Dormant account management refers to the process of identifying and managing accounts that have not been used for a certain period of time. Dormant accounts can pose a security risk to an organization because they may still have active permissions and access to resources, but may not be monitored or managed as closely as active accounts. This can make dormant accounts attractive targets for hackers or malicious insiders who may attempt to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or systems.
In the context of identity and access management (IAM), dormant account management is an important consideration because it helps to ensure that an organization’s systems and resources are only accessible to authorized users. Properly managing dormant accounts can help reduce the risk of unauthorized access and protect against potential security threats.
To effectively manage dormant accounts, organizations may choose to implement processes such as regularly reviewing and deactivating accounts that have not been used in a certain period of time, requiring users to periodically re-authenticate their accounts to confirm their active status, and implementing strict access controls to prevent unauthorized access to dormant accounts.