessary. Tools such as data governance and documentation, IAM, approval, notification, or verification, as well as auditing and logging tools can help you with this task.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?