OVERVIEW
Trends in Identity and Access Management (IAM)
The market for identity and access management (IAM) solutions has undergone significant change since March 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced more employees to work remotely and more businesses to conduct transactions online than ever before. The following five IAM trends are shaping how companies rethink their approach to getting things done – and how companies like Clear Skye can support their efforts through digital transformation, not just business as usual.
Adaptive authentication
Enterprises can no longer simply rely on a single factor, such as an end user’s location or a device ID, to enable authentication. Workforces are increasingly mobile, logging on using mobile devices and/or from remote locations. Adaptive authentication allows enterprises to strike a balance among security, flexibility, and efficiency. A robust IAM strategy will enable faster connections to verified devices and networks, such as a corporate laptop on a VPN, while beefing up authentication requirements for higher-risk connections.
Privileged access management
Some end users need access to privileged information or applications, whether it’s personnel files or corporate financials. It’s imperative for enterprises to ensure that the right individuals are granted the right access to these resources at the right time for the right reason. Privileged access management controls access to critical resources; it also monitors and audits access to privileged accounts to ensure that activity for a given employee matches use and behavior patterns and shuts down any suspicious log-in attempts.
Alignment with the identity life cycle
Adaptive, multi-factor authentication works best when it aligns with the workforce identity life cycle. Workers’ access requirements change as they join a company, transition to new roles, and leave the company; needs also change as workers log on from new locations. Effective IAM programs ensure that employees and/or contractors are granted the right level of privileged access for their existing role, reducing the risk that an outside attacker – or the employees themselves – can access resources they shouldn’t.
Privacy and consent in data sharing
Enterprises that manage customer data face a dilemma. Customers want an increasingly tailored experience and favor ecommerce sites that save payment information or offer specific product recommendations. However, companies must collect this data in accordance with increasingly stringent data protection laws in the United States and European Union. This makes data privacy and consent management a top priority for customer IAM strategies.
Cloud-based access management
Vendors that can deliver IAM as a service – like Clear Skye – are well-positioned to help enterprises provide robust, end-to-end identity and access management that’s faster and cheaper to deploy than siloed, on-premises IAM stacks. What’s more, running a cloud-based IAM solution natively on the world’s leading IT Service Management platform – ServiceNow – enables management to access to IT resources across the enterprise. Instead of taking an ad hoc approach to IAM, enterprises are empowered to create a comprehensive IAM strategy and develop a culture of governance.
Read more about IAM trends:
• Enterprise Times: FourCustomer Identity and Access Management Predictions for 2021
• Gartner: Key Priorities for IAM Leaders in 2021
• Gartner: 5 Key Predictions for Identity and Access Management and Fraud Detection
• Identity Management Institute: Identity and Access Management Market Report 2021
