The digital transformation journey naturally entails a rapidly expanding digital ecosystem that will require a consistent framework to manage and govern effectively in daily business operations. The impacts of Covid-19 on cybersecurity have further highlighted the importance of robust identity governance and administration (IGA). IGA is the indispensable piece to this complex puzzle as it helps make appropriate decision access across the organisation, whenever and wherever it is needed.
It enables companies to be better equipped to give access to the right people to the right systems at the right time so they can fully embrace the benefits of hyper-connectivity of their vast digital infrastructure. Thus, when done right, IGA solutions in Singapore are paramount in bolstering an organisation’s security and giving them key insights into their employees’ needs and activities.
Below, we take a closer look at the role of IGA in digital transformation and what makes it so important to the IT and identity security professionals overseeing the transition.
What Makes IGA a Critical Factor in The Digital Transformation Journey
Helps identify risks and strengthen security
Compromised identities caused by vulnerable or stolen user credentials pose many significant threats to modern organisations. IGA mitigates these risks by providing a comprehensive and centralised overview of user identities and access privileges, empowering IT teams to uncover weak or improper access controls and policy violations.
Identifying these risk factors, which can leave the organisation vulnerable to disruption, ensures they are addressed quickly before they can escalate. Lastly, it helps organisations keep track of all user identities and detect whenever accounts get compromised, enabling stronger asset security.
Deliver effective and timely access
Timely access to systems and resources is paramount in the digital era. IGA streamlines access requests, approvals, and provisioning, ensuring that employees and partners can swiftly access the resources necessary for their roles. This not only reduces the attack surface but also mitigates the risk of potential compromises.
Furthermore, IGA introduces automation into critical security operations, including the provisioning and deprovisioning of user access, resulting in reduced operational costs and a lower probability of human error.
Ensures regulatory compliance
Virtually all industries today do their utmost to eliminate access issues to comply with regulations like the GDPR, HIPAA, SOX, etc. Hence, limiting access to only those who need it and monitoring their activity is no longer just a crucial security measure within the organisation but also one of the most important requirements to stay compliant with these regulations.
Beyond strictly controlling access to highly sensitive or personally identifiable data like financial information or patient records, IGA also allows organisations to prove that they are indeed putting such security measures into action. Furthermore, since organisations can receive audit requests without warning, IGA solutions can make the necessary periodic review and proof of secure access seamless, effective, and business-friendly, thanks to its built-in reporting capabilities.
Automate labour-intensive procedures and processes
IGA brings operational cost reductions with its automation capabilities. This means labour-intensive processes like user provisioning, password management, and access requests can be fully automated and no longer require human intervention from IT administrators, saving their precious time and enabling them to focus more on fulfilling more important tasks that actually require their skills and expertise.
Many IGA tools come with a simple and intuitive user interface that makes it easier to self-assist and address service requests and other requirements independently without having to involve the IT admins. These tools provide a dashboard populated with various analytical data and metrics on user access controls, which helps organisations optimise and reduce associated risks.
Conclusion
Identity and access management solutions, particularly IGA, are essential to any digital transformation journey as they allow organisations to securely manage their employees and their access to corporate resources. From reducing risks like data breaches and promoting productivity to ensuring regulatory compliance, IGA facilitates a more seamless reimagining of an organisation to meet the needs of today’s digital age.