ServiceNow Seven Best Practices for User and Group Management: A Guide for Platform Administrators

[BillMartin]

In this article, I will be discussing Seven (7) Best Practices for User and Group Management for Platform Administrators.

 

As a ServiceNow platform administrator, effective management of users and groups is a critical responsibility. Properly managing these elements ensures that users have the appropriate access to perform their tasks while maintaining the security, compliance, and efficiency of the system. Here are some best practices tailored specifically for platform administrators to help you optimize user and group management within your ServiceNow environment.

 Proper management ensures that users have the right level of access to perform their tasks while safeguarding sensitive data and maintaining the integrity of the system.

Below are seven (7) best practices for managing users and groups in ServiceNow.

Let us drill down!

1. Implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

• Define Clear Role Structures:

  • Begin by defining a clear role structure within your ServiceNow environment. Roles should be aligned with the different job functions within your organization, such as IT Support, HR, or Finance. Ensure that roles are created based on the principle of least privilege, where users are granted only the access necessary to perform their duties.

• Use Roles, Not Direct Permissions:

  • Avoid assigning permissions directly to individual users. Instead, assign roles that encapsulate the necessary permissions. This approach simplifies the management of user access and ensures consistency across the platform.

• Regular Role Reviews:

  • Schedule regular reviews of all roles within the system to ensure they remain relevant and correctly aligned with organizational needs. As roles and responsibilities evolve, update the roles accordingly to reflect changes in job functions or security requirements.

2. Centralize Group Management

• Group-Based Role Assignment:

  • Leverage groups to manage role assignments efficiently. Assign roles to groups rather than individual users whenever possible. This makes it easier to manage large numbers of users, especially when organizational changes occur, such as departmental restructuring or onboarding of new teams.

• Logical Group Organization:

  • Organize groups logically based on organizational structure, such as by department, team, or function. Use descriptive and consistent naming conventions to make it easy for other administrators to identify the purpose of each group.

• Minimize Group Overlap:

  • Avoid excessive overlap between groups to prevent confusion and potential security issues. Ensure that each group has a clear and distinct purpose, with minimal overlap in roles and permissions.

3. Automate User and Group Management

• Automated Onboarding and Offboarding:

  • Implement automated processes for onboarding new users and offboarding departing employees. This can be done through ServiceNow’s Flow Designer or by integrating with identity management systems like Active Directory. Automation ensures that user accounts are created, modified, or deactivated promptly and reduces the risk of human error.

• Automated Role Assignment:

  • Use automated rules to assign roles based on user attributes such as job title, department, or location. This helps ensure that new users receive the appropriate access automatically upon creation of their accounts.

• Scheduled Audits and Reports:

  • Set up automated audits and reports to regularly review user roles, group memberships, and permissions. These reports can help identify discrepancies, such as inactive users with active accounts or users with roles that no longer match their job functions.

4. Maintain Clear Documentation and Naming Conventions

• Document Everything:

  • Maintain detailed documentation of all roles, groups, and their associated permissions. This documentation should include the purpose of each role and group, the permissions they provide, and the users or teams they are associated with. Clear documentation helps ensure continuity and clarity, especially when onboarding new administrators or during audits.

• Consistent Naming Conventions:

  • Establish and enforce consistent naming conventions for users, groups, and roles. For example, use prefixes to indicate the department (e.g., “HR_” for HR-related groups) or role type (e.g., “Admin_” for administrative roles). Consistent naming makes it easier to manage and search for specific entities.

• Version Control for Changes:

  • Implement version control for any changes made to roles, groups, or user permissions. Document the reasons for the changes, the date of implementation, and who authorized the change. This practice ensures accountability and provides a clear audit trail.

5. Conduct Regular Security Reviews

• User Access Reviews:

  • Conduct periodic reviews of user access rights to ensure that permissions remain appropriate for each user’s current role. Look for users with excessive or outdated permissions and adjust their access accordingly.

• Inactive Account Management:

  • Regularly review and deactivate inactive user accounts. Inactive accounts that remain active can pose significant security risks, as they may be targeted for unauthorized access.

• Group Membership Reviews:

  • Periodically review group memberships to ensure users are only members of the groups necessary for their current job functions. Remove users from groups they no longer need to be part of to minimize potential security risks.

6. Handle Special Access Needs with Care

• Temporary Access Controls:

  • For users who require temporary access to specific roles or resources, establish a process to grant and automatically revoke access after a specified period. This ensures that temporary access does not become permanent by accident.

• Segregation of Duties (SoD):

  • Implement SoD controls to prevent conflicts of interest and reduce the risk of fraud. For example, ensure that no single user has the ability to both approve and execute financial transactions within the system.

• Careful Management of Custom Roles:

  • When creating custom roles, be cautious to ensure they do not grant excessive permissions inadvertently. Custom roles should be regularly reviewed and updated as necessary to reflect changes in responsibilities and security requirements.

7. Educate and Train Administrators

• Ongoing Administrator Training:

  • Provide ongoing training for platform administrators to ensure they are up-to-date on the latest best practices for user and group management. Training should cover the use of automation tools, security protocols, and the management of roles and groups.

• Sandbox Testing:

  • Encourage administrators to test changes in a sandbox environment before applying them to the production environment. This reduces the risk of errors that could impact live users or system stability.

• Peer Reviews for Significant Changes:

  • Implement a peer review process for significant changes to user roles, group memberships, or permissions. Having another administrator review the changes before implementation can help catch potential issues or oversights.

Conclusion

As a ServiceNow platform administrator, your role in managing users and groups is crucial to maintaining the security, compliance, and efficiency of the platform. By following these best practices—such as implementing RBAC, centralizing group management, automating processes, maintaining clear documentation, conducting regular reviews, and providing ongoing training—you can ensure that your ServiceNow environment remains secure, organized, and aligned with your organization’s needs. These practices not only protect sensitive data but also enhance the overall functionality and user experience of the platform.

I have created this video to give you a picture on how to create ServiceNow Users, Groups and Roles:

Please mark as helpful if you find the article lucrative.

[Nikhil Bajaj9]

Thanks for sharing.

[BillMartin · Accepted solution]

Thanks so much, @Nikhil Bajaj9,  If you ever need additional assistance or have more questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. I'm always here to provide support for the community!

[NatePH]

Hey @BillMartin,

This is really good and super helpful, We are looking to automate our HR Groups based on user attributes, but we are not sure where to go to start developing this, could you please point us in the right direction to get us started.

Thanks

Nate

[BillMartin]

Hi @NatePH ,

Thank you for your interest. You can directly reachout to me to discuss further your requirement.

https://calendly.com/bill-martin0412/30min

Thanks,

Bill