SCSEC03-BP01 Implement granular access controls

Implementing granular access controls across your supply chain environment makes sure that users, systems, and third parties have precisely the level of access required for their specific functions. By defining and enforcing fine-grained permissions based on roles, responsibilities, and contextual factors such as location or time, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive supply chain data and systems. This approach minimizes the potential exposure surface while maintaining operational efficiency through automated provisioning and de-provisioning processes. Regular reviews and continuous validation of access patterns help identify anomalies and maintain the principle of least privilege across complex, multi-party supply chain networks.

Desired outcome: Secure and controlled access for external parties to supply chain systems and data.

Benefits of establishing this best practice: Reduced risk of unauthorized access and improved compliance with data protection regulations.

Level of risk exposed if this best practice is not established: High

Implementation guidance

To manage and control access to supply chain systems and data for partners, vendors, and third parties, you can use various AWS services to implement robust access controls, monitoring, and governance mechanisms.

Use AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) to create and manage federated identities, roles, and permissions for your supply chain partners and vendors, while implementing AWS IAM Identity Center to centrally manage access to multiple AWS accounts and cloud applications, including your supply chain systems.

Implementation steps

1. Implement a centralized identity management system with federation capabilities to create and manage external identities, defining granular role-based access policies that enforce least privilege principles for all third-party users and systems.

2. Deploy a single sign-on solution across your supply chain environment to streamline authentication while enforcing consistent security policies including multi-factor authentication and conditional access controls based on risk factors.

3. Establish secure private connection methods between your supply chain systems and partner environments, avoiding direct internet exposure and creating encrypted communication channels for all third-party interactions.

4. Configure comprehensive activity logging and monitoring across all supply chain systems, with automated alerts for suspicious behaviors and regular auditing of third-party access patterns and usage.

5. Implement a resource sharing framework that enables controlled access to specific supply chain resources while maintaining centralized governance and helping to prevent unauthorized lateral movement between systems.

6. Create automated onboarding and offboarding workflows for third-party access that include approval gates, time-limited access, and regular recertification processes to help prevent access sprawl and facilitate timely revocation.