**Residual Access Failures: A Silent Threat to Data Security**

The digital age has brought about numerous benefits, but it has also introduced new risks and challenges. One such threat is residual access failures, which can put sensitive data at risk. When employees or contractors leave an organization, they often retain system access, creating a vulnerability that can be exploited by malicious actors.

Residual access isn't just an IT issue; it's a problem that involves multiple stakeholders, including HR, legal, compliance, and leadership. Each party has a role to play in ensuring that data is protected when employees depart. Unfortunately, many organizations still struggle with offboarding procedures, leaving systems exposed and vulnerable to breaches.

The consequences of residual access failures can be severe. Organizations may face regulatory violations, failed audits, and legal exposure if data is misused. Reputational damage is also a significant concern, as customers and stakeholders will not care about the intent behind a breach; they only want to know that the company maintained reasonable access control.

**The Two Failure Points**

Residual access failures often occur at two critical points: company-issued devices and orphaned accounts across systems. Let's examine each of these failure points in more detail:

### **Company-Issued Devices**

Company-issued devices, such as laptops, phones, and tablets, are gateways to access the network and local data. These devices often store or cache sensitive information, including:

• Social Security numbers
• Credit card details
• Employee personal data
• Business-critical documents

However, many organizations have a return policy but no verification process. It's essential to assume that devices are not returned, wiped, and secure. To mitigate this risk, organizations must perform both hardware and software inventories to identify sensitive records on the device.

### **Orphaned Accounts**

Orphaned accounts refer to former employees who still have access to systems after departure. This can happen due to various reasons, including:

• Role changes
li>Temporary permissions that were never revoked

Former employees may retain access to numerous systems, including those mentioned below:

• Salesforce
• Office 365
• SharePoint
li>Email servers

**Protecting Data from Residual Access Risks**

To minimize risk, organizations must focus on physical access and account management. Here are some steps to ensure a solid foundation for protecting data:

### **Establish Leadership**

Appoint one person in charge of the entire offboarding process from start to finish. This could be someone in IT or HR. Give them authority to coordinate multiple processes involved in employee departure.

### **Implement Offboarding Procedures**

Develop a clear and comprehensive offboarding checklist that includes:

• Hardware inventory
• Software inventory
• Account deprovisioning
• Physical access removal

### **Monitor and Maintain Systems**

Regularly review and update system access, including account lockout policies, password strength requirements, and multi-factor authentication.

### **Educate Stakeholders**

Train HR, IT, security, and leadership teams on the importance of offboarding procedures and residual access risks.

By following these steps, organizations can minimize the risk of residual access failures and protect sensitive data from being exploited by malicious actors. Remember, intent rarely matters in a breach; what matters is whether the company maintained reasonable access control.

**About the Author**

Kevin Beaver is an independent information security consultant, writer, and professional speaker with Atlanta-based Principle Logic, LLC. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Beaver specializes in performing vulnerability and penetration tests, as well as virtual CISO consulting work.

Note: The article has been rewritten to improve readability and engagement while maintaining the original content's accuracy and integrity.