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Has this ever been the case, where an employee who left months ago still has access to your company’s data? It's honestly a more common scenario than you think.
Organizations put themselves at risk of having an expanded attack surface because of privilege creep, which happens when users continuously receive additional access rights they do not need.
According to Infosec, 74% of data breaches result from human mistakes because excessive privileges represent a primary factor. The implementation of strict authorization systems enables organizations to lower their technical security incidents by 50%.
Many organizations fail to recognize privilege creep as an important security threat, which leads them to overlook its occurrence.
So, let's discuss what actually causes a privilege creep and also preventive measures to take.
TL;DR
- Employees accumulate excessive permissions over time, increasing the risk of insider threats, data breaches, and compliance violations.
- Organizations with poor access controls face expanded attack surfaces, insider misuse, and failed compliance audits, leading to financial and reputational damage.
- Lack of access reviews, role changes without permission updates, unchecked temporary access, weak IAM practices, and reliance on IT for access management.
- Regular access reviews, enforcing the Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP), implementing Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), using Identity Governance and Administration (IGA), and automating access management.
- CloudEagle.ai automates access provisioning and deprovisioning, enforces just-in-time access, implements AI-driven RBAC, and streamlines compliance through automated access reviews.
1. What Is Privilege Creep?
Privilege creep, also known as access creep or permissions creep, happens when workers acquire permission access rights that exceed their required job responsibilities. This issue typically arises from a lack of regular access reviews, the extension of temporary permissions without revoking them, and changes in roles that are not matched with updates to access rights.
Let's see an example: An HR executive temporarily assists the finance team and is granted access to the payroll system. If the permissions are not revoked after the task is completed, the employee retains access to sensitive systems, which can lead to security and compliance issues.
When the buildup of unchecked privileges happens, not only do attackers have an easy target, but organizations also create complicated security management. Organizations must manage access rights properly, otherwise, they risk facing serious security challenges due to privilege creep.
2. Why does Privilege Creep Pose a Security Risk?
You might think that having a few extra permissions isn’t a big deal, but over time, they can accumulate and create hidden dangers that could lead to serious security problems.
It's as simple as this: The more unchecked access employees have, the easier it is for hackers, insiders, or even simple mistakes to put sensitive information at risk.
A. Increased Insider Threats
When employees gain unnecessary privileges, the risk of insider threats rises. Some insiders might misuse their access on purpose for money or revenge, while others might accidentally create security holes by having more permissions than they need.
These additional system privileges, which are either intentional or unintentional, cause data leaks and fraud alongside unauthorized system modifications.
A former Cisco employee exploited his unrevoked access to delete 456 virtual machines in 2021, thus disrupting services for 16,000 customers. His access allowed him to cause significant damage even after he left the company.
B. Expanded Attack Surface
Every unnecessary permission gives cybercriminals another chance to take advantage. If a hacker gains access to an employee account with broad privileges, they can explore the system until they reach sensitive data that can be exploited.
Access controls that are not strictly enforced can result in severe damage from a single compromised user account.
A Capital One AWS account had a breach in 2019 because the user had excessive permissions, which enabled the hacker to access more than 100 million customer records. The permission allowed the attacker smooth access to systems.
C. Compliance and Audit Issues
Your organization faces serious compliance issues when it follows standards such as HIPAA, GDPR, or SOC 2 because of privilege creep problems. Organizations must follow the principle of least privilege (PoLP), which specifies that workers should only receive system permissions required to perform their duties.
Your organization may receive penalties and a damaged reputation when an audit reveals excessive permissions.
Morgan Stanley experienced a $60 million fine in 2020 because the company did not pass its security audit due to excessive privileges. The company failed to properly decommission its old servers containing sensitive client data, thus violating compliance rules and jeopardizing customer information.
Neglecting privilege creep leads to severe risks because it creates security vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit and results in additional compliance problems. Or get your organization into reputational and hefty fines.
3. Common Causes of Privilege Creep in Organizations
Now that you’ve learnt about the reasons why privilege creep is a security issue, it’s time to see what makes privilege creep happen in the first place.
A. Lack of Access Review Processes
The majority of companies grant access rights to employees but rarely verify whether the permissions granted are still needed. Regular audits prevent the piling up of unnecessary privileges and prevent security vulnerabilities.
If access reviews are ignored, employees could retain permissions they no longer require, making it easier for hackers to take advantage of unused access points.
B. Role Changes Without Permission Updates
However, switching roles is common for employees, but their access rights usually remain the same. Over time, they can gather permissions from different roles, which raises security risks. Organizations need to have a strict process to revoke old access privileges when roles are changed.
Unless these permissions are removed, employees may possess access to data they no longer require, which exposes organizations to unnecessary risk.
C. Unchecked Emergency or Temporary Access
Employees are given temporary access when they are involved in urgent tasks or troubleshooting. But if these temporary permissions are overlooked, they can unintentionally become permanent.
Without effective tracking, organizations may not notice how many temporary permissions are still active. This can result in a cluttered access environment where permissions that should have been removed stay active permanently.
D. Weak Identity and Access Management (IAM) Practices
Organizations that depend on manual access management often find it hard to apply consistent security rules. With an automated IAM system, there is a reduction in permission errors, and fewer privileges go unnoticed.
If IAM processes are weak, then companies may struggle to see who has access to what. This lack of clarity hinders security best practices, such as ensuring the least privileged access and maintaining compliance requirements.
E. Dependence on IT Teams for Access Management
When IT teams lack clear guidelines, revoking permissions can be delayed or ignored. Privilege creep is often caused by poorly established consequences.
When IT teams deal with manual requests to grant and revoke access, there’s a high chance that mistakes might happen. Without automation, taking away unnecessary access becomes a slow and tedious job, leading to inefficiencies and security risks.
Recognising and solving these underlying issues will help businesses address privilege creep before it becomes a serious security issue. Let’s now see how unchecked privilege creep can risk compliance.
4. How Privilege Creep Can Weaken Compliance
Now that you understand what it means when privilege creep occurs, let’s now talk of another issue and that is the compliance risk.
Many organizations must operate under strict rules such as HIPAA, GDPR, and SOX, which require dense access controls. Organizations might accidently fall out of compliance when employees gain too many privileges.
- If regulators find out that unauthorized users have access to sensitive data, there can be hefty fines and even legal consequences. Non-compliance can create reputational damages, and consequently, it becomes tough to gain customer trust and retain the business relationship.
- Privilege creep can cause security audits to fail. Auditors check if a company follows the principle of least privilege and removes unnecessary access. If they discover too many permissions, businesses might have to spend a lot of money to fix the problem.
- When a data breach happens, companies that didn’t enforce strict access controls might get more attention from regulators. This could lead to legal issues, financial losses, and weaker security
- Tackling privilege creep is important not only for security but also for staying compliant, avoiding penalties, and ensuring smooth business operations. By putting strict access controls in place, organizations can remain compliant and safeguard sensitive information.
5. Ways to Detect and Prevent Privilege Creep
After discussing the risks of privilege creep, it’s time to focus on what you can do to prevent it from becoming a security issue.
The basic idea is that proactive measures are implemented to restrict, monitor, and manage access.
Here are 5 ways for you to prevent privilege creep effectively.
A. Perform Regular Access Reviews
Managing user access is an ongoing responsibility; it's not an occasional task. With a lack of regular reviews, employees might end up with too many permissions, which can create security risks and compliance problems. This is why access reviews are so essential: they ensure that each user has only the permissions they need.
Regular access audits allow companies to identify and remove these unnecessary or extra permissions before they turn into a threat. This can be helped by automated tools that flag accounts with outdated privileges.
For example, if an IT contractor had temporary access to an internal system for a project, access reviews would ensure these permissions were revoked once the work was complete.
Access reviews also strengthen compliance efforts. Regulations like GDPR and HIPAA require strict access controls, and failing to review permissions regularly can lead to audit failures and fines. Organizations that regularly conduct access reviews can avoid privilege creep and maintain a secure and compliant environment.
B. Implement the Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP)
The Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP) is a great way to stop privilege creep. The principle says that employees can only access resources that they need to do their job, not more and not less. By limiting access at every level, companies can lower the chances of insider threats and accidental data leaks.
The reason that access needs may change over time makes PoLP crucial. For example, a company that used to have an employee with a background in finance who is now in sales could still have access to this same sensitive financial information.
If PoLP isn't followed, these extra permissions can build up, making the organization more vulnerable to security breaches or misuse by insiders.
To enforce PoLP, companies need to keep an eye on access and use automation. Many organizations utilize identity and access management (IAM) tools to assign and change permissions based on job roles.
C. Utilize Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
Managing user access manually is slow and prone to mistakes. This is where Role Based Access Control (RBAC) comes in, it provides permissions based on set job roles. This way, you ensure that employees get only the access needed, thereby avoiding unnecessary privilege buildup.
RBAC means that every role in the organization is associated with a particular set of permissions.
For example, a junior accountant will instantly have access to the financial tools but not to admin rights. When that employee becomes a manager, their permissions will be updated, so they don’t retain old access.
Role-based access Control (RBAC) increases security and helps to comply with requirements. It removes the need for IT teams to manually give or take away permissions, which cuts down on mistakes and inconsistencies.
D. Implement Identity Governance and Administration (IGA)
It is also important to implement Identity Governance and Administration (IGA). Managing who has access to what in a growing organization can be tricky, especially as roles change. This is where IGA steps in. It provides a central system for user identities, access right management, and the prevention of unauthorized privileges.
The major benefit of IGA is that it can be used to automate role-based access. This means that permissions are granted and revoked based on predefined rules.
For instance, if an employee needs to fill in the role of a leader, may need additional access, and IGA guarantees that access is revoked when an employee completes their role.
Additionally, IGA offers complete auditing features that allow businesses to keep track of user activities and spot suspicious activities. With IGA, organizations can maintain strict control over which users are given permissions and significantly reduce the chances of privilege creep.
E. Automate Access Management
Privilege creep can start from manual access provisioning, where IT teams struggle to keep track of who has access to what. By automating the process of granting and revoking access, organizations can handle permissions more effectively and cut down on mistakes made manually.
For instance, if a new employee is hired, an identity and access management (IAM) tool can automatically grant them permissions according to his/her role and department. Similarly, when an employee leaves or transitions to a new department, the system ensures that unnecessary access is revoked immediately.
Without automation, permissions often remain unchanged, leading to privilege creep over time. Automated access management also helps with security monitoring.
Companies can set up alerts for any unusual access requests or login attempts, the system can flag the activity and prompt additional authentication. This adds an extra layer of protection against both internal and external threats.
6. How CloudEagle.ai Can Help
Now that we’ve explained privilege creep, let’s talk about how to fix it. Managing access manually is not only inefficient but also prone to security risks.
CloudEagle.ai automates the entire process, making sure employees have just the right amount of access when they need it- no more, no less.
Here’s how CloudEagle.ai effectively addresses privilege creep.
A. Centralized Access Management
Access management is often spread out among different teams, making it difficult to track and control permissions. CloudEagle.ai integrates with over 500 applications, including SSO providers, HR systems, IT service management tools, and financial platforms, to unify identity governance across the organization.
This allows IT teams to automate user provisioning, security teams to enforce policies, HR to handle onboarding and offboarding smoothly, and finance to see SaaS usage. By centralizing access control, CloudEagle.ai eliminates inconsistencies, boosts efficiency, and enhances security.
B. Just-in-Time Access Control
Giving permanent admin privileges can lead to security issues, as unused permissions can be exploited by insiders or hackers. CloudEagle.ai uses Just-in-Time (JIT) permissions to enforce the principle of least privilege, meaning that elevated access is only granted for a short time and is automatically revoked once the task is done.
Instead of giving out permanent admin rights, employees can request access through an automated approval workflow. This way, users only receive the access they need, when they need it, which lowers the risk of privilege creep.
C. Automated Provisioning & Deprovisioning
Manually managing employee access during onboarding and offboarding is not only time-consuming but also creates security gaps. CloudEagle.ai integrates with HR systems and directory services to automate the provisioning and deprovising of user access based on real-time updates.
When a new employee joins, they receive access only to the necessary applications. When they leave, their access is instantly revoked. This approach prevents orphaned accounts, lowers security risks, and eases the burden on IT, ensuring a smooth and secure identity management process.
D. AI-Powered Role-Based Access Control
Defining and enforcing access policies can be challenging, especially in large organizations with various departments. CloudEagle.ai makes this easier with its AI-driven Role-Based Access Control (RBAC). Rather than manually assigning permissions, CloudEagle.ai automatically adjusts access based on contextual factors like job roles, departments, and business requirements.
This guarantees that employees receive only the access they genuinely require, avoiding unnecessary privilege buildup and enhancing operational efficiency. By minimizing overprovisioning, CloudEagle.ai helps companies remain secure while staying agile.
E. Automated Access Evaluations
Traditional access evaluations can be monotonous and are often seen as just a compliance requirement rather than a genuine security practice. CloudEagle.ai transforms this process by utilizing AI-driven automation to examine access patterns and identify irregularities.
Instead of having to manually check each user's permissions, IT teams get intelligent recommendations on which access rights should be revoked. Managers can approve or reject changes with just one click, ensuring compliance.
By continuously tracking access, CloudEagle.ai alleviates review fatigue, reduces security risks, and keeps businesses prepared for audits at all times.
7. Final Thoughts
Privilege creep is a rising security concern that organizations need to tackle. When employees gain too many permissions, they can turn into insider threats, which raises the chances of data breaches and compliance issues.
To stop privilege creep from harming your security, it's important to know what causes it and to take proactive steps. Regular audits, enforcing the Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP), and automating Identity and Access Management (IAM) are key strategies to reduce this risk.
CloudEagle.ai offers the tools necessary to fight against privilege creep effectively. Don’t let excessive privileges put your organization at risk.
Take charge of your access controls with CloudEagle.ai. Schedule a demo now.
8. Frequently Asked Questions
- What is an example of privilege creep?
An employee who changes roles retains unnecessary admin access from their previous position, increasing security risks and potential insider threats. - What is permission creep?
Permission creep, also known as privilege creep, occurs when users gradually accumulate excessive access rights over time, often due to role changes or lack of access reviews. - Why does privilege creep pose a security risk?
It expands the attack surface, allowing insider threats or hackers to exploit excessive permissions, leading to data breaches, compliance violations, and unauthorized system access. - What does RBAC mean?
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is a security model that assigns permissions based on roles rather than individuals, ensuring users only access what’s necessary for their job.
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