The employee identity paradox: Convenience vs. security

Striking a balance between access and security with identity management

Published in

Synology C2

5 min readJan 30, 2024

The employee identity landscape

The modern workplace is a diverse landscape that relies on several factors. Employees use a variety of devices, including laptops and desktops, and different operating systems such as Windows, macOS, and Linux. At the same time, they need access to company files, cloud applications, and on-premises resources like NAS.

It’s also important to consider the proportion of the workforce that is hybrid, remote, or overseas. Not only do these factors present multiple points of potential vulnerability, but other factors, like shadow IT or uncontrolled integration, can result in numerous security issues. On the other hand, it’s also essential to prioritize accessibility and convenience in order to ensure efficiency when it comes to daily work operations for employees.

As companies navigate this landscape, the challenge is clear: ensuring access while prioritizing security without compromising productivity. Achieving this not only requires the right solutions but also a deep understanding of identity management and security that aligns with the operational rhythm of the digital workspace.

This article takes a look at how to effectively manage employee identities in the modern workplace, taking into account the role of every device and access point in ensuring efficiency and security.

Traditional approaches fall short

When addressing the challenge of managing employee access, traditional approaches often fall short, resulting in a number of potential shortcomings.

Mixed solutions: Many companies resort to using a mix of different tools to manage devices, control user access, and ensure NAS security. While this can work well, it can also create a fragmented and disconnected framework, which makes it challenging to maintain a unified and efficient identity management system.
Cumbersome policies: Having an excessive number of rules and requirements for data access and configuration can be overwhelming and negatively impact productivity. Imagine having to remember a ton of different passwords and go through a bunch of steps and checks before you can even start your work. While these policies come with good intentions, they can end up making it difficult for employees to do their jobs easily. It’s important to find a balance and simplify these rules to maintain security without unnecessarily burdening employees and hindering their work.
Reactive security: Another common mistake in access management is relying solely on reactive security measures. While incident response is crucial for data security, it’s equally important to prioritize preventive measures. By incorporating proactive security measures into your strategy, you can identify and address potential vulnerabilities before they escalate into serious incidents.

When it comes to managing employee identities, traditional methods can often be fragmented, overly complex, and lack foresight. It’s clear that a simpler and more proactive approach would be more beneficial in the long run.

But how do we implement it? Let’s explore some innovative solutions and strategies that can help overcome these limitations and pave the way to a stronger and more adaptable employee identity management framework.

Balancing efficiency with security for employee access

In the pursuit of an optimized employee identity management system, we have identified several key strategies that can greatly enhance both security and the user experience.

Simplify access with single sign-on (SSO)

Single-Sign-On (SSO) is a unified authentication method that lets users sign in with one ID for all work-related resources, including work computers, cloud applications, and on-site resources like NAS. Since employees no longer have to remember multiple passwords, the risks that come with poor password management practices are reduced, and the entire login process is simplified, not only strengthening security but also boosting productivity.

Empower users with self-service password management

When employees forget passwords, they often have to go through IT to regain access to their accounts. One way to prevent this is by implementing a system that allows for self-service password management, so that employees can reset their own passwords through a secure user portal without having to rely on IT. This saves time for everyone while promoting a sense of autonomy and empowerment.

Enhance security with passwordless authentication

Password entry can be a pain, no matter how many safety measures you take. Furthermore, there’s still a chance that account security could be compromised. This is where passwordless authentication can come in handy. Instead of relying on password input, passwordless authentication uses biometrics, PIN codes, or other advanced methods to sign in. By restricting account access to employees themselves, security is improved, and the sign-in process is made simpler.

Improve efficiency with automated identity life cycle management

When considering any of the other strategies mentioned here, it’s crucial to factor in the constant onboarding and offboarding of employees, a process that typically involves directly managing account credentials. One way to tackle this challenge is to automate employee identity life cycles. Far beyond a mere administrative convenience, this method helps enhance both operational efficiency and security by letting you streamline on-boarding, adapt to role changes, and ensure a secure off-boarding process.

A single solution for all of your access management needs

Finding the right balance between user-friendly experiences and robust security can be a challenge for any workplace. Fortunately, C2 Identity offers a practical and comprehensive Identity and Access Management (IAM) solution that not only allows you to implement the strategies we’ve mentioned but also lets you do so from a single, well-designed management console based in the cloud.

The well-designed C2 Identity admin portal makes access management easy

With C2 Identity, your company can establish a more secure and flexible framework for managing employee identities without sacrificing productivity. Make the move towards a simplified and proactive approach to identity management today with C2 Identity!