Companies invest heavily in cybersecurity measures, but orphaned accounts often remain an underestimated risk. Whether due to inadequate user management processes, lack of transparency or simply organizational negligence, orphaned accounts can lead to unauthorized access, data breaches and compliance issues.
But how do orphaned accounts arise in the first place? What risks are associated with them? And above all, how can companies effectively avoid them? In this article, we get to the bottom of these questions and show proven strategies for proactively managing orphaned accounts and closing security gaps.
Reasons for the occurance of orphaned accounts
Orphaned accounts occur when user accounts are not deactivated or deleted in time. One of the most common reasons for this is employee fluctuation. When employees leave a company or move to a new position internally, their old accounts often remain because they are not consistently removed. Especially in large organizations with complex IT structures, it can be difficult to keep track of all access rights.
Company merges, takeovers and restructuring also encourage the creation of orphaned accounts. In such scenarios, IT systems are merged or migrated and outdated or unused accounts are often overlooked. IT teams focus on granting new access, while accounts that are no longer needed remain active unnoticed.
Another problem is the lack of automation in user management. Many companies still rely on manual processes in which access rights are managed manually by the IT department or specialist departments. Without automated deprovisioning, it can easily happen that an account remains active even though it is no longer needed.
There is also often a lack of clear responsibilities. In many organizations, it is unclear who is responsible for regularly checking and removing unused accounts. This becomes particularly problematic when former employees continue to have access to internal systems and sensitive data.
In addition to official company systems, there are often numerous applications that are not centrally recorded, known as shadow IT. These external tools and cloud services are usually used without central administration, resulting in accounts that are not automatically deactivated when an employee leaves the company.
The creation of orphaned accounts is therefore usually the result of a lack of overview, insufficient automation and a lack of responsibilities. Companies that understand these causes can take targeted measures to minimize this risk.
Risks and impact of orphaned accounts
Orphaned accounts are not just an administrative problem, but represent a serious security risk. They often remain unnoticed and can be exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized access to company systems. This is particularly problematic if the accounts concerned still have administrative rights or access to sensitive data. A former employee whose account has not been deactivated could theoretically continue to log in and access confidential information.
In addition to the risk of internal threats, orphaned accounts are also a popular gateway for external attacks. Hackers use automated methods to track down and take over unused or poorly protected accounts. Through phishing, brute force attacks or compromised credentials, they can gain access to systems without being immediately aware of it. Such security breaches can have serious consequences, from data theft and financial damage to loss of reputation for the company.
Orphaned accounts are also problematic from a compliance perspective. Many regulations such as the GDPR, ISO 27001 or SOX stipulate that companies must retain control over user accounts and authorizations. If a company cannot prove that it regularly checks and removes outdated accounts, it may face legal consequences or audits with negative results.
In addition, orphaned accounts cause unnecessary costs. In many cloud-based applications, licenses are paid per user. If unused accounts remain active, the company may be paying for access that is no longer used. The administrative burden on IT departments also increases if authorizations have to be checked regularly and systems scanned for accounts that are no longer needed. Ultimately, orphaned accounts are a silent but serious risk. Companies that underestimate this risk not only expose themselves to potential security breaches, but also jeopardize their compliance and incur unnecessary costs. Effective identity and authorization management is therefore essential to minimize these risks and ensure a secure IT environment.
Identification and management of orphaned accounts with the NEXIS 4 Health Check
The effective management of user accounts and authorizations is essential to minimize security risks from orphaned accounts. The NEXIS 4 Health Check offers a proven method of evaluating the current status of Identity and Access Management (IAM) and uncovering optimization potential.
The NEXIS 4 Health Check provides a detailed status report on your IAM and authorization landscape within a very short time. Existing risks are identified, business role models are simulated and important potential for improvement is uncovered. A particular focus is on the detection of anomalies such as orphaned accounts, i.e. user accounts without assigned authorizations, which can pose a significant security risk.
The Health Check is divided into three phases:
- Preparation: a joint decision is made on where NEXIS 4 is to be operated and the data delivery is coordinated. After import by the consultants, the data is verified to ensure that the analysis is correct.
- Data analysis: your authorizations are examined for anomalies, standardization and other KPIs. Best practice indicators are calculated, such as the number of orphaned accounts or employees with surplus authorizations. In addition, possible role models are simulated to answer questions such as “How many business roles do we need?”.
- Results: In a final workshop, recommendations for action are presented to optimize your authorization structures and close potential security gaps. You will receive objective, quick and proven recommendations based on your specific data and in the context of comparable companies and industries.
By using the NEXIS 4 Health Check, companies can not only identify and eliminate orphaned accounts, but also optimize their entire IAM strategy. This leads to increased security, improved compliance and more efficient processes in authorization management.