How a leading digital transformation services company achieved least privilege access and streamlined operations across multi-cloud, SaaS, and databases with Axiom’s innovative Access Management platform
Customer Overview:
Mastech Digital is a prominent provider of Digital Transformation IT services, specializing in data and analytics, digital learning, and IT staffing services. With a global presence and over 1,400 employees, Mastech Digital serves Fortune 500 companies and government agencies, handling sensitive client data and proprietary information daily across cloud platforms, SaaS applications, and databases.
The Access Management Challenge:
As Mastech Digital expanded its digital footprint across cloud services (primarily Azure, with additional workloads in AWS and GCP), various SaaS applications, and critical databases, the company faced increasing complexity in managing access rights efficiently. Philippe Bourdon, Chief Information Officer at Mastech Digital, explains, “Our diverse digital ecosystem, especially our multi-cloud environment with Azure as our primary platform and significant presence in AWS and GCP, demanded a sophisticated approach to access management that could adapt to our dynamic needs while maintaining stringent controls across all platforms.”
Before Axiom: Static and Manual Access Management
Prior to implementing Axiom, Mastech Digital struggled with:
- Inconsistent access management processes across their multi-cloud environment (Azure, AWS, and GCP)
- Time-consuming manual access management with ticket based change management process
- Difficulty implementing least privilege access in dynamic cloud and SaaS environments
- Static privileged access and standing privileges
- Limited visibility and audit of access usage and recurring patterns,
- Challenges in managing access for employees working across multiple cloud services, SaaS applications, and databases
Eli Vojnovich, IT Operations Lead at Mastech Digital, recalls, “Our static approach to access management couldn’t keep up with the dynamic nature of our multi-cloud and SaaS environments. We needed a solution that could provide agile, secure access management across our entire digital landscape, with particular emphasis on our Azure-centric but diverse cloud infrastructure.”
The Axiom Solution: Comprehensive Access Management
Mastech Digital partnered with Axiom Security to implement a comprehensive access management solution. Axiom’s platform seamlessly integrated with their multi-cloud environments (Azure, AWS, and GCP), SaaS applications, and databases, providing:
- Centralized control and visibility across all cloud resources and services, with specific optimizations for Azure and adaptability for AWS and GCP
- Secure management of privileged accounts and access to sensitive systems.
- Just-in-Time (JIT) Access Provisioning: Automatically granting and revoking access based on need and duration across all environments
- Fine-Grained Access Controls: Precise permission settings tailored to specific roles and resources, adaptable to each cloud platform’s unique features
- Automated Access Workflows: Streamlined request, approval, and provisioning processes across the multi-cloud ecosystem
- Real-Time Activity Monitoring: Instant visibility into access patterns and privileged activities across all platforms
Implementation and Results:
The implementation of Axiom’s Cloud Access Management solution was swift and comprehensive. Eli Vojnovich notes, “Axiom’s platform integrated seamlessly with our cloud, SaaS, and database environments. We were able to implement dynamic, granular access controls across our entire digital ecosystem with minimal disruption.”
Key outcomes included:
- 50% reduction of the overall provisioned privileges
- 80% reduction in time spent on access management tasks
- Decreased MTTR on avg from 3 weeks to 3 hours
- 95% decrease in standing privileges
- Improvement in visibility into access patterns and usage across all platforms
Philippe Bourdon adds, “Axiom’s integrated Dynamic Access Management solution has transformed our approach to access management. We’ve dramatically enhanced our control posture while gaining the agility to support our dynamic business needs.”
Key Benefits of Axiom’s Solution:
- Reduction of overall IAM attack surface: Eliminating standing privileges.
- Enhanced Control: Implementation of least privilege access and dynamic controls dramatically reduced unauthorized access risks
- Operational Efficiency: Automation and dynamic provisioning freed up significant IT resources
- Cloud-Native Scalability: Axiom’s PAM solution scaled effortlessly with Mastech Digital’s growing digital infrastructure
- Improved Visibility: Real-time monitoring provided unprecedented insights into access patterns
- Employee Productivity: Dynamic access management ensured employees always had the right level of access when needed
Enhanced Compliance Support:
While not the primary focus, Axiom’s solution also provided valuable assistance in meeting access control requirements for compliance standards. The User Access Review module proved particularly beneficial for Mastech Digital’s SOC 2 and ISO 27001 compliance efforts. Eli Vojnovich notes, “Axiom’s User Access Review capabilities streamlined our compliance processes, making it easier to demonstrate our adherence to access control requirements for SOC 2 and ISO 27001. This was an unexpected but welcome benefit of the platform.”
Looking Ahead:
With Axiom’s comprehensive solution in place, Mastech Digital is well-positioned to continue its digital strategy efficiently. The company plans to leverage Axiom’s platform to support its expansion into new services and ensure consistent access management practices across its global operations.
“As we continue to expand our digital footprint and take on more complex projects, having Axiom’s adaptive access management solution is crucial,” says Philippe Bourdon. “It gives us the confidence to innovate and expand our services, knowing our access controls will dynamically adapt to our evolving needs across cloud, SaaS, and database environments.”
Conclusion:
Mastech Digital’s partnership with Axiom Security demonstrates how an integrated approach to access management can address the complex challenges of modern, digitally transformed enterprises. By providing a unified, adaptive solution for access management across cloud services, SaaS applications, and databases, Axiom has empowered Mastech Digital to focus on its core mission of delivering transformative digital transformation services.
