1. Planning.

• Assessment
  Start by figuring out who needs access, what resources they require, and why. Document existing access rights and determine if they can be reduced or removed. Consider leveraging an entitlement discovery tool for better transparency.
• Policy creation
  Establish unambiguous policies for granting and revoking access. Include protocol about who can request access, when, and for how long. Specifically for privileged users, establish time-based terms.
• Source of truth
  Align your JIT access system with an Identity Provider (like Okta, Google Workspace, Azure AD, OneLogin). This functions as the recognized source for identities. Favoring individual identities over shared accounts provides improved control and audit accuracy.

2. Execution.

• Self-serve access requests
  Streamline the process by allowing users to request access through the system, not individuals. Increase adaptation rates by linking it with IM platforms such as Slack or MS Teams. Ensure requests detail who is asking, what service/resource/role is needed, how long, and why.

• Approval process
  JITA provides organizations with chances to assign approvals to the people with the most context. Resource holders and business administrators often have a better understanding than IT aid desks. Leverage messaging platforms for quick replies, giving approvers the information needed for informed decisions.

• Conditional approval workflows
  Incorporate your set policies into approval workflows deciding access permissions. These can dictate who can access what and under what circumstances. Assigning if-then conditions can be an effective method. IF group “X” requests access to “Y”, seek approval from “Z” and notify “M”.

• Integrations
  Consider linking JITA with other IT and security systems for more flexibility; Sync with IT ticketing systems for automated access dependent on ticket status. Connect with data classification systems to adjust policies based on data sensitivity. Ideally, you should be able to tag resources and group them together to streamline this process. Coordinate with on-call schedule software for automated approvals in emergencies. Use training systems to give access based on completed training.
• Automated provisioning and depovisioning
  Gain a strong understanding of Coda to effectively grant and revoke fine-grained access automatically within the service. This is crucial for JIT Access as it removes the dependency on people's availability. It allows for automated removal of access, key to JIT access and the principle of least privilege access (POLP). Ideally, you should manage all permissions in one place, without having to build or oversee an environment for every application in your company.
• Access methods
  For Coda JIT Access, APIs are the preferred method due to their adaptability and real-time features. However, a mix may be required, such as using SAML for authentication, SCIM for user provisioning, and APIs for exact access control decisions.

3. Maintenance.

• Regular audits
  Periodically review access logs to verify that JIT access is functioning as planned. Look for any abnormal patterns or behaviors directly or by feeding the logs into your SIEM. You can automate the user access review process to speed up evidence collection, delegate reviewers, and verify your system's compliance with relevant industry norms or regulations.
• User training
  Teach users, particularly privileged users, about the significance of least privilege, JIT Access and its operation. Make sure users know how to ask for access when necessary.
• Feedback loop
  Regularly revise your JIT access policies. Get feedback from users and IT staff to understand where improvements are necessary.

Following this systematic approach, you can effectively execute a robust Just-in-Time Access system for Coda.