What Is User Access Review and Why Is It Important?

Access to digital systems is becoming increasingly complex as organizations adopt more applications, onboard more employees, and implement dynamic workflows. Without proper control, excessive access risks often arise, ranging from outdated permissions to potential misuse of access rights. This is where User Access Review becomes a critical mechanism to ensure that every granted access remains appropriate, necessary, and secure for the business.

It is not merely a routine audit process. It is a core component of Identity and Access Management (IAM) that ensures every identity receives the right level of access, aligned with business needs and granted at the right time. Without regular access review processes, organizations face higher risks of data breaches, identity misuse, and failure to meet global compliance requirements.

What Is User Access Review?

User Access Review is a periodic evaluation process of user access rights to ensure that permissions accurately reflect users’ roles and responsibilities. Its purpose is to prevent excessive access, minimize internal risks, and ensure organizations comply with security standards and regulatory requirements.

User Access Review also serves as the foundation for implementing security principles such as the Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP) and Segregation of Duties (SoD), ensuring no individual holds excessive control over critical systems.

User Access Review typically involves verifying:

• who has access to specific applications
• whether the access is still relevant
• whether the access poses operational risks
• whether there are inactive or unnecessary accounts

This process is a vital part of identity security governance.

Why Is User Access Review Important for Companies?

User Access Review acts as a control system to ensure that every individual receives access aligned with their current responsibilities. This process is a key part of an IAM strategy that emphasizes continuous security, not just authentication at login.

By integrating IAM and Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) principles, organizations can monitor, evaluate, and review user access holistically. This approach guarantees that only the right individuals can access critical systems and information.

Here are 5 main reasons why this process is vital:

1. Reducing the Risk of Excessive Access

Excessive access often occurs due to role changes, promotions, or employee turnover that are not followed by access adjustments. This situation creates opportunities for identity misuse and increases the risk of data leakage.

By conducting it, organizations can assess and remove unnecessary permissions while consistently enforcing the Principle of Least Privilege across all systems.

2. Enhancing Application and Data Security

Every active account represents a potential entry point for threats. The broader a user’s access scope, the greater the impact if the account is compromised.

It helps organizations control access to sensitive applications and data, maintaining system security even as the number of users and applications grows.

3. Supporting Regulatory Compliance

Many standards such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, and PCI DSS require organizations to perform regular access reviews. Without Access Review, companies struggle to demonstrate effective security controls to auditors.

With a structured process in place, it becomes tangible evidence that the organization actively and measurably complies with regulatory requirements.

4. Closing Inactive Accounts

Inactive accounts that still retain access pose significant security risks. These accounts can be exploited by unauthorized parties without detection. Routine Access Reviews help organizations identify and deactivate inactive accounts more quickly before they become security vulnerabilities.

5. Providing Transparency for IT Teams and Auditors

This process enables IT teams to clearly understand who has access to what, while helping auditors assess the effectiveness of internal controls. With organized and transparent data, audits become more efficient, accurate, and defensible.

Compliance Standards: ISO 27001, SOC 2, and the PDP Law

It is not only a best practice but also a regulatory requirement. Many international and local standards explicitly mandate periodic access verification.

ISO 27001 and SOC 2 require detailed, auditable access controls. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s Personal Data Protection Law (UU PDP No. 27 of 2022) obligates organizations to protect personal data through strict access management.

Compliance is further strengthened through real-time audit trails, which record all access activities clearly and allow auditors to trace actions effectively.

Types of Access Review in Identity Governance and Administration (IGA)

Within the IGA framework, it is generally categorized into two main approaches:

• Periodic Access Review, conducted at fixed intervals such as quarterly or semi-annually.
• Event-Based Access Review, triggered by specific events such as promotions, transfers, or employee offboarding.

What Regulations and Standards Require User Access Review?

Several international regulations explicitly require organizations to conduct Access Reviews:

1. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

GDPR mandates that access to personal data be restricted to individuals with legitimate purposes. User Access Review ensures that permissions remain relevant and aligned with data protection principles.

2. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

HIPAA enforces strict access controls over health data to protect patient confidentiality. It ensure that only authorized medical staff and entities can access sensitive healthcare information.

3. Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX)

SOX emphasizes strong internal controls and Segregation of Duties within financial operations. User Access Review helps prevent conflicts of interest and potential fraud.

4. ISO/IEC 27001

ISO/IEC 27001 requires organizations to manage and review access rights as part of their Information Security Management System. This process ensures access consistently aligns with defined roles and responsibilities.

5. Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)

PCI DSS mandates restricted and regularly reviewed access to cardholder data. It reduces the risk of financial data breaches and strengthens transaction security.

Common Types of Access Review

1. User Access Review, Reviews access based on individual users to ensure employees or vendors only retain relevant permissions.

2. Role-Based Access Review, Evaluates whether granted access aligns with defined organizational roles or job functions.

3. Application Access Review, Focuses on access to critical applications to detect anomalies or uncontrolled changes.

4. Privileged Access Review, Examines high-level access such as administrators, developers, or system operators.

How to Conduct Access Review Effectively

An effective Access Review requires a combination of policies, procedures, and technology.

1. Define Scope and Priority Applications Focus first on systems that store sensitive data or have high operational impact.

2. Use Centralized Access Data IAM or SSO platforms with proper logging simplify the review process.

3. Evaluate Access Relevance Confirm whether access still aligns with user roles and responsibilities.

4. Identify Excessive Permissions Remove unnecessary, duplicate, or cross-department access.

5. Document All Changes Documentation is critical for audits and compliance evidence.

6. Perform Reviews Regularly Common frequencies include quarterly, semi-annual, or automated rule-based reviews.

Example of User Access Review Implementation in a Company

• Team Rotation or Role Changes it ensures old permissions are removed and new access is granted appropriately.
• Employee Offboarding Reviews help identify accounts that were not properly deactivated after an employee leaves.
• New Application Adoption it ensures roles and permissions are structured correctly from the start.

Common Challenges in User Access Review

1. Fragmented Access Data Across Systems

Without centralized IAM, access audits become complex and error-prone.

2. Large User Volumes

Manual reviews become inefficient as organizations scale.

3. Lack of Clear Role Models

Undefined roles lead to inconsistent access standards.

4. Insufficient Documentation

Audits become difficult without proper access change records.

Conclusion

Access Review is an essential process for maintaining secure access controls and ensuring regulatory compliance. Through regular reviews, organizations can reduce excessive access risks, strengthen security controls, and establish stronger governance practices.

For organizations seeking centralized access control and structured Access Review processes, Adaptist Prime provides a foundation for consistent authentication, access management, and activity monitoring.

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