$3.5M Reality Check: Your IAM is Still a Mess?

Okay, let’s be real. That University of Phoenix hack? It’s big trouble. We’re talking about 3.5 million people whose Social Security numbers and bank info got into the hands of the Clop ransomware gang.

The crazy part is, the hackers were in the system since August, but no one noticed them until late November. That’s not just a simple oops—it’s a huge security fail.

Old Tools Aren’t Good Enough

Okay, the hackers got in through a problem in Oracle EBS. But why could they grab data for months without anyone catching on? That’s an IAM problem. Most companies don’t really know what’s up with their cloud permissions (CIEM). There are loads of people with way too much access. We should be aiming for Zero Trust. Giving accounts too many rights is like leaving your bank vault open and hoping a sign keeps people away.

Stop Guessing, Start Tuning

To make it through 2026, you can’t just do simple checks. You need permission monitoring that goes on and on. At USUA, we call it cloud tuning.
It’s not just another chart. It’s about cutting out permissions that aren’t being used, all by itself. Imagine a system that finds hidden security problems and tightens up your multi-factor authentication before a hacker even tries anything.

The Point

The Phoenix thing happened because someone had too much access privilege.

You can keep patching security holes as they come up, or you can really fix your identity management. If you’re not seeing and reacting to identity threats in real-time, you’re just waiting to send out 3.5 million sorry-we-screwed-up letters.
Let’s clean up your IAM issues now.