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Identity and security

Identity, least privilege and secrets

Single sign-on, task-based roles, temporary privileges and a central secrets store for people and services.

Fictional scenario. An example situation that illustrates the approach. It is not a client project and describes no measured results.

Business problem

A fictional company has shared admin accounts and keys in configuration files. Leavers keep their access.

Assumptions

  • There is an identity provider.
  • Systems support single sign-on.
  • There is an inventory of keys.

Constraints

  • No shared accounts.
  • Secrets are not in code.
  • Privileges are temporary.

Reference architecture

Components by stage — an illustration, not a running system and not a certified design.

  1. 01Identity

    • Single sign-on
    • MFA
    • Account lifecycle

  2. 02Access

    • Task-based roles
    • Temporary privileges

  3. 03Secrets

    • Central store
    • Rotation
    • Workload identity

  4. 04Control

    • Access logs
    • Periodic review
The diagram as a list
StageComponents
IdentitySingle sign-on, MFA, Account lifecycle
AccessTask-based roles, Temporary privileges
SecretsCentral store, Rotation, Workload identity
ControlAccess logs, Periodic review

Interfaces

FromToVia
HR systemIdentity providerLifecycle
ServicesStoreWorkload identity
AdministratorsSystemsTemporary role

Data flow

  1. A new employee gets roles by job.
  2. Privileges are requested and expire.
  3. Services receive secrets at start-up.
  4. Keys rotate on a schedule.
  5. Access is reviewed periodically.

Security boundaries

  • MFA for everyone.
  • No long-lived keys for people.
  • Secret rotation and audit.

Where a person approves

  • Privileged access.
  • Policy exceptions.

Delivery phases

  1. 01 · Inventory

    Accounts, roles, keys.

  2. 02 · Single sign-on

    The key systems.

  3. 03 · Secrets

    Store and rotation.

  4. 04 · Governance

    Reviews and automation.

Limitations

  • Legacy systems may not support single sign-on.
  • It needs a change of habits.

Trade-offs

  • Temporary privileges — safer but more steps.
  • Central store — a single point that must be strongly protected.

Related services

Related assessments

Integration patterns used

Workshops and assessments

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