A move toward behavioral analysis, real-time insights, and actionable intelligence can help protect organizations from identity-based threats

The rise of Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) reflects the urgent need to address identity-based attacks in today’s cybersecurity landscape. Despite this focus, many Identity and Access Management (IAM) vendors struggle to deliver ITDR capabilities that truly meet the moment.

In their effort to equip organizations with the tools to proactively detect and respond to threats, smart IAM vendors are moving away from reliance on outdated, log-based approaches that are inefficient and incapable of scaling, and towards innovative solutions that allow them to realize true ITDR.

Shortfalls with traditional IAM approaches

Logs have long been a cybersecurity staple. They provide a record of actions and events, creating a trail that can be analyzed post-incident. While useful for compliance and forensic investigations, logs fall short when it comes to the real-time needs of ITDR for a number of reasons.

1. Lack of real-time insights: Logs are inherently backward-looking. By the time you sift through logs to piece together what happened, the damage is often already done. Attackers rely on speed, and logging simply can’t keep up with the rapid pace of modern identity-based threats.
2. Scaling issues: Searching through massive log files during an incident is not scalable. Large organizations can generate terabytes of log data daily, making it nearly impossible to quickly extract actionable insights. This inefficiency leads to delays in detection and response, which is a critical shortcoming in today’s threat landscape.
3. Lack of behavioral context: Logs capture discrete events, but they don’t provide the broader behavioral patterns needed to understand what a user did or how it fits into the larger context of the user base. Without this behavioral understanding, security teams are left guessing at intent and risk.

While logs are essential for compliance and post-incident forensics, they fall short in addressing the dynamic, real-time security benefits of ITDR.

Understanding user behavior matters

Effective ITDR goes beyond logging to understand user behavior at both the individual and aggregate levels.

This deeper insight is critical for several reasons, such as:

1. Detecting anomalies: Behavioral analysis allows teams to identify patterns that deviate from the norm. For example, if a user suddenly logs in from an unusual location or accesses resources they’ve never used before, these anomalies can signal a potential threat.
2. Identifying sophisticated attacks: Credential stuffing, lateral movement, and other advanced attacks often mimic legitimate user actions. By understanding normal behavior, ITDR systems can distinguish between benign and malicious activities, reducing false positives.
3. User base analysis: It’s not enough to understand individual users in isolation. ITDR systems must also analyze behaviors across the entire user base to identify broader trends and risks. For instance, detecting multiple accounts interacting with a single compromised device can uncover coordinated attack campaigns.
4. Proactive responses: Behavioral insights empower proactive measures. Instead of reacting to logged events, ITDR systems can anticipate risks and enforce policies dynamically, such as prompting multifactor authentication (MFA) for high-risk actions.

Equipped with the value of understanding user behavior, IAM providers can quickly realize the security benefits of ITDR through integrations that deliver this capability.

Why incremental approaches to ITDR fall short

Some IAM providers approach ITDR as an add-on to their existing capabilities rather than as a fundamental shift in how identity threats are addressed.

This results in several challenges that include:

1. Continued reliance on logs: Incremental approaches often rely on logs as the primary data source, perpetuating the inefficiencies and limitations discussed earlier.
2. Limited focus on behavioral analytics: Behavioral analysis should not be an afterthought. Many IAM providers offer tools to detect some anomalies, but these tools often lack the depth and real-time capabilities needed to uncover growing, advanced threats.
3. Slow pace of innovation: Cybercriminals and their tactics change rapidly, and many IAM providers are slower to adapt. As identity-based attacks evolve, these providers struggle to keep pace, leaving their customers exposed.

The right approach to ITDR

Real ITDR requires a paradigm shift from logging-centric models to systems built around real-time behavioral analysis.

Effective ITDR should always include:

1. Real-time behavioral insights: Analyze user actions as they happen, identifying deviations from normal behavior to detect threats before they escalate
2. Holistic user understanding: Combine individual behavioral data with aggregate user base analysis to uncover hidden risks and patterns
3. Actionable intelligence: Move beyond passive logging to deliver actionable insights and automated responses, such as locking compromised accounts or enforcing step-up authentication
4. Integration with identity providers: Effective ITDR systems integrate tightly with identity providers, leveraging real-time authentication and access data to enhance visibility and control.

Why the Imprivata Approach Excels

Imprivata recognizes the shortcomings of traditional IAM approaches and offers Imprivata Advanced and Passwordless Access (APA), an integrated Enterprise Access Management (EAM) and ITDR solution designed to address these gaps.

Important capabilities to consider are:

1. Real-time identity graphs: The Imprivata APA platform leverages real-time identity graphs to map relationships between users, devices, and behaviors dynamically. This enables precise detection of anomalies and risks.
2. Behavior-driven detection: By focusing on behavioral signals rather than static logs, APA uncovers threats that would otherwise go unnoticed.
3. Scalable and efficient: Imprivata solutions are designed to handle large-scale environments, providing actionable insights without the overhead of sifting through logs.

Proactive security measures: Imprivata doesn’t just detect threats; it enables proactive responses, empowering organizations to neutralize risks before they impact operations.

Today, over-reliance on logging means that many IAM providers fall short of what’s needed to address emerging identity-based threats. Real ITDR demands a shift toward behavioral analysis, real-time insights, and actionable intelligence that seamlessly integrates with advanced access tools.

The Imprivata difference exemplifies this next generation of ITDR, delivering the speed, context, and scalability organizations need to stay ahead of cybercriminals and protect their digital identities effectively.

Interested in learning more about powerful solutions for ITDR? Contact us for a demo today.