1. Planning.

• Assessment
  Start by determining who needs access, the resources they require, and their reasons for accessing them. Examine current access permissions to determine if they can be reduced or done away with. An entitlement discovery tool could be useful for better visibility.
• Policy Creation
  Establish clear policies for granting and removing access. These policies should clarify who can request access, under what conditions, and for how long. For critical roles, establish timed access limits.
• Source of Truth
  Link your JIT access system to an Identity Provider such as Okta, Google Workspace, Azure AD, OneLogin. This will create a definitive source for identification. By focusing on individual identities rather than shared accounts, authorization management and audit precision can be improved.

2. Execution.

• Self-Serve Access Requests
  Streamline the process by having users request access through the system, not people. Increase adoption rates by integrating with Instant Messaging platforms like Slack or MS Teams. Ensure requests include who is demanding, the necessary service/resource/role, duration, and reason.

• Approval Process
  JIT access enables companies to delegate approvals to individuals with business context. Resource owners and business unit managers commonly have superior insight than IT helpdesks. Use messaging platforms for swift responses, providing approvers with all necessary information for an informed decision.

• Conditional Approval Workflows
  Insert your predefined policies into workflows that determine access permissions. Put them into workflows dictating who can access what under what conditions. Using if-then conditions is an effective approach. IF identity group "X" asks for access to "Y", "Z" should provide approval and "M" should be notified.

• Integrations
  Integrate JIT access with other IT and security systems for greater flexibility. Link with IT ticketing systems for automatic access creation based on ticket status. Collaborate with data ranking systems to alter policies according to data sensitivity. Group resources and tag them to streamline the process. Collaborate with on-call schedule applications for automated approvals during emergencies. Work with training systems to grant access after the completion of training.
• Automated Provisioning and Deprovisioning
  Use your knowledge of Front to grant and eliminate finely detailed access within the service automatically. This is fundamental to JIT Access as it reduces the dependence on people's availability. It allows for automated access removal, a key aspect of JIT access and the concept of minimum privilege access (POLP). Ideally, you would be managing all permissions in one place, not requiring each application to have its own separate setup.
• Access Methods
  For Front JIT Access, APIs are preferred because of their flexibility and real-time capabilities. However, a combination might be needed, like using SAML for authentication, SCIM for user provisioning, and APIs for precise access control decisions.

3. Maintenance.

• Regular Audits
  Conduct routine audits to ensure the JIT access system is working as planned. Look for any unusual activity or patterns either directly or by feeding the logs into your SIEM. Automating user access reviews helps speed up evidence collection, delegate reviewers, and guarantee system compliance with related industry regulations or standards.
• User Training
  Train users, especially those with elevated privileges, about the importance of least privilege, JIT Access, and how it operates. Make sure users understand how to request access when it's needed.
• Feedback Loop
  Regularly review your JIT access processes. Solicit feedback from users and IT staff to identify potential improvements. Implementing this systematic approach will allow for the successful implementation of a robust Just-in-Time Access system for Front.