IGA management impacts businesses in a variety of ways. It provides a more secure environment and helps employees follow business processes, all while making operations more efficient. IGA deployments can be complex and require coordination and collaboration from many different teams. These include IT and security teams as well as business systems owners.
Security
When businesses use IGA management, they must ensure their systems are secure. They need access control policies that ensure only the right users can access specific applications and systems and a strong password management solution. IGA solutions also focus on least privilege access, eliminating excess privileges and granting access only to those who need it. They also help organizations terminate ‘orphaned’ accounts as quickly as possible since these are ideal targets for malicious actors who want to steal data or cause a breach. Moreover, IGA systems are designed to increase visibility into user entitlements and roles, which can reduce security risks during onboarding and offboarding activities. For example, they can help managers determine whether a new hire needs access to the company’s email or ERP system. As a result, businesses can save time and money on administrative costs and enhance user productivity and performance. They can also reduce the risk of security and data breaches, leading to costly fines or criminal charges. For this reason, businesses must make sure their IGA management systems are secure and comply with government regulations.
Compliance
When businesses use IGA management, they must meet several compliance requirements. These include regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA and SOX. These standards are essential to businesses because they protect their sensitive data and ensure employees can do their jobs without compromise. In addition, they reduce the risk of fines and legal settlements. To ensure compliance, IT and security teams must identify potential organizational risks. They must also manage user and identity data across applications, accounts and devices in a secure way. Then, they must monitor these activities to identify any threats or breaches. Once discovered these vulnerabilities, they can begin remediation processes and address policy violations. In addition, they must ensure that access is approved correctly and revoked when necessary. This process is often slow, but it’s essential if organizations want to ensure that their policies are followed. To achieve this, organizations must get all stakeholders on board. They need to ensure that their IGA strategy is based on business needs and that all IGA activities are automated as much as possible. This means that they should implement self-service features for users so that they can perform approvals and access certifications on their own. This will improve operations while increasing automation and security at the same time.
Efficiency
Identity governance and administration (IGA) solutions make it easier for organizations to manage and control access across the organization, ensuring employees have the right permissions and access to the information they need. IGA management also helps reduce operational costs, secure data and systems, improve compliance and prepare for change. Using IGA tools for automated user lifecycle provisioning, implementation of role-based access controls and periodic user access reviews and certification saves time and streamlines the process. Automated processes also allow security teams to focus on high-value areas where they can make a bigger impact, saving time and resources. Efficiency should be an integral part of any IGA project. Ensure all stakeholders are on board to avoid costly errors and delays in transitioning to a new system.
Automation support: Introducing IGA tools that offer automation capabilities for common processes such as access request management, approvals, and user access reviews can save organizations hours that would otherwise be wasted manually completing these tasks. Some vendors have also incorporated AI and machine learning into their IGA solutions to help automate many of these processes.
Insights from analytics: Providing managers with actionable insights that show them what their employees are accessing and what apps they use can increase operational efficiency. This can help reduce the risk of accidental data exposure and protect against compliance fines.
Cost
IGA management is a process that helps you manage user identities and access rights. It also streamlines processes like provisioning and de-provisioning users and maintaining compliance with security policies. As a result, it can help your business save money by reducing the time IT spends on managing credentials and access. It also enables your organization to scale to meet growing compliance requirements. Identity governance and administration (IGA) solutions can automate these processes to save time and prevent mistakes. They also integrate with directories and other enterprise systems to provide data about user identities and access. The cost of IGA management can vary depending on the size and scope of your organization. However, businesses should ensure they can accurately calculate the costs of implementing IGA before deciding. The key to overcoming this challenge has strong executive support and communication. This includes educating C-level executives about the benefits of IGA and explaining how it can benefit your company.
