#user access

Managing user access in modern enterprises has become more complex than ever. With hybrid work models, SaaS sprawl, and increasing regulatory pressure, organizations must ensure every identity has only the access they need—and nothing more. This is where a user entitlement review becomes essential. It enables security and compliance teams to validate permissions, detect excessive privileges, and maintain a governance framework aligned with least-privilege principles.

This article explores the components, process, and best practices for conducting effective entitlement reviews. You will also find a practical user access review checklist and the role of user access review software in simplifying the entire workflow.

What Is a User Entitlement Review?

A user entitlement review is a structured evaluation of all user permissions across applications, systems, and data sources. The purpose is to ensure each employee, contractor, or service account retains only the access required for their role. It identifies:

Excessive or outdated privileges

Access that violates segregation of duties

Orphaned or inactive accounts

Unapproved access escalations

High-risk permissions in sensitive systems

These reviews form a foundational control for frameworks like ISO 27001, SOC 2, SOX, HIPAA, and GDPR.

Why User Entitlement Reviews Matter

1. Prevent Identity-Based Breaches

Most breaches today happen because of compromised credentials or privilege misuse. Entitlement reviews reduce the attack surface by eliminating unnecessary access pathways.

2. Regulatory Compliance

Auditors expect clear proof that organizations periodically validate user access. A well-governed entitlement review program helps maintain compliance and avoid penalties.

3. Reduce Privilege Creep

Over time, employees accumulate unnecessary access as their roles evolve. A recurring review helps maintain least privilege.

4. Operational Efficiency

Removing stale access improves system hygiene and reduces IT overhead.

Core Components of an Effective User Entitlement Review

1. Unified Identity Inventory

Pull together all user accounts, roles, and entitlements from cloud apps, on-prem directories, databases, and custom legacy systems.

2. Defined Ownership

Each system should have a clearly assigned business owner responsible for access decisions.

3. Policy-Aligned Role Definitions

Every entitlement should map to a defined role with justification aligned to business needs.

4. Automated Review Workflows

Instead of manual spreadsheets, modern teams rely on user access review software to automate certification cycles.

User Access Review Checklist

Use this checklist as a baseline for all periodic entitlement reviews.

Pre-Review Preparation

Identify systems in scope

Confirm reviewer assignments

Define role-to-permission mappings

Classify sensitive and high-risk entitlements

Gather access logs and identity sources

During the Review

Validate active, disabled, and orphaned accounts

Compare permissions against job functions

Flag anomalies or conflicts

Review privileged and admin roles

Validate contractor, vendor, and temp user access

Document risk findings

Post-Review Actions

Approve or revoke access

Resolve SoD conflicts

Generate audit-ready logs

Track remediation in ticketing tools

Schedule the next review cycle

User Entitlement Review Process (Step-by-Step)

1. Define Scope

Determine which systems, departments, and user types to include. Start with high-risk applications.

2. Aggregate Identity Data

Pull permissions from IAM directories, SaaS apps, databases, and legacy systems. Consolidation is critical for accuracy.

3. Classify Access Types

Group access into:

Standard roles

Sensitive permissions

Privileged accounts

Service accounts

4. Conduct the Review

Business owners validate whether each user still requires listed permissions. High-risk access must be reviewed more frequently.

5. Remediate Issues

Revoke unauthorized access, disable orphaned accounts, and resolve conflicts.

6. Capture Evidence

Maintain approval logs, timestamps, reviewer comments, and remediation documentation for auditors.

7. Automate Future Cycles

Modern enterprises move toward continuous certification using user access review software for higher accuracy and lower cost.

Why Automation Is the New Standard

Manual entitlement reviews—spreadsheets, emails, CSV exports—no longer scale. Automation provides:

Centralized entitlement dashboards

Pre-built connectors to applications

Automated reminders & workflows

Risk-based review prioritization

Real-time remediation

Audit-ready reports

Solutions like SecurEnds streamline the entire certification cycle, cutting review time by up to 70% while improving accuracy.

Best Practices for Stronger Entitlement Governance

Review privileged access monthly or quarterly

Remove entitlements immediately when employees change roles

Enforce segregation of duties with automated checks

Implement continuous monitoring instead of annual reviews

Periodically validate role definitions

Use risk scoring to prioritize critical access

Conclusion

In order for any CRM system to function with the correct User Access Permissions and Security Settings, the process should be both straight-forward and all-encompassing. For the latter, this should mean a clear and concise depiction of the ramifications of any permission-based change that will be made before being applied. In the case of Salesforce, these controls have always been represented, but that doesn't mean it couldn't be made better, hence the latest changes which have been carefully tested over time and with much feedback from the customer base. In the Winter 2024 release of Salesforce, many changes from Field Creation to Security and Access Controls have been optimized to provide the admin more information and flexibility prior to setting a change. The following represent some of the latest updates in the Security and Permissions space which come on board with Winter'24. Permission Set Summary Prior to the latest release, when you clicked on a Permission Set, the familiar set of options were available by selecting the individual component. At times, when additional information needed to be accessed in relation to the Permission Set, this would need to be gathered in a different area of Salesforce, either via reporting or within the Setup system.

Now, you can access much of this information via the new 'View Summary' button, which provides a 1-page quick-access summary of easily accessible information as it pertains to the permission set such as Permission Set Group details, Object & Field permissions and App & System Permissions. While the information is available in other elsewhere, using this new button provides a shortcut by visualizing all relevant material, saving the administrator more time. Field Creation By Permission Set over Profile With Salesforce's continuing adoption of layering User Security while making it easier for the administrator, there is now an option available to create new fields and assign them to Permission Sets instead of the traditional Profiles. Note: To enable this feature, ensure that you enable the 'Field-Level Security for Permission Sets during Field Creation' option in the Setup ➔ User Management Settings.

When going about creating your new field, be sure that the Permission Set is available with Read, Create, Edit and/or Delete permissions to the related Object. If no such Permission Set exists, create a new one with the Object / Users who will need access. If at any time you wish to create a field the traditional way (by Profile), simply deactivate the 'Field-Level Security' option in the User Management Settings. Further Automation Via User Access Policies Have a hankering to get more control and less administration when it comes to assigning specific user-level permissions? This can be done by invoking the 'User Access Policies (Beta)' option in Setup ➔ User Management Settings. By setting up User Policies, you have the power to assign specific Permission Sets, Package Licenses, Groups and other actions based on options such as Roles or Profiles. The power of setting up these policies is that it allows the Salesforce professional the ability to configure these assignments once, as opposed to assigning permissions each time a new user is set-up.

For example, if a new user has been assigned to a particular role, and that role has a set of permissions or Permission Set Groups set-up within the User Access Policy, the process occurs automatically once the user has been created. Not only does this save the admin a lot of time, but is much easier on the maintenance side as changes which affect a series of permissions need only be changed in one place. An Alternative To Querying For Permission-Based Answers Available as a download from the AppExchange, the new User Access & Permissions Assistant give the Salesforce administrator a powerful set of tools, available in a single application, which include the following 4 components: Permission Analyzer

Where before you may have used tools such as Developer Console to query a return on determining which users have a specific system permission (i.e. Modify All Data), you can now get the same result via the Permissions Analyzer within the User Access & Permissions Assistant. While many other permissions can be checked using this tool, one of the main use-cases for this option allow you to instantly know all of the users in your Org who have 'Admin-Like' permissions, but yet don't specifically have a SysAdmin profile (among many other uses).

Converter

For those who have administered Salesforce for any period of time, you likely have come across the need to make a permission set from other assets. If this has included Profiles, the new Converter tool makes this process a snap. Simply click the Converter tab which provides a listing of your Custom / Standard Profiles allowing you the option to immediately convert it to a Permission Set.

Report

Reports are the bedrock of understanding the data stored in Salesforce, however, when it comes to the application of filters, particularly with User-Based filters, it can take time with a traditional report. With the Report option in the User Access & Permissions Assistant, gaining insight with your Users can all be visualized in a single page with a cross-section of filters provided, such as Department, License Name, Role Name and others. It can then be cross-reference by individual user, Object Permission or Field Permission.

Manage

With the Manage tab, you now have a Permission Set Group assignment Control Panel at your fingertips. Within a single utility, you now have visibility over all of your Permission Set Groups while at the same time providing you the option to both assign or unassign Permission Set Groups with your users.

The Salesforce Optimizer Tool Similar to the Health Check feature which was introduced years ago, the Salesforce Optimizer tool gives a snapshot of high-urgency issues which are lurking in your environment. This information is sorted by Status, displaying the items which command the most immediate action, ranking down to the settings which do not require action.

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