What is Toxic Combination Management?

Toxic combination management is a critical component of Segregation of Duties (SOD) controls. A toxic combination occurs when a user has access rights or permissions that, when combined, create a potential risk for your organization. These access overlaps can lead to security loopholes, fraud, or breaches of compliance standards.

Introduction to toxic combination management

Toxic combination management refers to the process of identifying and mitigating risks that arise when specific permissions or roles, when combined, could lead to a breach of security or non-compliance within an organization. For example, allowing one individual to both initiate and approve financial transactions could result in fraudulent activities. These toxic combinations pose a significant threat to businesses, as they often go unnoticed in complex systems, creating vulnerabilities that are easily exploited by malicious actors or accidental misuse.

Toxic combination management is a critical component of Segregation of Duties (SOD) controls. A toxic combination occurs when a user has access rights or permissions that, when combined, create a potential risk for your organization. These access overlaps can lead to security loopholes, fraud, or breaches of compliance standards.

By proactively addressing toxic combinations, organizations can strengthen their security posture and reduce the chances of costly errors or compliance violations. Toxic combination management is particularly critical in environments where Identity Access Management (IAM) and Identity Governance systems are in place, as these systems govern how users interact with sensitive data and systems across the organization. Proper management not only safeguards assets but also ensures adherence to regulatory frameworks, bolstering trust and accountability.

What are toxic combinations, and why are they a problem?

A toxic combination refers to the assignment of roles, permissions, or access rights to a single user that, when combined, create security risks or enable actions that violate governance policies. These combinations can lead to conflicts of interest, unauthorized access, or misuse of sensitive data.

Unchecked toxic combinations can result in severe security vulnerabilities and operational inefficiencies:

threats-illustration

Fraud Risks – Overlapping rights can allow misuse of power to steal company funds or manipulate records.
Compliance Failures – Violating compliance standards like GDPR, SOX, or HIPAA due to unmanaged access risks hefty fines and legal proceedings.
Data Breaches – Unauthorized data access increases vulnerability to data leaks or cyberattacks.
Audit Complications – Toxic combinations make conducting audits challenging, potentially affecting transparency and accountability.

Every security-conscious organization should address the detection and restriction of toxic combinations to maintain control and reduce risk exposure.

Practical scenario of Toxic Combination management

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Challenge: An Identity Governance systen admin is notified by the system of a toxic combination of access rights to both financial reconciliation and monetary transfers.
Solution: They deny this combination outright. When an employee attempts to request both permissions, the system automatically blocks the request and notifies both the user and their manager of the restriction.

Toxic combinations in IAM and IGA occur due to outdated systems, fragmented role structures, and human error during role assignments. A lack of structured entitlement policies and insufficient governance, such as irregular access reviews or weak provisioning processes, further exacerbate the issue. These factors lead to overlapping or conflicting permissions, undermining secure access management.

More complex infrastructure with many information systems, accounts and access rights makes it exponentially more complex to identify such vulnerabilities without a proper Governance Solution.

Key benefits of toxic combination management

Managing toxic combinations effectively is essential for maintaining organizational security and ensuring operational stability. Here are some key advantages.

Enhanced Security

Prevent unauthorized access to sensitive systems, critical functions, and confidential data by implementing robust security measures and monitoring for potential threats.

Regulatory Compliance

Adhere to internal policies and external regulations, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), to maintain compliance and ensure your organization is always prepared for audits. This helps build trust, mitigate risks, and maintain operational integrity.

Risk Mitigation

Reduce the likelihood of fraud, errors, and data breaches by implementing robust security measures, streamlining processes, and ensuring accurate data management.

Operational Transparency

Maintain clear accountability of access assignments by keeping track of who has access to what systems and why. This helps reduce confusion, ensures security, and minimizes the need for last-minute firefighting in access management, allowing your team to work more efficiently and focus on strategic priorities.

How to Manage Toxic Combinations?

Identify Risky Combinations

Catalog roles and permissions to spot high-risk overlaps (e.g., financial and IT admin functions). Use tools like IAM solutions and toxic combination templates for efficient tracking.

Define Clear Policies

Establish Segregation of Duties (SOD) policies to forbid, monitor, or flag specific permission combinations. Example: Deny roles enabling monetary transfers and reconciliation, or flag access to audit logs for approval.

Implement IAM Tools

Leverage purpose-built platforms for toxic combination management with features like automated denial systems, active monitoring, and notification tools.

Monitor, Audit, and Scale

Regularly audit permissions, use your IAM or IGA tools' features to track user activity, and scale governance strategies with modular IAM solutions for compliance in regulated industries.

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