🔍 Introduction: The Ghosts in the Directory
Every CISO fears the unknown — but the scariest accounts aren’t new users…
They’re old ones that never left.
2025 breach investigations showed a startling fact:
Over 40% of initial intrusions started from dormant or orphaned accounts.
Accounts that were never disabled, credentials that still worked, and privileges that remained quietly active — long after the employee, contractor, or vendor had moved on.
⚠️ Breach Lessons: Dormant ≠ Dead
CISORadar Breach Data 2025 Insights:
| Incident Type | Compromised Accounts | Root Cause | Breach Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 27 Dormant Users | No termination workflow | 186 Days Undetected |
| Fintech | 14 Orphaned Vendor Accounts | API access not revoked | 92 Days |
| Pharma | 8 Shared Test IDs | Default passwords never changed | 221 Days |
💡 Every inactive user is an open door for attackers — because attackers don’t need to create new keys when old ones still fit.
🧩 Ignored Control: ISO 27001 A.9.2.6 / NIST AC-2(3) – Removal of Access Rights
| Control Area | Objective | Common Gap |
|---|---|---|
| Termination Process | Remove access when employment ends | Manual offboarding or no HR-IT sync |
| Periodic Review | Validate access every 90 days | Delayed certification reviews |
| Privilege Deactivation | Disable admin and vendor access | Shared credentials overlooked |
| Tool Integration | Automate access lifecycle | Siloed identity systems |
💬 CISORadar Observation:
“Most organizations remove employees from payroll faster than from Active Directory.”
🧠 CISORadar Control Test of the Week
Control Reference: ISO 27001 A.9.2.6 / NIST AC-2(3)
Objective: Ensure access rights are revoked or disabled promptly upon role change or exit.
Test Steps:
1️⃣ Cross-check HR exit reports with IAM or AD user lists.
2️⃣ Identify users with no login activity for 60+ days.
3️⃣ Validate vendor and third-party user lists.
4️⃣ Review role changes and associated group memberships.
5️⃣ Report all mismatches and remediate within 24 hours.
Expected Outcome:
✅ 100% of inactive accounts disabled within 24 hours.
✅ Vendor IDs reviewed quarterly.
✅ Automated offboarding through HR integration.
Tools Suggested:
Azure AD Access Reviews | Okta Lifecycle Management | CyberArk Identity | SailPoint | CISORadar “Access Clean-Up Matrix”
🧨 Real Case: The Ghost Admin in the Cloud
Incident:
A global logistics firm suffered a ransomware attack traced to a cloud administrator account — belonging to a contractor who left 7 months earlier.
Finding:
Account remained active in IAM but removed from HR.
Privileged token still valid — used by attackers to exfiltrate 2TB of shipment data.
Cost:
₹780 Crore loss + compliance penalties.
Lesson:
“In cybersecurity, forgotten accounts are never truly forgotten — until they remind you in a breach report.”
🚀 CISORadar Impact Model – Access Hygiene Index (AHI)
| Metric | Before CISORadar Framework | After CISORadar Framework |
|---|---|---|
| Dormant Accounts | 134 | 3 |
| Vendor Accounts Reviewed | 20% | 100% |
| Account Disable Time | 12 Days | 1 Hour |
| Audit Findings (Access) | 8 | 0 |
🧭 Leadership Takeaway
“Zero Trust starts at Zero Accounts.”
Boards must stop asking “Who has access?” and start asking “Who shouldn’t?”
CISORadar frameworks ensure Access Hygiene = Digital Trust.
📩 Download: Access Rights Deactivation & Orphan Account Audit Template (A.9.2.6 / NIST AC-2(3))
🎯 Join the CISORadar Cyber Authority WhatsApp Group to get the Audit Template + Access Hygiene Tracker Excel Sheet.
🔗 Join Now → CISORadar Cyber Authority Community
📣 Share this with your IAM, HR, and IT audit teams —
Because every inactive account is an unguarded door in your digital fortress.
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#AuditSecIntel #AccessManagement #DormantAccounts #ISO27001A926 #NISTAC2 #CISORadar #ZeroTrust #IAM #IdentitySecurity #DigitalTrust #CyberRisk