Know who can access what
Begin with an inventory of vendors, service accounts and integrations. For each, record the business purpose, systems accessed, approving owner and expected duration. This simple exercise often reveals accounts that nobody remembers creating.
Prefer the smallest useful permission
A vendor fixing a report does not automatically need administrator access to the whole platform. Define roles around the work being performed and use temporary permissions where the system supports them. Multi-factor authentication and individual accounts make access easier to trace.
Plan the exit before the start
Contracts and support arrangements end, yet credentials can remain active. Include access removal in offboarding and project closure checklists. Review API tokens, shared accounts and connected applications as well as user logins.
Test the process
Choose a recent supplier engagement and trace its access request, approval, activity and removal. If any step is missing, improve the workflow. Governance is strongest when the evidence can be found without an emergency search through email.
Planning a similar initiative? Talk to our team about a practical starting point.
Talk to an advisor