Just In Time (JIT)

Just In Time (JIT)

Just-In-Time Access: Applying Lean Principles to Cloud Computing Security Just-in-time (JIT) access is a concept that has gained traction in cloud computing security circles in recent years. JIT access involves granting users access to cloud environments only when they need it, and revoking that access as soon as it's no longer needed. This approach to cloud access control is based on the principles of just-in-time manufacturing, which emphasizes efficiency and waste reduction by producing only what is needed, when it is needed. Since each cloud environment has its own nuances and criteria, it’s been a challenge for companies to implement JIT easily.

Let’s explore the benefits of JIT access and temporary access, as well as the problems that it solves for security teams and development teams. We'll also introduce a context based access management solution that can help organizations implement JIT access controls with ease.

Problems Solved by Just-In-Time Access:

JIT access solves a range of problems that security and development teams face in modern cloud environments. Here are some of the key problems that JIT access addresses:

  • Reduced Attack Surface: With JIT access controls in place, the attack surface of your cloud environment is minimized, as users are granted access only when they need it, and for a limited period of time.
  • Better Compliance: JIT access makes it easier to track who has accessed your cloud environment and when, which is crucial for compliance with regulations like GDPR and HIPAA.
  • Improved Efficiency: JIT access eliminates the need for manual access provisioning, which can be time-consuming and error-prone.
  • Enhanced Security: JIT access minimizes the risk of security breaches, as users only have access to the resources they need, and for a limited period of time.

The Benefits of Just-In-Time and Temporary Access are substantial when thinking about securing cloud environments for larger companies. JIT access provides a number of benefits that are critical for cloud security, including:

  • Reduced Risk: With JIT access controls in place, you can reduce the risk of unauthorized access to your cloud environment, as well as data breaches and cyber attacks.
  • Better Visibility:JIT access allows you to track who has accessed your cloud environment and when, providing greater visibility into your security posture.
  • Increased Efficiency: JIT access eliminates the need for manual access provisioning, which can be time-consuming and prone to errors.

Temporary access is a critical component of JIT access controls. By granting access to cloud resources for a limited period of time, and automatically revoking access when the time limit expires, temporary access provides several benefits. It increases security by reducing the risk of unauthorized access, gives you greater control by allowing you to define specific time limits, and improves compliance by providing a clear audit trail of access to your cloud environment. With these benefits, temporary access is a key element in securing your cloud systems and ensuring compliance with regulations.

In today's fast paced, high tech business environment, cloud security is a top priority. Just-in-time access controls provide a solution that minimizes the attack surface, enhances compliance, and increases efficiency.

By implementing JIT access controls, you can secure your cloud environments, including AWS, Github, and Azure, and minimize the risk of unauthorized access. Trustle makes implementing JIT access a light lift for your organization. Once Trustle is set up, the system continues to learn and can help to make automatic decisions based on context like the user trust score, or the sensitivity of the resources.

So, don't wait any longer. Take the first step towards securing your cloud systems with just-in-time access controls. Start implementing JIT access today and enjoy the benefits of a more secure, compliant, and efficient cloud environment.

More Glossary Terms

Just-in-time (JIT) access is a concept that has gained traction in cloud computing security circles in recent years. JIT access involves granting users access to cloud environments only when they need it, and revoking that access as soon as it's no longer needed. This approach

Standing Access

Standing access pertains to the continuous and unimpeded access to systems or resources, even when not immediately necessary. This form of access is commonly extended to privileged users like system administrators, and at times regular users for specific functions

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Privileged Account

A privileged account is any account which carries more privileges than a standard user account. For example, a standard user account may enable someone to login and send an email under their name. But a privileged account may allow for not only email sending, but also user

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Dormant Account

A dormant account is an identity which exists, but has not been used for a period of time. The period of time required to quality an account as dormant may vary. For example, as you may only login to the DMV twice a year at most, the DMV could define a dormant account being “an account that hasn’t been logged into for more

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Orphaned Account

Orphaned accounts are user accounts that have been deserted by their owners or are no longer associated with active users within the company. These accounts can be found in various applications, infrastructure, or systems used for business operations. An account is considered

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Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM)

Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) refers to the management of identities and privileges within cloud environments. Its primary objective is to comprehensively assess access entitlements in both cloud and multi cloud settings. By doing so, CIEM aims to

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Identity Attack Surface

An attack surface refers to the entirety of potential entry points through which unauthorized access to a system can be attempted. It encompasses all vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and endpoints that could potentially be exploited by malicious actors to

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Policy-Based Access Control (PBAC)

Policy-Based Access Control (PBAC) is an alternative access management approach centered around authorization. In contrast to RBAC, which limits user access using fixed roles, PBAC dynamically determines access privileges through rules and policies. While PBAC shares

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Zero Standing Privilege (ZSP)

Whereas to have “standing privilege” means to always have access to a resource (whether they need or are using them), Zero Standing Privilege (ZSP) describes an identity’s state of having none, or zero access to a resource. Why is this an important concept? Think of it like this: if an

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Least Privileged Access (LPA)

Least privilege access (LPA) is the concept of giving a user exactly what they need to do their job access permission-wise – nothing more, and nothing less. Why is LPA recommended? With LPA, if an identity is compromised, or if a legitimate user assuming the identity makes a

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Just In Time (JIT)

Just-in-time (JIT) access is a concept that has gained traction in cloud computing security circles in recent years. JIT access involves granting users access to cloud environments only when they need it, and revoking that access as soon as it's no longer needed. This approach

Learn More
System for Cross-domain Identity Management (SCIM)

System for Cross-domain Identity Management (SCIM) is a collection of application-level protocols that leverage JSON, REST, and diverse authentication methods to automate the process of data provisioning. By adopting SCIM, organizations can effortlessly create, update, or

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Identity Provider (IDP)

An identity provider (IDP) is responsible for storing and overseeing the digital identities of users. It can be compared to a guest list for digital and cloud-based applications, rather than a physical event. The IDP verifies user identities by means of username-password combinations

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Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML)

SAML is an open standard for exchanging authentication and authorization across three entities, the human user trying to login to a website or service, an Identity Provider (which contains the user’s username and password), and the Service Provider (which contains the

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Role Based Access Control (RBAC)

Role-based access control (RBAC) is a security model that restricts access to computer resources based on the roles assigned to individual users within an organization. An RBAC system grants permissions based on the user's job function or title, rather than the individual's

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Attribute-based Access Control (ABAC)

Attribute-based access control (ABAC) is a method of restricting access to resources based on attributes associated with the user or the resource being accessed. ABAC is a popular approach to access control in cloud-based applications because it offers granular control

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Privileged Access Management (PAM)

Privileged access management refers to the management and control of privileged accounts and their associated access rights. This includes the identification and classification of privileged accounts, the enforcement of least privilege principles, and the monitoring of privileged

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Development Security and Operations (DevSecOps)

Short for development, security, and operations – is the practice of integrating security continuously throughout the software and application development lifecycle to ensure optimal security and performance efficiency.It is considered a necessary extension of the DevOps methodology.

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Zero Trust

Zero Trust is a security concept that requires all users to be authenticated and authorized before being granted access to applications, resources and data.

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Identity Governance and Administration (IGA)

Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) empowers security administrators to effectively oversee user identities and access throughout the organization. It enhances their ability to monitor identities and access privileges, enabling them to implement the required

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