The Importance of Identity Governance and Cost Management
In today’s business environment, cost reduction is a top priority for many organizations. Companies are increasingly adopting technologies that automate tasks and enhance efficiencies to achieve cost savings. However, minimizing risk should also be a key objective for every business. This is where Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) comes into play – a vital policy framework and security solution for automating the creation, management, and certification of user accounts, roles, and access rights. By ensuring consistency, efficiency, and improved security awareness, IGA is essential for reducing security risks. However, implementing IGA is often perceived as a labor-intensive task, leading some businesses to abandon it before realizing its full benefits.
The Perception vs. Reality of IGA Automation
Leadership often believes that automated solutions like IGA can address skills shortages and allow businesses to operate with reduced staff. However, the reality is that while IGA automates many functions—particularly in the ‘joiner, mover, leaver’ space—it often requires the reallocation of skills rather than a reduction in headcount. IGA is particularly effective in setting up, modifying, or revoking access to files, applications, and data for new hires, employees changing roles, or those leaving the organization.
One limitation of IGA is its initial lack of awareness of the environment it manages. Without proper configuration and visibility across all relevant environments, IGA may fail to restrict access to certain files and data. To mitigate this, experts must assess the landscape, identify where authentications and authorizations occur, and ensure IGA integrates with other tools like Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM), Hardware Asset Management (HAM), and Software Asset Management (SAM). This integration enhances visibility, helping uncover unknown elements and reducing the risk of unsecured access.
The True Cost of Implementing IGA
While implementing IGA requires an upfront investment of time and money, it does not inherently reduce staff numbers. This might lead to the misconception that IGA is costly and not worthwhile. However, this investment is critical for long-term risk management and operational efficiency.
Access Certification and Risk Management: A Strategic Approach
Organizations must clearly understand their governance and accessibility goals and evaluate their current processes. Many businesses still manage the ‘joiner, mover, leaver’ process manually—a time-consuming and flawed approach. Often, teams responsible for access control during employee transitions are so occupied with manually assigning access certifications that they cannot focus on other pressing security issues. This poses a significant risk to the organization.
A systematic and strategic approach to implementing IGA is essential. This includes evaluating the current situation, documenting processes and responsibilities, and understanding the rationale behind each action. With this insight, companies can adjust processes, realign personnel and skills, and improve efficiency with the help of IGA. This approach reduces potential risks, provides visibility into granted access, and facilitates better process management, ultimately leading to improved efficiencies and reduced security risks.
This systematic approach also accelerates the onboarding process and ensures consistency. When employees change roles, their access is automatically reassigned to match new role requirements, preventing legacy access issues. When employees leave, IGA promptly terminates all access, reducing security risks from lingering access rights.
Achieving Compliance with Effective Identity Governance
With IGA, companies are better positioned to meet compliance and governance requirements. IGA simplifies access certification by automating processes and adding an intelligence layer that provides insight into entitlements. This creates a clear translation layer, explaining who has access to what resources. Typically, the access certification process is complex and rarely straightforward. Managers must regularly assess and approve access across the organization, but due to competing priorities, this task often receives insufficient attention, leading to incomplete audits and reviews.
For more effective IGA implementation, it should be integrated with Privileged Access Management (PAM) as part of a broader Identity Security framework. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to implementing these solutions, as each company has specific requirements and use cases that will determine the order of implementation. Engaging with experts to assess requirements, understand business objectives, and develop a roadmap will help companies determine the best approach to starting their Identity Security journey.
Building a Holistic Identity Security Program
Whether starting with PAM or IGA, organizations should not wait to complete one solution before moving on to the next. These solutions should be part of a cohesive Identity Security program, working together as part of a broader ecosystem. By aligning these efforts, companies can better manage risks, enhance operational efficiency, and ensure compliance in an increasingly complex digital landscape.
