System and method for detecting excessive permissions in identity and access management

Abstract

A system and method for detecting excessive permissions of a principal in a cloud computing environment utilizes code objects of infrastructure as code. The method also includes accessing a configuration code, the configuration code including a plurality of code objects, where a code object of the plurality of code objects corresponds to a deployed principal in the cloud computing environment; detecting in a log a plurality of access events, each access event associated with a first principal deployed in the cloud computing environment based on a first code object of the plurality of code objects; determining that the first code object includes a permission which is not utilized in any of the plurality of access events; and initiating a mitigation action for the first principal based on the permission.