4 things to consider when implementing Identity Access Management for the first time at your company

Establishing Identity Access Management is not an easy task. This article shares somes suggestions on what should be considered when implementing IAM for the first tim to help you to manage access, automate user provisioning and other key aspects of IAM.

‍Careful Establishing IAM Governance

Given that the concepts of IAM are not necessarily intuitive and there is a lot of hidden complexity, the process should not be rushed. Developing comprehensive IAM policies and procedures is crucial for standardizing access controls and ensuring consistent application of security measures. These policies should outline access management protocols, user authentication requirements, and processes for granting and revoking access. This is not something that needs to be done on one day and it can take some time to do it. If you have no idea on a realistic time line for your team, usually, the IAM vendors can provide you with some best practices and market standards.

Clearly defining roles and responsibilities within the IAM framework ensures accountability and effective management of access controls. Assigning specific duties to IT staff, security teams, and department heads helps streamline IAM processes and mitigates the risk of unauthorized access. Usually, you want to have close interaction between the IT team and the CISO.

Ensuring Compliance and Regulatory Adherence

Adhering to relevant regulations and standards, such as GDPR, NIS2, and ISO 27001, SOC 2, is essential for legal compliance and protecting sensitive data. Regularly reviewing and updating IAM practices to align with these standards helps prevent legal repercussions and data breaches. Information security certifications like ISO 27001 or SOC 2 require annual audits and quarterly internal reviews.

Implementing robust auditing and reporting mechanisms allows for continuous monitoring and assessment of IAM activities. Regular audits ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, while detailed reports provide insights into access patterns and potential security incidents. Most solutions offer logs to automate this process.

Security Best Practices

Protecting user credentials involves implementing strong password policies, enabling Single-Sign-On (SSO), multi-factor authentication (MFA), and regularly updating authentication methods. These practices reduce the risk of credential theft and unauthorized access to apps. Typically SSO is liked by employees as they do not have to remember many different passwords (or follow the bad practice to have the same password for most tools), the MFA is sometimes seen as a burden but it is important to use as it is a simple but very effective way to prevent unauthorised access.

Continuous monitoring of access activities and establishing an effective incident response plan are critical for identifying and mitigating IT security threats. Swift detection and response to anomalies help minimize the impact of potential breaches and ensure the security of the organization’s resources. Usually, you want to automate some rules to get instant notifications on suspicious behaviour. If you are a Google Company, the Google Workspace already provides very good tools for this and the same goes for Microsoft.

Enhancing Employee Experience

Balancing security and usability involves implementing security measures that do not overly burden users, such as single sign-on (SSO) and intuitive authentication processes. This balance ensures that security protocols are followed without hindering productivity. This is a key aspect in startups and scale-ups where people don’t want to be slowed down by red tape. While the IAM cannot always be seen as the best friend of the employee, its necessity should be explained and the benefits underlined. A key aspect of the employee experience is the quick provisioning of accesses. With IAM this can take minutes instead of days of waiting times for team members thanks to automated user provisioning.

Providing comprehensive user training and ongoing support is essential for the successful adoption of IAM systems. Educating users about security best practices and offering support for IAM-related issues enhances overall security awareness and ensures effective use of the IAM tools.