As the threat of data breaches continues to grow, the role that employees play in maintaining an organization’s security is more important today than ever before. With reports highlighting that 82% of data breaches were found to involve a human element, this human element is where you should start with tightening security.
In today’s digitalized landscape, identity theft is not only a personal concern, but also a business risk. Protecting employees from identity-based attacks not only helps them as individuals, but it also strengthens the overall security of the organization. When employees feel secure, they are more productive and better able to focus on important tasks.
What Is An Identity?
In cybersecurity, when we refer to an “identity” we mean the unique digital representation of a user, device, or system within a network or organization. This could include credentials such as usernames, passwords, biometrics, or digital certificates that authenticate and authorize access to resources.
Identity revolves around the idea of knowing who each user is and what their responsibilities are. Different identities are going to require different levels of access to specific resources in order to perform their essential functions.
For example, an HR employee would require access to the organization’s payroll system, which most regular employees would not. Organizations are advised to enforce the principle of least privilege to minimize identity-based risks.
Every identity — human or machine, internal or external — represents a potential vulnerability. Identity security, also known as identity protection, is like having a security guard at your businesses door who is tasked with verifying, authorizing, and monitoring everyone who attempts to enter. This is a comprehensive practice, designed to protect all types of identities across on-premises, hybrid, and cloud environments, stopping adversaries from exploiting stolen credentials to bypass defenses.
Ways To Confirm And Authenticate Employee Identities
Authenticating ourselves is how we prove that we are who we say we are to protect apps, services, and networks.
There are many different ways to authenticate someone’s identity, from a simple username and password to the more complex biometrics and digital certificates methods. These various verification methods can be neatly sorted into one of three categories, which are something you know, something you have, and something you are.
Something You Know (Knowledge-Based Authentication)
Knowledge-based authentication is the most common category as it includes the classic combination of a username and password. This category uses information that the user knows to confirm their identity, making it both the most straightforward and the most vulnerable way to confirm your identity due to the prevalence of things like phishing attacks and password breaches. Examples of something you know authentication include:
- Passwords and Pins
- Security questions
- Passphrases
As most users will have multiple accounts they need to secure, remembering all of them can be a difficult task that unfortunately results in poor security practices like using the same password for everything or leaving notes around your desk or in your phone, listing all your passwords. These behaviors significantly increase the risk of a breach. But even if your passwords are varied and well protected, having only password protection in place leaves you open to brute force attacks, phishing, or social engineering scams.
Something You Have (Possession-Based Authentication)
Possession-based authentication is a method of verifying your identity that relies on you keeping possession of a physical object or device that only you, or someone you trust enough to pass it on to, should have. This method of authentication is a very secure one as it is a lot more difficult for hackers to get their hands on an item in your possession than it is for them to convince you to take an action via a phishing attempt. It would be very difficult for them to exploit this method, unless they have a way to steal or gain access to the physical item, which would be difficult to do. Examples of something you have authentication methods include:
- Smart Cards and ID Badges
- Hardwar Security Tokens
- One-Time Passwords (OTP) Tokens
- Mobile Devices (used for push notifications or biometrics authentication)
While it is true that getting their hands on a physical item is more difficult for attackers to do than using mass communication to manipulate users and gain unauthorized access, that does not mean it doesn’t happen. If your authenticating item is lost, cloned, or stolen, attackers can bypass security, making it difficult to prevent the breach. Additionally, SMS-based OTPs could be intercepted via a SIM-swapping attack.
Something You Are (Biometric Authentication)
Biometric authentication is an authentication method that confirms the user’s identity using their unique physical or behavioral traits. As these are very difficult to forge, steal, or replicate, biometric authentication is the most secure authentication method. Unlike passwords or security tokens, biometric data cannot be easily guessed, shared, or lost, and many biometric systems use liveness detection and anti-spoofing measures to prevent fraud, making it highly resistant to hacking and phishing attacks. Examples of something you are authentication methods include:
- Fingerprint Scanning
- Facial Recognition
- Retina or Iris Scanning
- Voice Recognition
- Behavioral Biometrics (i.e. mouse movement, typing patterns, gait recognition)
The biggest risk of using biometric authentication is the issue of data permanence, as biometric traits (e.g., fingerprints, facial features) cannot be changed if compromised, unlike passwords which you can change as often as permitted. It is also true that some biometric systems can be tricked using high-quality fake fingerprints or photos.
Location and timing can sometimes also be taken into consideration during the authentication process. Accessing a resource during working hours from your normal location wouldn’t be suspicious. However, trying to access the same information from a completely different country or at a strange time of day should throw some red flags. These are known as Impossible Logins.
Protecting Human And Employee Identities With IAM
Identity and Access Management (IAM) is a cybersecurity framework that helps to ensure that only approved individuals have access to certain resources at certain times, while keeping unauthorized users out. Protecting employee identities with IAM helps prevent identity theft, unauthorized access, and insider threats, strengthening overall security.
Some things your organization could do to minimize the risk of breaches for employee identities are:
- Following zero-trust principles
- Instead of solely relying on traditional passwords, consider passwordless authentication and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA will use at least two of the three authentication factors from different categories)
- Conditional access can be used to ensure that resources can only be accessed by employees in the appropriate role
- Step-up authentication can both protect against unauthorized access and alleviate friction for legitimate users
- Keep logs and flag unusual activity such as impossible travel
By implementing IAM, organizations can reduce identity-based attacks, improve compliance with regulations, and enhance overall cybersecurity, ensuring employee identities remain secure, verified, and properly managed.
For more information on protecting Employee Identities, take a look at some of Expert Insights’ other articles:
- Identity and Access Management Hub
- The Top Identity and Access Management Solutions
- Workplace Identity And Access Management (IAM) Buyers’ Guide 2025
