Check access rights regularly: Why recertification is not a “nice-to-have”
Have you ever experienced this? A colleague moves from accounting to sales – and suddenly still has access to all the financial data. Or an employee leaves the company, but their accounts remain active. Situations like these are commonplace and create serious security risks.
The problem is closer than you think
Who actually knows exactly what access rights employees have? In many companies, there is an embarrassed silence here. Authorizations accumulate like dust in a corner – more and more is added, but rarely cleaned up.
Experts call this “privilege creep”, and it is more dangerous than it sounds. Attackers hijack an account with far too many rights and suddenly have access to areas that the actual user no longer needs.
Recertification – systematic tidying up
Recertification basically means nothing more than regularly asking: “Is this really still needed?” It’s about systematically checking who is accessing what – and, above all, whether it still makes sense.
It sounds like extra work, but the alternative is more expensive: better to invest structured time now than to have to live with the consequences of security breaches later.
The cloud makes everything more complex
It used to be challenging enough to keep track of everything. But today? With Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, AWS and other cloud services, it’s becoming a real mammoth task. Data moves back and forth between systems, is shared and re-shared – often without anyone having an overview.
Who bears the responsibility?
The IT department cannot do everything on its own. It doesn’t even know which rights are actually required. Only the specialist departments themselves know that.
Experience shows: It works best when clear roles are defined. Department heads become “data owners” and decide who needs which access rights. This means more responsibility, but in fact they already have it.
How does modern access management work?
A professional recertification process does not have to be complicated:
First, the critical areas are identified – where security breaches would have particularly serious consequences. Automatic reminders are then set up so that nobody forgets to check their rights.
The most important thing is that the process must be simple. Nobody has time for complicated forms. A few clicks should be enough to confirm or withdraw.
It becomes particularly efficient when the system automatically recognizes that someone has resigned or changed departments. The corresponding rights can then be adjusted immediately.
Conclusion: Strategic necessity, not just compliance
Every unnecessary access is like an open door in the company. You wouldn’t leave all doors open just because it seems more convenient.
Recertification is not a chore, but strategically sensible risk management. Companies must see it for what it is: an indispensable component of IT security.
