Develop a Comprehensive IAM Improvement Strategy | Info-Tech Research Group

Immature identity and access management (IAM) programs introduce significant vulnerabilities, which can lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, and compliance issues, threatening the security and integrity of organizational assets.
IAM tools provide capabilities that can improve program maturity, report on identities, automate lifecycle management processes, and administer access to business functions. However, these tools require organizations to understand and adjust entitlements according to access policies and functional roles.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

Security leaders find modernizing identity security daunting and focus instead on seemingly simpler challenges like implementing single sign-on, multifactor authentication, and privileged access management. However, this reactive approach can be more costly over time.
Developing a comprehensive IAM strategy and roadmap is a proactive, high-value initiative that will drive the effective modernization of the identity management program.

Impact and Result

Define a clear IAM strategy that aligns with the organization’s security objectives and regulatory requirements.
Establish standardized processes for user onboarding, provisioning, deprovisioning, and access changes throughout the user's lifecycle.

Develop a Comprehensive IAM Improvement Strategy Research & Tools

1. Develop a Comprehensive IAM Improvement Strategy Deck – A step-by-step document that walks you through how to properly define foundational IAM processes and develop an improvement strategy to meet organizational needs.

Use this storyboard to improve the governance and operations of identity and access management at the organization. This blueprint uses the identity lifecycle as a framework to approach improving how the organization manages identity and access.

2. IAM strategy tools – A set of tools used to develop a comprehensive IAM strategy.

Use these tools to gather requirements, assess risks, and plan out a strategic improvement roadmap for your IAM program.

3. IAM templates – A set of templates that can be used to develop or improve foundational IAM processes.

Use these templates to document your current- or target-state foundational IAM processes.

Member Testimonials

After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this blueprint and what our clients have to say.

9.2/10

Overall Impact

$12,759

Average $ Saved

12

Average Days Saved

Client

Experience

Impact

$ Saved

Days Saved

Testimonial

Flight Centre Australia

Guided Implementation

9/10

$17,826

8

Best part: Great to talk with a professional who completely understands the domain, able to impart real value to my Organisation in terms of allowi... Read More

University of Johannesburg

Guided Implementation

9/10

$13,361

10

Great guidance from Petar to take us through the process.

Kappa Delta Sorority

Guided Implementation

10/10

$6,850

20

Victor's attention to detail and guiding me through each area of the process was much appreciated since this is not my area of expertise. I appreci... Read More

Federated Co-operatives Limited

Guided Implementation

10/10

N/A

10

Best part is it made us take time and focus. The tool made it easy to keep in track, work through it logically and break it apparent as to what th... Read More

San Diego County Office of Education

Guided Implementation

8/10

$12,999

10

I understand you do not provide the technology side to this conversation which is a big piece of this project. However, that being said, It was he... Read More

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Develop a Comprehensive IAM Improvement Strategy visualization

A successful identity and access management program is built on solid foundational processes.

About Info-Tech

Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.

We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

Table of Contents

Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst

Get the help you need in this 4-phase advisory process. You'll receive 9 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1: Assess IAM program requirements

Call 1: Review challenges and scope advisory engagement.
Call 2: Gather IAM program requirements; identify IAM roles and responsibilities.

Guided Implementation 2: Conduct an IAM program gap assessment

Call 1: Inventory repositories and identities.
Call 2: Conduct pressure analysis.
Call 3: Review the current state of the IAM program.
Call 4: Identify improvement initiatives; discuss stakeholder engagement tactics.

Guided Implementation 3: Develop IAM policies and lifecycle workflows

Call 1: Review the IAM policy; develop IAM lifecycle workflows.
Call 2: Develop IAM lifecycle workflows.

Guided Implementation 4: Prioritize IAM initiatives and build a roadmap

Call 1: Finalize strategy and roadmap; identify IAM program KPIs.

Authors

Ian Mulholland

Michel Hebert

Kate Wood

Contributors

Chen Heffer, CEO, CyTech
Vijay Bhatt, Senior Manager, Simeio Solutions
Rob Marano, Co-founder, The Hackerati
Dave Millier, CEO, Sentry Metrics
Sheldon Malm, Vice President – Business Development, Sentry Metrics
Jennifer Hong, Independent Management Consultant
One anonymous contributor

Search Code: 95066
Last Revised: October 3, 2024

TAGS:

identity access management, identity management, identity lifecycle, IAM framework, identity and access management lifecycle, access management, IAM lifecycle, IAM controls, onboarding, offboarding, cybersecurity, cyber security, information security, IAM governance

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