At its heart, identity and access management is a business process issue, not a technology problem. Without a clear understanding of the business, security, and operational challenges an organization faces for managing, governing, and enabling user access, chances are good that poor or even disastrous decisions will be made in identity and access management programs.
Additionally, fundamental changes in enterprise IT infrastructures have rendered older security models obsolete. Location-based security strategies are no longer effective when the location of apps, users, data, and devices are unpredictable.
The user is the common denominator. Therefore, placing identity at the center of a security framework (e.g., zero trust) becomes the only effective way to model corporate security policies. Without identifying the user, no other system access control or security matters. Identifying the user allows verification of all elements of access regardless of the location of the resources being accessed or the accessing agent.
Companies that tackle IAM effectively enjoy the benefits of empowered and trusted users who can connect to sensitive resources, no matter where they are.
Protiviti approaches IAM from a risk management perspective, which often is different from the approach taken by traditional IT consultants or system integrators. When IAM focuses on understanding risk appetite and addressing key business risks, it aligns and scales more effectively, ultimately creating more value and sustainability for the organization.