How To Implement Just-In-Time Access With CloudEagle.ai?

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As cyber threats evolve, traditional access management methods struggle to keep up. Organizations need a smarter way to control access that minimizes risks while meeting operational needs.

In a survey of 2,300 security decision-makers, 99% of respondents believe they might face an identity-related compromise within the next year. This highlights the urgent need to stay prepared and ahead of such issues.

This is where time-based access management comes in, offering tighter control and addressing the gaps left by traditional methods. Just-In-Time (JIT) Access is a key component of this approach. Just-In-Time (JIT) Access grants temporary, time-limited access to SaaS apps, enhancing security by minimizing unauthorized usage.

In this article, we’ll explore what JIT Access is, why it’s essential, and how to implement it to protect your organization while ensuring efficiency and compliance.

Let’s explore how you can get started with just-in-time access with CloudEagle.ai.

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TL;DR

• Restrict your organization’s app access to specific hours to enhance security and operational efficiency.
  

• Use a solution like CloudEagle.ai to set up and manage just-in-time access with automated workflows tailored to your organization.
  

• Create workflows to automate app access requests, define approvers, and establish time-based access limits for employees and contractors.
  

• Define roles, apps, and license types, and set specific access windows to align with your organizational requirements.
  

• Automatically remove app access after the designated period, ensuring compliance and reducing security risks effectively.

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What is just-in-time access?

Just-in-time (JIT) access is a security measure that gives users access to apps, systems, or data only when they need it. Instead of granting permanent access, JIT provides temporary access for a specific task or time period.

Here are three types of time-based access:

• Absolute just-in-time access: This grants user privileges for a fixed, one-time period. Once the specified time frame ends, the access expires. It's typically used for short-term tasks or high-stakes projects.
• Periodic just-in-time access: This allows access at irregular intervals, such as the first and third Tuesday of every month from 10 AM to 2 PM. It's useful for tasks requiring occasional access to systems, minimizing security risks.
• Recurring just-in-time access: This provides access on a regular schedule, like every Monday and Thursday from 8 AM to 12 PM. It’s ideal for users needing consistent access to sensitive areas while maintaining security.

This approach is beneficial for managing access across all users—whether internal employees, contractors, or temporary workers—by ensuring they have the right permissions at the right time. JIT access reduces security risks, prevents over-privileged accounts, and helps organizations stay compliant with regulations while maintaining control over sensitive data.

For instance, a contractor working on a project may only need access to certain tools for a few days. With JIT, they can get the permissions they need, and once their work is done, access is removed to prevent misuse or unnecessary exposure.

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Why are leading organizations implementing just-in-time access?

Leading organizations are implementing just-in-time (JIT) access as a proactive security and efficiency measure to address evolving challenges in IT and access management. Here’s why JIT access is becoming a priority:

1. Enhanced security: Just-in-Time (JIT) access reduces risks by granting access only when necessary, minimizing exposure to sensitive data. This approach limits the attack surface and prevents privilege abuse, ensuring users can’t misuse elevated rights. By restricting access to critical systems, JIT also mitigates insider threats and reduces accidental errors.

2. Regulatory compliance: JIT access ensures compliance with global standards like ISO 27001, NIST, and GDPR by limiting access to essential personnel and times. It simplifies audit processes with detailed logs showing who accessed what and when. This transparency not only ensures accountability but also makes your organization audit-ready.

3. Operational efficiency: JIT access automates workflows, reducing the time IT teams spend on manual provisioning and deprovisioning. This eliminates the burden of managing access manually and streamlines role-based permission assignments. By providing temporary access, JIT ensures resources are allocated efficiently without administrative overhead.

4. Cost optimization: JIT access optimizes license use by providing temporary access to occasional users, avoiding the need for extra licenses. It identifies underused resources, helping to cut unnecessary costs. Limiting access also reduces the risk of costly data breaches, saving organizations from significant financial losses.

5. Improved user experience: JIT access makes requests quick and simple, integrating with tools like Slack or Teams for seamless approvals. Employees and contractors receive access exactly when they need it, avoiding delays and overprovisioning. This streamlined process keeps workflows smooth, minimizes frustrations, and boosts overall productivity.

6. Scalability for dynamic workforces: JIT access supports remote and hybrid teams by adapting to their evolving needs. It provides timely access to systems, ensuring productivity regardless of location. This approach scales easily to manage dynamic workforce changes without compromising security.

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3-Step process to implement just-in-time access management using Cloudeagle.ai

Implementing just-in-time access for your employees, vendors, or external users is simple and efficient with CloudEagle.ai. To ensure a seamless setup, follow these straightforward steps before getting started:

Step 1: Log in to CloudEagle.ai

To configure just-in-time access rules, log in to your CloudEagle.ai account and navigate to the "Access Management" module.

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Step 2: Set up access automation

Go to the “Access Requests” tab and click on “Build Automation” to begin creating your workflows. This feature lets you tailor app access, define approvers, and set up monitoring processes.

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Step 3: Configure access settings

In this step, you’ll customize just-in-time app access by defining applications and entitlements. You can set license types like Basic, Pro, or Enterprise, and roles such as regular users, privileged users, or admins.

You can also establish visibility rules to ensure that only authorized individuals, such as team leads or IT admins. For instance, if Jira is selected as the app, we can set visibility based on departments and restrict access to only the Engineering and Product teams. As a result, Jira will not be visible to the Sales department, preventing them from requesting unnecessary access.

Now comes the most crucial step in setting up just-in-time app access: defining just-in-time access limits.

In this step, you can set time limits for different users based on your organizational needs. For instance, when assigning licenses, you can grant users access to a particular app for a specific duration, whether it's hours, days, months, or even years.

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Once the designated period ends, access is automatically revoked, ensuring no unnecessary or prolonged access to sensitive apps.

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This feature boosts security by reducing access risks and makes managing temporary users easier. It ensures app access matches business needs and is removed when no longer needed.

After setting up the just-in-time access, you can include a brief questionnaire for requesters to capture key details, such as the reason for access and the required duration. This helps make approvals faster and more informed.

Additionally, you can define specific actions for each request, like routing it to a manager for approval or automating provisioning. Integrating with tools like Okta further streamlines the process, making it seamless and efficient.

With these capabilities, CloudEagle.ai guarantees that just-in-time app access remains secure, streamlined, and tailored to your organization's unique requirements.

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Considerations while implementing just-in-time access

Implementing just-in-time access can bring many benefits, but there are some challenges like:

1. Integration challenges: Implementing just-in-time access can be tricky when integrating it with existing apps. Sometimes, platforms are incompatible, or custom integrations are needed, which can slow down the process and cause issues in setting up smooth access control.

2. Complex configurations: Setting up the rules for just-in-time access can get complicated, especially when dealing with different user groups, roles, and applications. It requires careful planning and might take more time and resources than you initially expect to define the right access windows and adjust permissions.

3. Monitoring and reporting challenges: Tracking and reporting on just-in-time access can be difficult, especially without the right monitoring tools. Ensuring that users follow the access rules and report their behavior accurately can be challenging, especially if data is scattered across different systems.

4. Inconsistent policies across departments: Different departments or teams may have different access needs, leading to inconsistent implementation of just-in-time access. Ensuring that all departments follow the same rules and time frames is tough without a unified approach.

5. User resistance: Some users may not be happy with just-in-time access, especially if they’re used to having open access all the time. This can lead to frustration and pushback, making it harder to enforce time restrictions effectively across the organization.

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Conclusion

Just-in-time access is an easy and effective way to improve your organization's security. Limiting access to specific hours reduces the risk of unauthorized use and ensures that only the right people have access when needed.

With CloudEagle, managing just-in-time access is simple and easy. It gives you complete control over who can access what, when, and for how long. The tool also helps you comply with security policies and industry regulations, making it a trusted and efficient solution for any organization.

Are you ready to improve security with just-in-time access?

Schedule a demo with CloudEagle.ai to see how simply you can implement just-in-time access.

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