Category: Cybersecurity Insights

What is Data Loss Prevention (DLP), and Why Is It Crucial for Modern Cybersecurity in 2025?

What if your company’s most important data were lost tomorrow? Customer information, financial records, or product plans falling into the wrong hands could cost you millions and damage your company’s reputation.

This is no longer just an IT problem. The average cost of a data breach reached US$4.45 million in 2025, according to IBM. Privacy regulators have issued more than US$4.5 billion in GDPR fines since enforcement began. Add to that the complexities of cloud adoption, remote work, and a constantly shifting threat landscape, and it is clear that protecting sensitive information has become a business-critical priority.

With cloud adoption, remote work, and evolving cyber threats, protecting sensitive information is no longer just an IT task; it’s a business-critical priority. Data Loss Prevention (DLP) helps safeguard data, ensure compliance, and enable secure collaboration.

In this blog, learn how Data Loss Prevention prevents breaches, ensures compliance, and keeps your business secure.

What is Data Loss Prevention?

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) refers to a system of technologies, policies, and practices designed to prevent unauthorized access, transfer, or disclosure of sensitive data. A data loss prevention system works across three main areas:

  • Data in use: Information actively being accessed or edited. 
  • Data in motion: Data moving across networks, such as emails or file transfers. 
  • Data at rest: Stored data in databases, endpoints, or the cloud. 

By monitoring and controlling these flows, DLP helps protect against accidental leaks (like an employee emailing a file to the wrong recipient), insider threats, or malicious exfiltration. A well-crafted DLP policy gives organizations the ability to define what qualifies as sensitive, how it should be handled, and what actions should be blocked or allowed.

This clarity is especially critical for industries like banking, healthcare, and SaaS, where data is not just an operational asset but also heavily regulated.

Why Is DLP Important in Cybersecurity Today?

Data loss prevention is no longer a nice-to-have. It sits in the middle of three forces that every leadership team is dealing with in 2025. Rising breach costs, a human-driven threat surface, and stricter data regulations across regions.

First, the money. IBM’s 2024 Cost of a Data Breach study pegs the global average breach at 4.88 million dollars. That is up from 4.45 million and reflects more disruption and longer recovery windows. Breaches in regulated sectors run even higher. Finance and healthcare top the list year after year.

Second, the human element is still the biggest risk factor. Verizon’s 2024 DBIR shows 68 percent of breaches involve a non-malicious human element. Think misdirected email, misclassification of files, or pasting sensitive content into the wrong app. DLP cuts straight into these scenarios by inspecting content and context, warning users in the moment, or stopping the action entirely.

Third, the way we work has changed. Cloud and personal apps are everywhere, and genAI tools are now part of daily workflows. Netskope’s 2025 Cloud and Threat Report found that 26 percent of users upload or send data to personal apps each month. It also found that 8.4 of every 1,000 users click a phishing link monthly. The same report shows 45 percent of organizations are already using DLP to control data flowing into genAI apps. This is exactly where a modern data loss prevention system earns its keep. It watches sanctioned and unsanctioned apps, understands sensitive data, and applies precise DLP policy decisions without slowing the business down. 

Regulatory pressure is the other reason leaders prioritize DLP. Under GDPR, fines can reach 20 million euros or 4 percent of global annual turnover. India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act allows penalties up to 250 crore rupees for failure to maintain security safeguards. A well-designed DLP program helps you prove due care, document controls, and pass audits with less pain. 

What does this mean in practice for CXOs and security leaders?

  • You reduce avoidable losses by catching the everyday mistakes that create outsized exposure. Think spreadsheet with PII uploaded to a personal drive or code with secrets pasted into a chatbot. DLP helps you stop these before they become incidents. Evidence shows this is where much of the risk sits. 
  • You gain cleaner governance across cloud sprawl. The right data loss prevention system identifies sensitive data wherever it lives and applies one policy across email, endpoints, SaaS, IaaS, and genAI usage. That simplifies audit and shortens incident response. 
  • You improve resilience and insurance readiness. Documented DLP controls, user coaching, and automated blocking make for stronger control narratives with boards, regulators, and carriers. 
  • You accelerate digital projects with guardrails. Teams can use the tools they need while DLP watches the data. That is the goal for 2025. Enable, not obstruct. 

Key Features of a Data Loss Prevention System

A modern data loss prevention system is not just a tool that blocks files from leaving your network. It combines content intelligence, user context, and enforcement to give organizations visibility and control over their most sensitive information. The most effective DLP platforms in 2025 typically include these core features:

  1. Content Inspection and Classification

    At the heart of any DLP system is the ability to identify sensitive data. This involves deep content inspection (looking inside documents, emails, and attachments) and context-based analysis (who is sending it, from where, and to whom). Classification engines can detect patterns like credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, or source code. Many advanced solutions now include fingerprinting and exact data matching, so even partial records can be caught.

     

  2. Policy-Based Controls

    A strong DLP policy lets you define rules aligned with your organization’s compliance needs and risk appetite. For example, you can block customer data from leaving through personal email, restrict file uploads to unauthorized cloud apps, or allow encrypted transfers only to approved business partners. The best systems provide flexibility, and policies can be granular enough to distinguish between business-critical workflows and high-risk behavior.

     

  3. Endpoint, Network, and Cloud Coverage

    Sensitive data does not live in one place anymore. It moves across laptops, servers, SaaS applications, and cloud platforms. A modern DLP solution extends across all these layers:

  • Endpoint DLP monitors data being copied to USB drives, printed, or shared through applications. 
  • Network DLP inspects traffic like email, file transfers, and web uploads. 
  • Cloud DLP integrates with SaaS platforms and IaaS environments to control data moving in and out of cloud storage and productivity apps. 

  1. Real-Time Alerts and User Coaching

    Blocking is important, but it can frustrate employees if it happens blindly. Modern DLP systems are designed to educate users in real time. Instead of just stopping an action, they display a warning such as: “This file contains personal data and cannot be sent outside the company.” This reduces accidental leaks while training staff to recognize sensitive information.

     

  2. Encryption and Data Masking

    DLP is not only about prevention. It also helps enforce protection. Many solutions integrate encryption and tokenization so that sensitive files remain secure even if they travel outside the organization. Masking and redaction allow certain users to see only the information they are authorized to access.

     

  3. Advanced Analytics and AI

    With growing data volumes, machine learning and AI now play a big role in reducing false positives. For example, instead of flagging every document with a number sequence, AI can determine if the context actually relates to a credit card or an internal code. Analytics dashboards also provide executives with insight into where the biggest risks come from, whether that is careless insiders, misconfigured apps, or specific business units.

     

  4. Compliance and Audit Reporting

    Finally, DLP systems generate reports that map directly to regulatory requirements. Whether it is GDPR, HIPAA, or India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, organizations need evidence of controls. Detailed logs and audit trails help demonstrate compliance during external audits and simplify internal risk reviews.

How Does DLP Software Work to Protect Sensitive Data?

DLP software works by combining discovery, monitoring, and response:

  1. Discover: The system scans storage, cloud apps, and endpoints to locate sensitive data. 
  2. Monitor: It tracks how users interact with that data across email, file transfers, and collaboration tools. 
  3. Respond: Based on the DLP policy, it can block, quarantine, encrypt, or alert security teams in real time. 

For example, if an employee tries to upload a spreadsheet with customer data to a personal Dropbox account, the DLP system can block the transfer and send a notification. If a developer pastes proprietary code into a public AI chatbot, the system can detect and prevent that, too.

The goal is precision with minimal disruption. Modern DLP solutions use AI-driven classification and context to avoid false positives that frustrate employees.

Creating an Effective DLP Policy for Your Organization

Technology is only as strong as the DLP policy behind it. A good policy includes:

  • Defining what counts as sensitive data: Customer PII, financial data, health records, trade secrets. 
  • Risk-based controls: Not all data requires the same protection. Segment policies for crown-jewel data. 
  • Employee awareness: Users need to understand why certain actions are blocked and how to work securely. 
  • Integration with compliance frameworks: Align your DLP policy with GDPR, HIPAA, DPDP Act, or ISO 27001 requirements. 
  • Incident response alignment: Ensure DLP alerts feed directly into your SOC or SIEM for faster action.

For leadership, the focus should be on balance: protect the data without slowing down the business.

Why Is Akku a Smart Choice for Data Loss Prevention in 2025?

Most organizations struggle with fragmented controls. Some tools protect email, others protect endpoints, and still others focus on the cloud. This leaves blind spots.

Akku offers an integrated data loss prevention system built for 2025 realities. With Akku, you can:

  • Apply consistent DLP policies across on-premises, cloud, and SaaS apps. 
  • Control sensitive data in generative AI usage. 
  • Simplify audits with unified logs and reporting. 
  • Coach users in real time with friendly prompts instead of just blocking. 
  • Scale DLP without heavy infrastructure or complexity. 

For IT managers and CISOs, this means stronger protection and smoother compliance. For business leaders, it means projects can move forward without fear of uncontrolled data leaks.

Conclusion: Protect Data, Ensure Compliance, and Strengthen Security with Akku

As data volumes grow and regulations tighten, data loss prevention is no longer optional. It is a cornerstone of cybersecurity strategy in 2025.

By understanding what data loss prevention is, adopting the right DLP policy, and deploying a modern data loss prevention system, organizations can reduce risk, avoid costly breaches, and build trust with customers and regulators.

Akku helps you get there with a solution designed for the way people work today, cloud-first, AI-enabled, and compliance-driven.

ZTNA Decoded: What is Zero Trust Network Access, and Why is it Replacing VPNs?

Let’s be honest. VPNs weren’t built for how we work today.

They made sense when everyone was in one office, using company devices, connecting to a network with clear boundaries. But now? People are logging in from coffee shops, airports, and personal laptops – and attackers have learned how to slip right through the cracks.

That’s where Zero Trust Netw                     ork Access (ZTNA) comes in. It doesn’t matter if you’re “inside” the network or not. ZTNA assumes no one gets a free pass. Every user, device, and connection is verified every time.

This blog breaks down what ZTNA really is, how it works, and why it’s quickly becoming the smarter, safer alternative to VPNs.

What Is Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)?

Zero Trust Network Access is a modern approach to remote access. It doesn’t assume someone should have access just because they’re on your network. Every request is checked in real time. Access is granted only to the app or data the user needs. Nothing more.

It’s a shift from blanket access to controlled, need-based access that happens quietly in the background.

What’s the Core Principle Behind ZTNA?

ZTNA adheres to a simple principle: never trust, always verify.

It doesn’t matter where someone is working from or what device they’re using. Until their identity, device, and behavior are verified, they don’t get access. And even after access is granted, ZTNA keeps watching in case something changes.

This ongoing verification is what makes it so effective.

How Is ZTNA Different from Traditional Network Security?

The biggest difference between ZTNA and traditional network security is trust. Traditional models assume that if a user is inside the network, they are not a security risk. Once someone connects through a VPN, they usually get broad access to internal systems. That worked when networks had clear perimeters, and most people worked from one place. But today, that assumption is a liability.

ZTNA doesn’t care where a user is coming from. It treats every request, even from inside the network, as untrusted until it’s verified. Instead of giving blanket access, it checks each login, each device, and each request in real time.

Here’s how that plays out in practice:

  • Network vs. App Access
    VPNs give users access to the network itself. That often includes more access than they really need. ZTNA only grants access to specific applications or services.
  • One-Time vs. Continuous Checks
    With a VPN, checks mostly happen at login. After that, the user can usually move freely. ZTNA continues to run checks throughout the session, constantly monitoring for risk.
  • Visible vs. Invisible Infrastructure
    In a VPN model, users can often see every system on the network, even if they can’t access them. ZTNA hides everything that the user doesn’t explicitly have access to. If you don’t have permission, it’s like the system doesn’t exist.
  • Perimeter-Based vs. Identity-Based
    Traditional models rely on network perimeters: if you’re on the right network, you’re trusted. ZTNA is built around identity, context, and device trust, not where the request is coming from.

In short, VPNs assume “you’re in, so you’re safe.” ZTNA says, “prove it – every time.” That’s the core of the mindset shift.

How Does Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) Work?

ZTNA acts like a smart gatekeeper between users and the apps or services they want to access. It checks who’s asking, what they’re using, and whether everything looks safe before allowing entry. These checks don’t just happen once. They run continuously in the background so the system can spot risk and respond quickly.

Here’s how ZTNA makes this happen…

Identity-Based Access Controls

Everything starts with the user’s identity. ZTNA connects with your existing identity providers, like Azure AD or Okta, and uses tools such as single sign-on and multi-factor authentication to verify who’s logging in. Based on that verified identity, it applies access rules. These rules can be based on the user’s role, department, device, or even time of day.

It’s a precise way to manage access, rather than giving everyone the same level of permission.

Continuous Verification Mechanisms

ZTNA doesn’t stop checking once someone logs in. It keeps watching. If a device suddenly looks risky, the login location is unusual, or the user’s behavior seems out of the ordinary, access can be blocked immediately.

It’s like having a security guard who never gets distracted and notices every red flag the moment it appears.

Role of Micro-Segmentation

Instead of opening the whole network to every user, ZTNA breaks it into smaller, isolated parts. Each app or service is treated separately. Users only get access to what they’ve been approved for. They can’t jump from one system to another without specific permission.

This keeps potential threats contained. If one account is compromised, there’s no easy path for an attacker to reach the rest of your network.

Key Benefits of Implementing ZTNA

ZTNA isn’t just about blocking threats. It also makes life easier for users and gives IT more control, with fewer gaps to worry about.

Enhanced Security

ZTNA removes the idea of automatic trust. Every request is verified before access is granted. It checks identity, device health, and context, like location or time of day. If anything seems off, access is denied.

This limits how far an attacker can go, even if they get in with stolen credentials. There is no open network to move around in, just isolated apps with tightly controlled access.

Seamless Remote Work Enablement

ZTNA lets people connect securely from anywhere without needing a VPN. There is no bulky software or slow tunnels to deal with. Users get access only to the apps they need, nothing more.

It is fast, easy to use, and works on both company-managed and personal devices. That makes it perfect for remote and hybrid teams.

Reduced Attack Surface

With ZTNA, if a user does not have access to an app or system, they cannot even see that it exists. This keeps your infrastructure hidden from anyone who does not need to be there.

Fewer exposed systems mean fewer opportunities for attackers to find a way in. Even if one user or device is compromised, the rest of your network stays protected.

Better Visibility and Control

ZTNA logs every request and every action. IT teams can see who accessed what, when, and from where – all in one place.

You also get more control. Access can be granted or revoked instantly without waiting for firewall changes or reconfigurations. That makes user management simpler and response times faster.

Common ZTNA Models and Architectures

ZTNA can be deployed in a few different ways, depending on your network setup, device ownership, and access needs. The core idea stays the same, but the architecture changes slightly based on how users connect and how apps are hosted.

Service-Initiated ZTNA

In this model, the application or service initiates the connection. A ZTNA broker sits between the user and the app. The app remains invisible until the broker verifies the user’s identity and checks their access permissions.

Only after this verification does the broker allow a secure, one-to-one connection to that specific app. The user never sees anything else on the network. This model works well when you want to keep sensitive resources hidden and fully protected behind strict controls.

Device-Initiated ZTNA

Here, the user’s device starts the connection. The device reaches out to the ZTNA controller, proves its identity, and requests access to specific apps.

This model is a good fit when devices are managed by the organization. Since the system already trusts the device and can enforce compliance rules, it gives IT more control at the endpoint. If the device falls out of compliance, access can be blocked automatically.

Cloud-Based ZTNA Solutions

These solutions are hosted by third-party providers and delivered through the cloud. They work across different environments, whether your apps are on-premises, in the cloud, or spread across multiple platforms.

Cloud-based ZTNA is often the easiest to deploy. There is no hardware to maintain, and updates are handled by the provider. This model is ideal for hybrid or fully remote teams and for organizations that want to roll out Zero Trust quickly without overhauling their infrastructure.

ZTNA Use Cases Across Industries

Zero Trust Network Access is not just for large enterprises or tech companies. It solves real, everyday challenges across industries, from finance and healthcare to manufacturing and education. Wherever secure access is needed, ZTNA can help.

Securing Remote Workforces

Remote and hybrid work has become the norm, but traditional security models have not kept up. VPNs are often slow, unreliable, and hard to scale.

ZTNA offers a cleaner approach. It gives employees secure access to only the apps and data they need, no matter where they’re working from or what device they’re using. It does not rely on full network access, which means even remote teams can work safely without putting your internal systems at risk.

Whether people are working from home, on the go, or in shared spaces, ZTNA helps keep their access secure and focused.

Access Control for Third-Party Vendors

Most organizations work with vendors, contractors, or partners who need temporary access to internal systems. That access, if not managed properly, can become a major risk.

ZTNA lets you grant limited access to just one system or app, for a specific time, and from a specific device if needed. Once the job is done, access can be revoked instantly.

There’s no need to give vendors full VPN access or expose your network more than necessary. ZTNA makes third-party access safer and easier to manage.

Cloud Migration & Multi-Cloud Security

As more businesses move to the cloud or adopt a mix of platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, managing secure access becomes more complex.

ZTNA helps you apply consistent access policies across all your environments. Whether your apps are on-premises, in one cloud, or across several, ZTNA treats them the same way, protecting each one with identity-based controls and continuous verification.

It simplifies your security posture and reduces the chance of gaps during cloud transitions.

Secure Your Network with Akku’s Tailored ZTNA Solutions

ZTNA is not just a replacement for your old VPN. It’s a smarter, more flexible way to control who gets access to what, without exposing your entire network.

At Akku, we help you make that shift smoothly. Our ZTNA solutions are built around how your teams work, what tools you use, and what you need to protect. Whether you’re managing remote access, onboarding vendors, or securing cloud apps, we make sure access stays tight and simple.

You don’t have to tear down your existing setup to get started. We work with what you already have, bring in Zero Trust where it matters, and give you full visibility and control without added complexity.

Ready to take the next step? Let’s talk.

The Most Important Trends in Cybersecurity for 2025

As digital transformation accelerates across every sector, cybersecurity has become a cornerstone of organizational resilience. The stakes are higher than ever, with cyberattacks growing in volume, complexity, and impact. Navigating the evolving landscape requires a deep understanding of the latest trends in cybersecurity and the strategic foresight to act on them.

This blog delivers a comprehensive overview of cybersecurity in 2025, detailing the emerging threats, technological advancements, and industry shifts that are shaping the future. From identity management to quantum computing and Zero Trust architectures, we explore where cybersecurity is heading – and how platforms like Akku are helping organizations stay ahead of the curve.

Overview of Cyber Security: The Backbone of Digital Trust

Cybersecurity refers to the practices, technologies, and frameworks used to protect digital systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access and cyberattacks. It is no longer a back-office function, but a strategic pillar of business continuity, compliance, and brand reputation.

Organizations today must contend with a growing range of cybersecurity problems: from data breaches and ransomware attacks to insider threats and compliance failures. As digital services proliferate, the security threats in cybersecurity have moved from isolated attacks to sophisticated, persistent campaigns.

Cybersecurity is, at its core, about trust-trust that data is protected, systems are resilient, and access is managed securely. This trust must now be earned and maintained in a rapidly changing digital environment.

Navigating the Evolving Cyber Threat Landscape

Threat actors are constantly innovating, using everything from artificial intelligence to supply chain manipulation to breach defences. Meanwhile, businesses are moving towards hybrid work models, cloud-native operations, and IoT expansion – all of which expand the attack surface.

Key shifts in the threat landscape include:

  • Increase in ransomware and double-extortion attacks
  • Growth of AI-powered malware and automated threats
  • Sophisticated phishing and social engineering campaigns
  • Weaponization of third-party vulnerabilities

Security teams must adapt with agility, moving from reactive defence to proactive threat anticipation and continuous monitoring. This shift is driving the adoption of new technologies and frameworks outlined below.

Latest Trends in Cyber Security

Trend 1: Cloud Security and Identity Management

As cloud adoption becomes universal, managing identity and access in cloud environments is paramount. Misconfigured access rights and unauthorized app usage are among the most common root causes of cloud breaches.

Akku plays a vital role here, offering a unified Identity and Access Management (IAM) platform that allows businesses to:

  • Enforce strong password and multi-factor authentication policies
  • Control user access to cloud applications from a centralized dashboard
  • Implement context-aware policies (IP, device, location)
  • Gain visibility into authentication attempts and access patterns

Akku ensures that cloud environments remain secure, compliant, and tightly controlled – even as your workforce scales or decentralizes.

Trend 2: AI-Driven Cybersecurity and AI-Powered Attacks

Artificial Intelligence is now a double-edged sword in cybersecurity. On one hand, AI helps defenders detect threats faster through behavioral analytics, anomaly detection, and predictive models. On the other hand, attackers use AI to craft sophisticated, adaptive attacks that are harder to trace.

In 2025, AI will be central to:

  • Automating threat detection and response
  • Identifying complex attack patterns in real-time
  • Enhancing user authentication through behavioural biometrics

But the rise of AI-powered malware, deepfake-based phishing, and autonomous botnets will also test the limits of traditional defences.

Trend 3: Zero Trust Architecture Adoption

The old model of securing the perimeter no longer works. With users accessing systems from anywhere, at any time, the Zero Trust model, which verifies every user and device continuously, is becoming the new gold standard.

Core Zero Trust principles include:

  • Trust no one by default, inside or outside the network
  • Authenticate and authorize continuously
  • Enforce least privilege access
  • Monitor all activity and assume a breach

Organizations implementing Zero Trust architectures gain greater control over their environments and reduce exposure to internal and external threats.

Trend 4: Quantum Computing Threats and Post-Quantum Cryptography

Quantum computing, while not yet mainstream, poses a looming threat to current encryption standards. Algorithms that are secure today may be rendered obsolete by quantum capabilities in the near future.

2025 is the year organizations begin to prepare for this shift by:

  • Understanding quantum risks to existing cryptography
  • Exploring post-quantum cryptographic algorithms
  • Identifying assets that require long-term confidentiality

Cyber resilience will increasingly depend on quantum preparedness.

Trend 5: Rise of Ransomware and Double/Multifaceted Extortion

Ransomware has evolved beyond data encryption. Today’s attackers also threaten to leak or auction stolen data, target backups, and repeatedly extort organizations.

To combat this:

  • Backup strategies must be tested and isolated
  • Incident response plans must include reputational recovery
  • User awareness and phishing defence must be constant priorities

The stakes of ransomware are no longer just financial – they’re existential.

Trend 6: Securing 5G Networks and IoT Expansion

5G’s high-speed connectivity is enabling billions of new IoT devices – from smart homes to industrial sensors. Each device becomes a potential entry point if not properly secured.

The focus in 2025 will be on:

  • Device identity and lifecycle management
  • Network segmentation and zero trust for IoT
  • Endpoint protection at scale

Without security embedded into 5G and IoT ecosystems, attackers will exploit them as low-hanging fruit.

Trend 7: Supply Chain and Third-Party Risk

As businesses outsource more services, their attack surface becomes more complex. A compromise with a third-party vendor can cascade across multiple connected systems.

Risk mitigation in this area includes:

  • Continuous third-party risk assessments
  • Contractual security requirements
  • Real-time monitoring of vendor access and activity

Trust must be verified continuously – even in trusted partnerships.

Trend 8: Increase in Regulatory Requirements and Compliance

Regulators across the globe are tightening cybersecurity requirements. From India’s CERT-In directives to global frameworks like GDPR and NIS2, compliance is now a board-level concern.

Organizations must:

  • Monitor and interpret regional laws continuously
  • Implement controls that meet cross-border data protection standards
  • Maintain auditable records and incident response workflows

Staying compliant isn’t just about avoiding penalties – it’s a critical signal of accountability and trust.

Future of Cyber Security in India

India is emerging as both a technology powerhouse and a prime target for cyberattacks. With digital initiatives like Smart Cities, UPI, and Aadhaar, the scale of digital infrastructure – and its vulnerabilities – is unprecedented.

The future of cybersecurity in India will be shaped by:

  • Growing emphasis on data localization and digital sovereignty
  • Cybersecurity skill development and public-private partnerships
  • Adoption of advanced IAM solutions to protect cloud-first organizations

As India tightens its regulatory landscape and scales its tech ecosystem, cybersecurity will remain at the center of digital growth.

Akku: The IAM Solution for Evolving Cybersecurity Threats

Against the backdrop of rapidly evolving cybersecurity trends, organizations need solutions that are flexible, cloud-ready, and policy-driven.

Akku offers a comprehensive Identity and Access Management platform that addresses multiple vectors of modern cyber risk:

  • Secure access to cloud and on-prem applications
  • Enforced MFA, adaptive access, and device restrictions
  • Browser-level security, DNS filtering, and GPO-like controls
  • Centralized dashboards for visibility and compliance

Whether you’re pursuing Zero Trust, securing a remote workforce, or aiming for regulatory compliance, Akku enables you to take control without complexity.

Stay ahead of tomorrow’s threats. Explore how Akku can safeguard your digital future.

Contact us today!

Startups to Enterprises: How Akku Meets Different Business Needs

Small, mid-sized, and large enterprises face different challenges with access management. From limited resources to scaling complexities to sprawling organizational structures, the differing needs of businesses at each phase of growth call for a tailored solution. 

In this blog, let’s explore how Akku empowers businesses of every size.

For Startups: Easy Setup, Powerful Security

The Challenge

As a startup or small-scale business, you may not have a large IT team or the technical skills to manage a complicated security system. But just like larger enterprises, your business too faces cyber risks. That’s why you need a security solution that’s simple, effective, and helps keep you safe while you focus on growing your business – without the need for technical expertise.

How Akku Helps

  • Quick IAM Setup with Minimal Technical Complexity: Akku simplifies the onboarding process, ensuring startups can get started without advanced technical know-how. Akku’s 500+ pre-built app connectors, user-friendly interface, and ease of setup allow small businesses to implement a robust IAM faster.
  • High Value-for-Money IAM Solutions: Budget constraints are a fact of life for small businesses. Akku offers plans that offer tremendous value and help you keep data security strong without breaking the bank.
  • Strong Foundational Security Measures: Akku helps you streamline access management and implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) – these are vital tools to build a strong security foundation at your business.

For Mid-Size Businesses: Security balanced with Efficiency

The Challenge

As businesses grow bigger, operations become more complex. In addition to the concerns of smaller businesses, your mid-sized business needs to balance the need for stronger security with the importance of maintaining operational efficiency. The right IAM will support your growth while keeping operations secure and efficient.

How Akku Helps

  • Robust Authentication Security: Akku helps you enforce MFA as well as strong employee password policies, keeping the login process secure across the board for your growing time. And the option of passwordless authentication goes even further towards eliminating the risk of password misuse/abuse.
  • Efficient Application Access: As your business scales, the number of applications your teams use tends to rise exponentially. The result is significant friction in the user access process. With Akku’s robust single sign-on (SSO), access to applications is a matter of a single click, enabling increased productivity for users and administrators.
  • Improved Flexibility through Modular IAM Solutions: With evolving business priorities, Akku’s modular IAM solutions give you the flexibility to invest in the tools you need now, and add on functionalities as the business grows.

    For Enterprises: Streamlining Access & Reducing IT Admin Workloads

    The Challenge

    Thousands of employees across multiple departments, and numerous roles and designations are key characteristics of large enterprises that give rise to unique IAM challenges. These dynamics place a heavy load on your IT admin team, and make managing access time-consuming and prone to error. At the same time, the business also needs to comply with strict security policies and regulations.

    How Akku Helps

     

  • Automated Provisioning and Deprovisioning: By automating provisioning and deprovisioning, Akku massively reduces the workload for IT administrators and ensures no risk of human error. Employees are granted access to the systems and data they require promptly, improving productivity, while former employees lose access with a single stroke, securing systems.
  • Increased Productivity with Self-Service Password Management: Password recovery requests can overwhelm the IT function as your team sizes increase. Akku’s self-service password management system allows users to generate and update their own passwords, in compliance with custom policies. This improves productivity by cutting out wait time, while IT administrators save a significant amount of time.
  • Streamlined Data and Analytics for Audit: Akku offers a centralized platform to manage access across the organization, which also means it is a centralized point of data collection. Akku’s advanced reporting and analytics tools use this data to provide single-window visibility into access patterns, enabling informed decision-making. This also provides verifiable proof of compliance with security and data privacy regulations.

Improve security and streamline operations as you focus on growth – regardless of the size of your business. Ask for a demo today!

The Vital Role of IAM in the Top 5 Cybersecurity Trends for 2025

With more cyber threats emerging on a daily basis, the world of cybersecurity needs to evolve fast to suit. As we enter 2025, here are the top trends shaping the industry, and how IAMs impact each.

1. AI-Driven Cybersecurity

AI is set to revolutionize cybersecurity because it can detect threats in real time. Analyzing huge amounts of data in a split second, AI-based systems can identify anomalies and predict probable risks. They take proactive measures to safeguard digital environments.

Since AI is always learning from new threats, its ability to counter sophisticated cyberattacks is also constantly improving.

Akku MFA uses AI-driven anomaly detection and step-up authentication to deliver adaptive authentication. This achieves the right balance between security and ease of access.

2. Zero Trust Security

Zero Trust Architecture removes implicit trust from access authentication. Users and devices should not be granted access privileges by default. Instead, a policy of minimum access privilege should be followed. 

Strong IAMs are built on a foundation of Zero Trust principles. Strict access controls are laid down and followed automatically. These rules could be based on user identity, role or context.

You can maintain tight control over access permissions to move towards a zero trust security strategy with Akku User Lifecycle Manager. This is enforced through granular access controls, continuous authentication, and automated access deprovisioning.

3. Passwordless Authentication

Biometric systems and other authentication methods are replacing traditional passwords, improving security and user experience alike by reducing dependency on weak or reused passwords.

Advanced IAM solutions like Akku Password Manager and Akku MFA enable passwordless authentication for seamless and efficient user access.

By removing password vulnerabilities, businesses reduce risks like phishing and credential theft. Akku supports passwordless login, streamlines security, and helps organizations meet 2025’s cybersecurity demands more effectively.

4. Stricter Data Privacy Regulations

With increasing regulatory scrutiny, organizations must adopt stronger security measures. IAM solutions are essential for ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations.

Akku Access Manager enforces policies to prevent unauthorized access and maintains detailed audit logs for reporting.

It does so by letting you apply access restrictions based on IP address, device, location, and time of access. Akku helps businesses stay compliant while strengthening data protection in a rapidly evolving landscape.

5. Critical Infrastructure Security

Essential services like energy and healthcare are prime targets for cyberattacks. IAM solutions help protect these industries by enforcing strict controls and monitoring system access.

Akku SSO & IdP, Akku Access Manager and Akku MFA lay down privilege guidelines and ensure that only authorized users can access sensitive systems, minimizing the risk of both insider and external threats.

Akku Cloud Directory, Password Manager, and User Lifecycle Manager enable organizations in these critical industries to secure their user identities and streamline access management, providing comprehensive essential infrastructure security.

 

By investing in the latest IAM technology, organizations can easily cope with the challenges of 2025 and safeguard their valuable assets. Reach out to our team to learn more about the cybersecurity trends for 2025 and how Akku can help you address these new challenges and opportunities.

The future of safe hybrid collaboration with Akku


In case you’re still wondering how important it is to focus on security during remote operations and collaboration, there are 10.5 trillion reasons to sit up and take note. According to the 2023 World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report, the cost of cybercrime is projected to hit an annual $10.5 trillion by 2025. 

A single data leak can have catastrophic consequences for a business, leading to financial losses, reputational damage, and regulatory penalties. As of February, the global average data breach cost was 4.88 million U.S. dollars.

As organizations transition to cloud-based collaboration, this opens the door to risks of remote ops that didn’t really exist before or were far easier to manage in an office-based working context. 

Additionally, misconfigured security settings and improper assignment of access rights, which can result in “privilege creep”, or employees gaining more access rights than necessary. This is a major risk factor since insiders are responsible for 20% of data breaches, often due to such excessive access.

 

Here are three ways to address these challenges related to security during collaboration.

1. Implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

This ensures team members only have access to the information necessary for their specific tasks. RBAC needs to be reviewed regularly and updated.

2. Regularly audit collaboration tools

This helps identify potential security gaps, misconfigurations, and outdated permissions. 

3. Utilize secure collaboration platforms

Invest in collaboration tools that prioritize security features, such as encryption, multi-factor authentication, and robust compliance measures. Akku offers secure collaboration solutions tailored to meet your organization’s needs.

Akku has a suite of features designed to secure team collaboration in hybrid work environments. 

Here are some of the ways Akku enables secure collaboration.

Granular access control

Akku ensures secure application and data access for hybrid teams, even beyond office firewalls. It allows administrators to enforce strict control over user access by utilizing IP-based, device-based, location-based, and time-based restrictions. Administrators can whitelist or blacklist specific IP addresses, ensuring access only from authorized locations. Also, device-based restrictions tie access to registered devices, while location- and time-based controls further limit access to designated areas and specific time frames. 

Centralized policy management

As teams and projects evolve, so do access needs. Akku’s User Lifecycle Manager provides centralized control over access policies. Integrated with Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication (AMFA), the platform provides real-time adjustments to security policies, enhancing overall control and ensuring secure access across various environments.

Compliance and auditing

Akku’s detailed audit trails and activity logs help organizations track every interaction within their collaboration tools. This ensures compliance with industry regulations like GDPR and HIPAA. 

For one of its clients, Akku helped ensure HIPAA compliance by securing access to sensitive medical data through its internal office networks, minimizing the risk of data breaches. By implementing a unified identity and access management solution, Akku provided visibility into user access, addressing the challenge of shared computers and reducing the manual effort involved in password management. This streamlined solution enhanced data security, improved compliance with HIPAA regulations, and protected the privacy of sensitive medical information for their 8,000+ distributed workforce. 

500+ Pre-Built App Connectors

Akku integrates with over 500 cloud-based collaboration platforms, including Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 allowing businesses to enjoy collaboration across their favorite tools without sacrificing ease of use.

 

Securing hybrid collaboration is no longer optional—it’s essential. Businesses need tools to protect sensitive data, ensure compliance, and streamline collaboration across cloud-based platforms. If you’re looking to safeguard your team’s collaboration, explore how Akku’s IAM solutions can help you.

The AI Revolution: Transforming Cybersecurity

Author: Dinesh

Reading Time: 3 mins

Any conversation you tune in to these days – be it related to business, entertainment, or technology – connects back to artificial intelligence in some way. The advances in natural language processing in the last year or two have made it even easier for laypeople to engage with the tech, and beyond research, writing, and design, the AI revolution has well and truly arrived in cybersecurity technology too.

 

 

Here’s a few ways that AI is impacting the world of cybersecurity management.

User behavior tracking

AI-powered IAMs can use user behavior analytics to identify ‘normal’ user behavior patterns and detect deviations or anomalies. AI algorithms undertake continuous analysis of user activity to identify baseline patterns and trends. On this basis, they can flag unusual activity such as unusual login locations or times. As these anomalies may indicate account compromise or fraud, this advance warning lets companies respond promptly.

Threat detection

Using AI in identity and access management, you can automatically analyze significant volumes of threat intelligence data to identify anomalous behavior or patterns. You can even integrate with threat intelligence feeds for real-time security information and threat detection.

By analyzing data such as user behavior, network traffic and logs, AI-powered systems can learn and understand normal user behavior. They are thus able to detect deviations from this norm. The cybersecurity solution can flag suspicious access, fraudulent activity or account compromise, and AI-powered cybersecurity can be trained to block unauthorized access.

Through machine learning, AI in cybersecurity and AI in network security can identify potential vulnerabilities before they’re exploited. This form of proactive threat detection helps businesses better protect their systems. By analyzing code patterns, behavior, and other indicators of compromise, malware detection improves in terms of speed and accuracy.

Intelligent identity and access management

An AI PAM (Privileged Access Management) experience is enhanced by the AI-powered security identity management solution. By monitoring and analyzing privileged user activity, the tool can recommend least privilege principles. This reduces the risk of privilege abuse and insider threats. With contextual information such as user roles, locations, and networks, the tool can make more informed decisions pertaining to access control. Dynamic access management helps businesses enforce highly specific access policies. You can adapt access privileges based on circumstance. 

Innovative and adaptive authentication management

With AI-powered IAM systems, you can implement more secure and user-friendly authentication methods, such as behavioral, voice-based, or risk-based authentication. Based on user behavior and device information, AI algorithms can assess risk levels in real-time. This way, you can enable adaptive authentication. The level of security and AI authentication needed for the specific use case and device access varies based on the perceived risk. IAM AI thus balances security and user convenience.

Automated IT support

Through AI-driven IAMs, you can automate user provisioning and de-provisioning processes based on defined policies. By streamlining the identity lifecycle in this way, you reduce the burden on IT administrative staff through AI business process automation. AI is also ‘always on’, and provides automated IT solutions and continuous user activity monitoring. AI monitors access controls and security events, based on which it provides risk assessment and adaptive security measures. This frees up your IT cybersecurity team from such regular monitoring activities and helps improve organization efficiency.

 

Looking at streamlining cybersecurity identity management? AI and cybersecurity is a complex but interesting field. Talk to our team of experts to learn more about AI in cybersecurity and IAM systems.

Blockchain Technology: A new chapter in Identity & Access Management

Why do you need an IAM? These tools help businesses manage their corporate identities and each employee’s access to different resources. Typically, these IAMs work based on a centralized database of user names and passwords. Single sign-on (SSO) works with this database to confirm identity and access permissions.

However, this database also becomes a centralized target for malicious actors. Whichever platform you’re using – your IAM solution, Active Directory, or any other identity provider – such a database is a tempting ‘honey pot’, a target for hackers.

 

Enter the Blockchain IAM

Blockchain-based IAM solutions will be able to authenticate identity without the use of passwords. Based on your organization’s DID (decentralized identifier), blockchain credentials will be recorded and tracked on the distributed, shared, immutable blockchain ledger. The public key will be stored on the blockchain servers, while the private key will be pushed to user.

In the case of Akku’s upcoming blockchain version, employees will need to enter their DID on an Akku app on their smartphone. A private key will then be pushed to their device, activating access to the app on that device, which can be used to enable login and access to all corporate assets.

Managing digital identities without a single point of vulnerability

Using the Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) model, digital identities can be managed in a distributed ledger system. This ensures that there’s no single point of vulnerability for hackers to attack. Your user credentials are secured with the tamper-proof distributed ledger.

Since blockchain-recorded credentials are recorded in a distributed ledger, they cannot be altered or impersonated. This guarantees integrity of identity during authentication, and you can be sure that your authenticated users are really who they say they are.

An additional layer of security is guaranteed through passwordless authentication.

Prevention of user impersonation through passwordless authentication

Since there are no passwords involved in the user authentication process, there is no risk of passwords being compromised or hacked. Our QR code-based passwordless authentication process is seamless, immediate and extremely secure. In addition, the authentication process also offers a seamless user experience.

As we move beyond passwords for authentication, you gain a number of benefits:

  • Security from easy-to-hack passwords, poor password policy compliance, common passwords, etc
  • Streamlined login process as they avoid password resets and other requests to IT support team
  • No risk of compromised passwords and user impersonation

The blockchain is the next big thing in cybersecurity, and Akku is excited to be at the forefront of this revolution. The private decentralized, immutable ledger feature of blockchain technology changes the IAM landscape considerably.

Talk to our team of experts about how to get started on your blockchain journey. Get in touch with us today.

Security isn’t a one-time investment: 3 key areas where most organizations fail

Your management team says that the time has come to invest in your organization’s cybersecurity. Your operations team agrees and says they are committed to security. Your IT team says that an IAM would help to secure your data and application, and identifies customizable IAM solutions, such as Akku, for investment.

So far, so good. But does that complete the job from your team’s end?

Even if your organization’s management and users believe that they are totally committed to improving cybersecurity, many of our recent IAM implementations have brought up some interesting issues of organization productivity.

Low priority on training

Many corporates believe that their employees – young, apparently tech-savvy, living in metropolitan areas – are sufficiently aware of all necessary cybersecurity measures. They believe that their teams are equipped to set up strong passwords, manage their own multi-factor authentication, avoid phishing attacks and browse through only secure web pages.

Some businesses, especially very large enterprises, do understand that cybersecurity training is necessary. However, others (regardless of size) often don’t feel it’s important for workers to take time out from their regular routines to focus on security. This is a prioritization issue, not one of budgets or resources. It can result in a number of security issues, including in terms of secure access to applications and data. No matter how technologically aware your team is, no one knows everything. It’s important to keep your learners up-to-date with regular cybersecurity training.

Fear of adoption

For a simple example, consider single sign-on (SSO). Single sign-on is an efficient way to log on to multiple applications. Using 2FA or MFA (two-factor or multi-factor authentication), single sign-on is secure as well as easy. However, if your team has never used such tech before, it can be bewildering. In our experience, 75-80% of corporate users don’t know how to use SSO without training. Post implementation of Akku, our team has occasionally offered training on how to use SSO and multi-factor authentication in the past. 

When we speak to our customers, we find that in many cases, fear of adoption is a bigger hurdle than cost of implementation or features provided by the IAM. They believe that their workers simply don’t know how to use MFA, and that it’s too much effort to provide regular updates and training to fix this gap.

In our experience, fear of adoption prevents more investments in cybersecurity applications than budget or other concerns.

Prioritizing productivity over security

While Akku or other IAM solutions secure access to applications and data, there is a certain amount of involvement needed from your IT team. A classic example is the password change self-service functionality. This functionality allows your users to manage, update and change their own passwords. 

At Akku, our policy is against self-service for password management. This is an intentional choice as it risks allowing users to set weak security questions or repeat common passwords used in other personal accounts. This, further, risks hacking through social engineering or credential stuffing attacks. In addition, when users know that they can reset their passwords at any time, they feel that their responsibility to secure their account and credentials is not as urgent. When they have to disturb their IT administrator every time they forget their password, this feels like a much more serious problem!

However, centralization of password management is inefficient for IT admin teams. In our experience, around 0.2% of users forget their passwords, every day. For an enterprise of 5,000 users, that results in upto 10 password reset requests, every day. As a result, some organizations tend to prioritize team efficiency or productivity over cybersecurity, by allowing users to manage their own passwords.

This raises the question: are you prioritizing your cybersecurity or team productivity? At the end of the day, you are responsible for your own cybersecurity. Taking the decision to invest in Akku or any other security infrastructure is an important step, but you need to keep the focus on cybersecurity on an ongoing basis. 

Security is a long term commitment, not addressed by a single investment. Talk to our team today for a holistic consultation on the next steps towards a more secure organization.

What is Open Policy Agent and how do you use it in cloud-native environments?

Open Policy Agent (OPA) helps you to increase application security and to reduce the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive data even in case of a breach of the application. 

It achieves this by simplifying access authentication and authorization within the application architecture, which in turn secures internal communication and access.

Many multinational corporations are using Open Policy Agent in their IT operations to establish, validate and enforce access control and security policies across the architecture of the application, thus allowing them to customize and strengthen security strategies for the application.

Why should Open Policy Agent matter to your business?

Take, for instance, edge security, which is used to protect corporate resources, users, and apps at the “edge” of your company’s network, where sensitive data is highly vulnerable to security threats. The edge security model trusts all internal communication and checks a user identity only at an ingress API-Gateway.

With Open Policy Agent it is possible to plug this gap by building a distributed authorization as close to a data source as possible without having to build the authorization logic directly into services. That increases security at every level of your application.

Here’s how major enterprises are using OPA

  • Goldman Sachs uses Open Policy Agent to enforce admission control policies in their Kubernetes clusters as well as for provisioning Role-based access control and Quota resources central to their security.
  • Google Cloud uses Open Policy Agent to validate configurations in several products and tools including Anthos Config Management and GKE Policy Automation.
  • Netflix uses Open Policy Agent to enforce access control in microservices across languages and frameworks in their cloud infrastructure and to bring in contextual data from remote resources to evaluate policies.

But what is OPA, exactly?

Open Policy Agent (OPA) is a tool that helps you write and test policy-as-code for Kubernetes to improve operational efficiency and promote scalability and repeatability. OPA decouples policies from application configurations and provides policy-as-a-service. Since this engine unifies policy enforcement across the stack, it allows security, risk, and compliance teams to adopt a DevOps methodology to express desired policy outcomes as code as well as offload policy decision-making from software. Created by Styra, and now part of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) alongside other CNCF technologies like Kubernetes and Prometheus, OPA is an open source, general-purpose policy engine. 

When and How can OPA be used to improve your IT Ops?

Infrastructure Authorization

You can use make all elements of your application infrastructure more secure using OPA.

OPA enforces and monitors security policies across all relevant components. For instance, you can centralize compliance across Kubernetes and application programming interface (API) gateways. 

With Open Policy Agent, you can add authorization policies directly into the service mesh, thereby limiting lateral movement across a microservice architecture. That way, since authorization is required at entry to every microservice, improper access to one microservice does not necessarily compromise others.

(You can learn more about Service Mesh and how it can help you with cluster security here and here.)

Admission Controller

You can control admission to your resources by working with an OPA-powered Gatekeeper.

Azure Gatekeeper and other Kubernetes policy controllers work with OPA to allow you to define policy to enforce which fields and values are permitted in Kubernetes resources. They can mutate resources. 

A common example of a mutation policy would be changing privileged Pods to be unprivileged, or setting imagePullPolicy to Always for all Pods. When you’re able to mutate resources server-side, it’s a really easy way to enforce best practices, apply standard labeling, or simply apply a baseline security policy to all resources.

Azure Gatekeeper for example is a Kubernetes policy controller that allows you to define policy to enforce which fields and values are permitted in Kubernetes resources. It operates as a Kubernetes admission controller and utilizes Open Policy Agent as its policy engine to ensure resources are compliant with policy before they can be successfully created.

Application Authorization

With the level of automation OPA provides, your team can make changes with the confidence that access authorization will remain accurate. 

Since Open Policy Agent uses a declarative policy language that lets you write and enforce rules, it comes with tools that can help integrate policies into applications as well as grant end users permissions to contribute policies for tenants. This enforces policies across organizations for end-user authorization with the OPA deciding level of user access in the application.

Open Policy Agent is also used to resolve problems around service-level authorization to control who can do what at different parts of the stack. 

What are the advantages of using OPA?

The OPA policy improves operational efficiency, allows for virtually unlimited scalability, eases interpretation, offers version control, and ensures repeatability. It essentially provides a uniform, systematic means of managing policies as well as auditing and validating them to avoid the risk of introducing critical errors into production environments. That’s because in Kubernetes, policies are best defined in code and OPA allows you to write and validate policy-as-code. 

By leveraging code-based automation instead of relying on manual processes to manage policies, your team can move more quickly and reduce the potential for mistakes due to human error. At the same time, your application architecture remains absolutely secure. Want to know more about how OPA can make your business more efficient? Contact us at Akku.