Vihar Garlapati, the director of technology at a leading healthcare services company, has deployed advanced security solutions for healthcare and financial businesses for over 17 years. His expertise in identity and access management (IAM), along with implementing on-premises, cloud, and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)-based services, enhances enterprise risk management, compliance, and productivity.

Garlapati’s proficiency in integrating systems and automating processes has brought organizational growth by over 100%. It has been pivotal in helping companies obtain coveted certifications such as SOC 2 and HITRUST, which are critical for healthcare organizations seeking to attract and retain customers.

Despite these achievements, Garlapati recognizes the ongoing challenge of balancing robust security measures and easy access while pursuing high-level security, which often affects productivity and poses daily hurdles for staff.

Garlapati offers insights on navigating this balance and enabling cybersecurity to protect business operations and foster growth.

The Struggle for Balance

For many organizations, strong cybersecurity means more complicated access and authentication, which can make operations and user experience less smooth. The subsequent tug-of-war between security and accessibility can lead to significant organizational challenges.

Garlapati explains that implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) protocols can enhance security by requiring additional verification steps. However, it can also cause friction and frustration for employees who have to deal with multiple authentication layers to access critical systems or data.

This added complexity may lead to workarounds or shadow IT practices, potentially undermining the security measures intended to protect the organization.

Furthermore, the rise of remote work and cloud-based applications has introduced new challenges in balancing security and accessibility. Garlapati emphasizes that while cloud solutions offer convenience and flexibility, ensuring secure access from various locations and devices can be daunting. 

More often than not, businesses implement robust security protocols, such as virtual private networks (VPNs) and endpoint protection, to not compromise the seamless user experience that remote workers demand.

“It’s complicated work with implications for security and operational efficiency,” Garlapati mentions. ”It’s important to consider the security systems themselves and the people who use them.”  

The Secret of Implementing IAM Solutions

Garlapati’s approach to resolving this struggle centers on strategically implementing high-level IAM solutions. 

IAM is a framework that governs how users access digital resources and what they can do with them. It is crucial to an organization’s cybersecurity strategy to ensure that only authorized individuals can access sensitive data and applications.

IAM manages digital identities, authentication processes, and access controls. Garlapati bares that effective IAM solutions are not solely about tightening security but also include understanding an organization’s needs and tailoring access controls to enhance, rather than hinder, operational flow.

Organizations can create a security environment that protects against unauthorized access while minimizing access-related obstacles for legitimate users by deploying advanced IAM, identity governance and administration (IGA), single sign-on (SSO), and MFA solutions.

IAM systems are crucial in managing digital identities and permissions, ensuring that the right individuals can access the right resources at the right times. In a Digital Journal article, Garlapati mentioned how businesses can balance these objectives with the right IAM. They can manage access rights effectively, making sign-in and access simpler.

No Other Way but Right IAM Tools

As businesses strive for growth and expansion, they inevitably face an escalating set of cybersecurity risks and challenges. Garlapati recognizes that traditional access management approaches may not suffice. Fortunately, more modern and intelligent IAM solutions are available to support organizational growth while keeping robust security measures.

AI-powered IAM solutions can automatically handle the sheer volume of users and access requests quickly. This lessens manual access management processes, which are cumbersome and prone to errors. 

Cybersecurity risks will indeed grow in the coming years. For Garlapati, however, businesses need not worry. With the right security tools and experts like Garlapati, they can stay ahead of risks, have easy and on-point access to resources, and use security to boost growth and profit.

Published: 10/1/24.