Smart access policies
Smart access policies adapt access decisions dynamically based on risk, context, and business rules. This ensures the right balance between strong protection and a low-friction user experience.
Why it matters
Adaptive policies protect sensitive actions while keeping trusted users moving.
Key capabilities
- Risk-based decisions – Evaluate user, device, network, location, behavior, and app sensitivity
- Step-up only when needed – Minimize friction by prompting at the right time
- Consistent enforcement – Apply policies across all apps and environments
- Auditable decisions – Provide a clear trail of policy outcomes for compliance
Outcomes
Organizations that implement smart access policies achieve:
- Less friction with step-up only when needed
- Stronger protection from real-time risk evaluation
- Consistent enforcement across diverse applications
- Auditable access that simplifies compliance checks
Design principles
- Define policy ownership and clear change control processes
- Use canary groups and staged rollouts to validate changes safely
- Document and monitor exceptions with expiration and enhanced logging
- Regularly review events and tune thresholds for scalability and performance
Where to configure
Compliance note
Smart access policies align with Zero Trust strategies and help meet compliance needs by enforcing contextual, risk-based controls.
FAQ
What signals can policies use?
User, device, network, location, behavior, app sensitivity, and time.
How do rules interact?
Use clear precedence and test suites to avoid conflicts.
Can we prompt only for sensitive actions?
Yes. Tie prompts to actions like payroll changes or data export.
How do we handle exceptions?
Create short-lived exceptions with enhanced monitoring and expiration.
Is there a way to preview policy impact?
Use test mode or lower environments before production rollout.